American ingenuity meets Mexican tradition – tradition loses.
People who are seriously interested in food often get hung up on authenticity – where can they go to experience Sicilian wedding soup the way it’s made in Palermo, or khao soi noodles that taste like they came from a Chiangmai street stall? It’s a fun game to play in greater Los Angeles, because almost every ethnic community has an enclave somewhere, so if you’re willing to invest the time, you will probably find whatever you’re looking for.
The other thing that LA has done brilliantly is the opposite of authenticity – adapting a foreign idea to our tastes. This has been going on for a long time, and some of the most popular foods in America were once exotic. Consider the humble taco, a simple street snack when it appeared in Los Angeles in the early 20th century. It was uncomplicated: meat, onions, and salsa rolled in a corn tortilla. By 1950 American fast food entrepreneurs had invented a new kind of taco – a fried shell with un-Mexican ingredients like lettuce and cheddar cheese, and the taco entered the American mainstream. In the 1990’s tacos evolved again – Asian ingredients like chashu pork and outlandish sauces suddenly became hip.
A pair of establishments that opened recently in the South Bay commemorate the past and future of the All-American taco, and I decided to visit both for lunch. I started Tom’s Tacos, a diminutive storefront located between a dive bar and a 99 Cent store on 190th. The place only opened in May but has a following – there are often lines outside. Then again, since there are only seats for about seven people, that’s not too surprising. Tom’s has a very short menu – tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, or nachos, all made with beef or chicken.
The tacos here are straight from the 50’s – crisp and slightly greasy shell with very lightly seasoned protein, cheddar, and lettuce. The salsa on the side is mainly pureed tomato without a hint of chili, bland enough that no Midwestern grandmother would object. If you drive up in a Studebaker with your hair slicked back, pick it up to go, and head for the Roadium, you could be in 1953.
The tacos from Tom’s were filling and cheap – $2.05 without cheese, forty cents more with shredded cheddar – and wholesome in a mid-American way. Having sampled, the past, it was time to head for the Hermosa Pier Plaza and the present. Taco Project does serve two tacos that are Mexican – inspired: one with chicken and avocado with cilantro and pineapple-habanero salsa, the other with pork, green chili, and tomatillo salsa. That doesn’t seem to be what most people order; while I waited and dined I saw more tacos with Thai peanut chicken, pork with blueberry sriracha, and hummus going out.
I decided to order the blueberry BBQ and a Korean pot roast taco, both of which were $3.50 each – a price hike from Tom’s, but for a much more upscale product. I had tried the blueberry shortly after they opened and not been impressed – that taco was drenched in sauce that overpowered other flavors. They have this under control now, and there was just enough sweetness and spiciness to balance the flavors of roast pork and apple-kale coleslaw. There were lots of flavors here, enough for a full-sized entrée, all in one taco. I was impressed.
The “Korean” pot roast taco is marked with a chili pepper on the menu, but the beef itself had no chili heat: good, intense beefy pot roast, but without the simmered intensity I expected. It was mild, but also offered many flavors in harmony – cherry peppers on top along with purple onion, tomato, cilantro, and a bit of jack and cheddar, and a hint of garlic mayo, so there were textures and flavors aplenty.
Seating at Project Taco is limited to one wooden picnic table a few feet from a small speaker blaring tinny hip-hop, so I ate at one of the plaza benches. I wasn’t the only one – Project Taco has a lot of take-out business that travels only a few yards before being consumed.
So which do I like better? I’m a fan of current culinary trends, and prefer Project Taco – but I like knowing that Tom’s is there, in case the day comes when I want to crank up the Studebaker and go for a nostalgic drive.
Tom’s is at 5148 W. 190th Street, west of Anza. Open daily except Monday at 11 am, close Tu-Sa 8:30 pm, Su 8 pm. Cash only, free parking, no alcohol. Menu at tomstacos.com, phone 310-371-0625.
Project Taco is at 34 Pier Avenue in Hermosa. Open daily 11 Am – 2:30 am, pay lot in rear. Menu at projectt
