Taco Trail, Addendum

Mezcal (not pictured), Dinner, San Jose
July 3, 2016

After finishing up our Taco Trail in Fresno, we decided to grab dinner in San Jose on the way back home.  I was craving a margarita, so we ended up at a place that was somehow known for making a good one.  Oh, and they make guacamole to order!

I'm not sure how much I want to say about this place; it was a remarkably disappointing finish to our fabulous 2-day taco excursion.  Watery, underwhelming moles (their specialty!) were served with chips in lieu of salsa (bad idea).  The margaritas tasted of sub-par sweet and sour mix.  The guacamole, the best part of the meal, was unhappily prepared tableside by a disgruntled server.  And our sampler of "Oaxacan Appetizers" turned out to be a sad platter of fried assorted things (this was not well-described on the menu - we would generally never order such a thing to begin with) served over browned, wilted lettuce.  Yuck!

We would never in a million years go back to this place.


Krispy Kreme, Snack, Daly City

What better way to erase the memory of a terrible meal than a Krispy Kreme donut.  As luck would have it, the "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign was aglow when we arrived.  Two Original Glazed, please.  It doesn't get much better than that.

We don't frequent Krispy Kreme, but sometimes it's called for.

Taco Trail, Day 2

Taco Trail, Day 2
Fresno, San Jose, Lunch
July 3, 2016

And here we are, Day 2 on the Taco Trail finds us in Fresno for our last three stops.

photo by Patrick

Don Pepe Taqueria, Fresno, spicy shrimp taco

With three stops in one city, we had to do our best to spread things out; thankfully, Don Pepe Taqueria opens early.  We arrived around late breakfast/early lunch, and the place was packed.  The line for the cashier weaved awkwardly through the seating area; we timidly took our spot.  I tried to talk Patrick into breaking the 2 taco rule (again), but he resisted.  We ordered the spicy shrimp taco and carne asada al pastor.  The spicy shrimp taco, served on a thin flour tortilla (a first for this trip), was stuffed with rice, cheese, guacamole, and plump shrimp tossed in a spicy sauce.  "Shrimp tacos aren't my thing," Patrick says, declaring he'd only have a single bite.  I didn't object - shrimp tacos are my thing, so I was happy to take one for the team.  He had a bite and he liked it.  "Not sure I taste the shrimp," he says, and takes another bite.  This was a shrimp taco even he could love.  For me, the taco bordered on a mini burrito, what with the flour tortilla and generous heap of rice inside, but the flavors worked well together, and I wanted another; this was a great taco.  The al pastor was less impressive.  Any virtues of the barbecued meat were lost under the helping of soft pinto beans, raw onion and salsa garnish.  It was good, but paled in comparison to the spicy shrimp taco of our dreams.

photo by Patrick

El Mercado Super, Fresno, al pastor + coconut aqua fresca

As the name may suggest to you, our next stop was part of a Mexican grocery.  The first thing you see walking in the door are clear plastic barrels of aguas frescas - melon (cantaloupe), watermelon, coconut, and horchata.  I had the coconut, Patrick again went for watermelon.  These were on the sweeter side, but still delicious; the coconut was ice cold and creamy, with little bits of shredded coconut.  For tacos, we chose the al pastor and carne asada; a steamer at the front of the counter filled with tamales tempted us to order one, chicken.  Sitting next to a flat top griddle behind the counter was a giant clear plastic bag of fresh masa dough, evidently the tortillas are made to order (omg, yes).  A salsa bar sat at the back of the small seating area; I perused the spread and selected red, green and avocado salsas and a little pico de gallo.  The tamal reminded Patrick of when he lived in Texas; he hasn't had one so good until this.  The masa was well seasoned, moist and amazingly light; the shredded chicken inside was mixed with savory green sauce.  The al pastor taco was easily the best I've had anywhere, ever.  Generously rubbed pork layered on a spit offered up piping hot roasted meat with crispy edges, and when folded inside that fresh corn tortila with a little white onion and cliantro, it needed nothing (which was too bad, the salsas were pretty delicious).  The carne asada was equally good; the garlicky, citrusy, peppery marinade made this grilled meat stand out, it was packed with flavor.  As we sat, finishing our desserts (aquas frescas), we looked up the next and final stop, also in Fresno.  We saw photos of giant tacos, packed with multiple ingredients and slathered with salsas.  "Should we just order more tacos here and skip the next place?"  "Yep."  So we did.  A third taco, the chile verde (tender cubes of pork stewed in a tangy green sauce) was added to the mix, but couldn't compete with the second round of al pastor and carne asada.  These were hands down the best tacos on the Trail.

