The Mango Lassie

There are no taquerias to speak of in New York. By taquerias, I don’t mean taco restaurants dolled up with Dia de los Muertos decor and run by a hipster gringo chef. New York has its fair share of those. No, I’m talking about the authentic little holes-in-the-wall that used to be favored stomping grounds for Empanada Boy and me when we lived in Chicago. These did not have fancy decor. For the most part, they didn’t even have table service at all. What they did have was fresh corn tortillas, house-made chorizo, fresh horchata and marinated pork spinning on a spit for tacos al pastor. The flavors were authentic because there was no pretense to the operation. Mexican people were their primary customers, and there was no reason to be unconventional, only the best at evoking the flavors of home.

The dearth of truly authentic Mexican food (apart from the taco truck on 96th and Broadway and the places that undoubtedly exist in the far reaches of the outer boroughs) is obviously a result of the relatively small Mexican population in this city. New York’s Latino population is mostly comprised of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. Los Angeles and Chicago, on the other hand, have the first and second most Mexican-born residents of any city in the U.S., respectively. As it turns out, Madison, WI, is also home to a large Mexican population, and the culinary offerings there reflect that.

On a recent visit to Madison, EB and I were reminded how much we missed being able to walk across the street for fabulous tacos. We went to Taqueria Guadalajara with EB’s friend Hamentaschen. He has been wanting us to try this local hangout for a while, and we were excited to find out why he was so into it.

Of course, we all ordered tacos, but I could tell I was going to like the place when I tasted their salsas. There were two different varieties, a salsa verde and another tomato-based one. Neither of them held back on the heat. This was obviously not a restaurant that catered to gringos, although there were a number of us there.

The tacos were delicious. I tried one made with carne al pastor, which was moist and spicy with a touch of sweetness to counteract it. I also tasted a taco de lengua, made with tender beef tongue and a chorizo taco. The latter was flavorful but didn’t quite have the crispy texture achieved by EB’s favorite chorizo chef at Erick’s Tacos in Chicago. EB ordered the tripe, which had a chewy center and a crispy exterior, making it better than the completely fried tripe we’d tasted.

Everything was fresh and vibrant. Hamentaschen, EB and I happily chowed down, devouring everything on our plates. These were the flavors we had been missing!

Until we can get back to Chicago or Madison, or the West Coast, or any place where more Mexicans live, EB make do as best we can. We grill skirt steak on our stove top griddle and heat store-bought corn tortillas on the meat-juice-coated surface. We grill onions and eat our tacos with some of EB’s homemade salsa made with tomatillos and guajillo and chipotle peppers. We never go out for Mexican food— it’s just too disappointing. We may be a couple of gringos, but after you’ve tried an authentic taqueria, there’s no going back.

Taqueria Guadalajara
1033 South Park St
Madison, WI 53715
608.250.1824