An Antidote for the New York Times, Pet Wells, and Ligaya Mishan's Collective Tacos Delusiones: An Elegy for Mexican Food and Tacos in New York in LA Magazine's Digest

Mexican food in New York, where Boar's Head Products are proudly served, Reyes Deli

Frayed, dry, flaccid tortillas and meats that would get thrown out at L.A. chains like King Taco and Tacos Mexico. Bring on the Guacala-mole!


As soon as the New York Time's Ligaya Mishan published her piece on how great New York tacos are--on par with Los Angeles according to her--the team at Los Angeles Magazine took to action. Well, light action, as it doesn't require any perspiration to slap the store-bought tortilla out of the New York Times' mouth.

Read what I had to say about Mishan's story in the Los Angeles Magazine Digest.

The New York Times making a taco edition would be like an L.A. publication doing a bagel issue--but we're not that foolish. After reading how Pete Wells became excited over the thought of Alex Stupak handing him tacos like he was at a sushi bar shows something beyond poor judgment and ignorance--cultural elitism.

The reason I love Japanese food culture so much is the similarities it has to Mexican cuisine in its specialization, tradition, and serving methods. Taquerias, stands, and shacks in Mexico have a variety of settings, from the dirty corner space in an industrial part of town, to taquerias in Condessa with valet service--they all serve tacos directly to the customer. Not every sushi bar in Japan is in the Michelin Guide--many are quite humble, and ultimately, this is just a service issue.

Not all tacos have to arrive with urgency--grilled meats yes, but guisados can hold up just fine.

Mr. Wells, you are a lout. Try a little research next time, or consulting someone before you go on a "taco safari", if Mr Stupak wants to provide street style service and can't figure it out, you can always take a trip to Mexico.