And there we have it.  El Mercado Super won the prize - it was so good, we cut our trip short by one spot (we wanted to end on that high note).  The Viva Taco bus was a close second for Patrick, though for me it tied with that delicious shrimp taco-quasi-burrito at Don Pepe.  Would we do this again?!  Heck yeah!  Though, admittedly, we like the idea of just taking another, perhaps different, food-centric road trip adventure sometime in the future.  BUT!  If we ever end up in Fresno again, we know where to get tacos.

Bill's Cafe

photo - Yelp, Danster L.

Bill's Cafe, Brunch, San Jose
April 24, 2016

P:
Chorizo Scramble - Chorizo, Avocado, Tomatoes and Onions topped with Cheddar Cheese.  Served with fresh salsa.
Sub buttermilk pancake for toast.

J:
Mexicano Omelette - Filled with Jalapeno Chilies, Avocado, Sour Cream, Jack Cheese, topped with fresh salsa.
Sub buttermilk pancake for toast.


Notes:
We found ourselves in San Jose on this bright and windy (late) morning for a little shopping and a bite to eat.  Bill's Cafe is a favorite of a close friend, so we figured that was a good enough reason to try it.

This is one of those places that I think would hold institution status if I knew anything at all about what's up with San Jose.  Why do I say that?  Well, the restaurant was packed, their parking lot full, and throngs of people were waiting outside for a table.  Across the street, at what seemed a perfectly fine place for brunch, if not a little fancier from what I could tell, sat a near empty restaurant.

Bill's Cafe is much like any classic diner: huge menu, quick food, bustling atmosphere.  And noisy.  OH, so noisy!  I had the pleasure of sitting next to the bus tub that day.  You know, that plastic bin where the plates and glasses are chucked after clearing a table (and before they make their way to the dish pit)?  Most often, this type of thing is cleverly stowed out of sight, but even then you can hear that unmistakable clash and clang emanating from its hiding place.  Not here.  This one was planted on the table top of the wait station right next to our table, and right next to my head.  Ear plugs would've been good.

Patrick seemed to be pretty pleased with his scramble, but most enamored with the uncommonly prepared hash browns.  They started with shredded potatoes, and appeared to have been cooked as a giant inch-thick slab, from which smaller sections were cut for plating.  "So what," you say?  Well, it's the interior that made these different.  The shredded potatoes must have first been cooked through by way of steaming or boiling, which resulted in an almost baked-potato-like fluffy interior with an evenly crisp, golden top and bottom crust.  These were quite good as far as hash browns go, and worth going back for.

I was equally hot for the hash browns, but much less so with my omelette.  The jalapenos were pickled, which I don't care for as much as fresh in this case, and it was not "filled with" avocado as I expected but instead topped with two slices (Patrick's scramble also suffered from the same affliction, but he didn't complain).  And aside from all of that, the eggs were terribly overcooked and dry.

The pancakes were a win, though - thick, fluffy, dark golden brown and not at all heavy.  The butter on the side was incredibly salty and whipped until light and airy, the sum of which equals perfect.  I couldn't eat a stack of these pancakes, but the one was just what I needed.


We're not in San Jose often, but if we were, and if our friend said "Hey, let's go to Bill's", we'd definitely go.  I'll just order something different, make sure to get the pancake, and try to avoid the bus tub.