Whatever I crave or plan when I walk up to a taco truck so
often goes out the order window when I catch sight of a trompo. All that spice-reddened al pastor sizzling and dripping on
a vertical spit is nearly impossible to pass up. And in the nighttime glow of
the Tacos Don Paco truck, the trompo turns like a lighthouse beacon leading me
across a darkened parking lot toward happiness.
Owner Jose Escobar, who hails from Mexico City, says he’s
partial to the al pastor himself, as well as the alambres. “Maybe everything,”
he says.
While the street tacos and quesabirria are popular among
regulars, the alambres with pork al
pastor are a shrewd move (three for $14). Pull your eyes from the mesmerizing
trompo and watch Escobar in the window, tossing the meat with onions and
peppers on the flat-top grill before blanketing it all with cheese and sweeping
it into a trio of lightly browned flour tortillas to be topped with cilantro
and onion. The result is the promise fajitas make but never truly fulfill.
The birria ramen is another strong contender, too ($13). The
consommé, cooked for hours and heavy with shredded beef, is a fine match for
packaged ramen noodles, brightened by cilantro, chopped onion and radish
slices. This is the fusion we’re looking for, and it can be found Tuesday through Thursday at 2020 Main St. in Fortuna, and Friday through Sunday at 4 Fourth St. in Eureka.
(Pro tip: The folks at Tacos Don Paco are happy to put your takeout
in a container from home if you want to skip the disposables. If you’re picking
up the birria ramen, that’s going to require a 4-cup container.)
This article appears in ‘Breathing Room’.
