|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's been over four years since I've visited Tacos Corriendo, which is ironic, as I pass by their location nearly every weekend. On Sunday, February 10, 2013, I noticed they had a different truck, since I was long overdue to enjoy some of their fine cusine, today seemed like a perfect day to renew my acquaintance with this fine taco truck. Photo: Sunday, February 10, 2013 was a brisk, sunny afternoon, with temperatures in the low 50's, and a perfect day to enjoy a couple of delicious tacos at Tacos Corriendo. The truck operates from the same location, nearly every weekend of the year, to coincide with the crowds that descend on nearby Denio's. They were really busy today, so I didn't get the opportunity to chat with the staff to find out more about their operation. Photo: You place your order at the window, pay for it, and when your order is ready, they call it by whatever you ordered. For example, today I ordered two tongue tacos, so when my order was ready, they called, "Dos tacos de lengua." Bring your Spanish, as it will be very helpful! The counter gal was surprised that I took her photo after I paid for my order! Photo: Notice the hand-printed menu posted to the right of the photo. Offers tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas and huraches, and a few other specials. Food trucks carry a bit of stigma, but Tacos Corriendo produces delicious tacos, very similar to tacos served on the streets of Tijuana. Note the price of $1.50 per taco, which is only about twice the price that you'd pay at a taco vendor in Tijuana. Not a bad deal for Roseville! As with most taco truck, soft drinks and bottled water are the only beverages available. Photo: I ordered two tacos de lengua, which are grilled, tongue tacos. Each taco uses two, DVD-sized corn tortillas, as per Mexican standards, and comes with the meat of choice, perfectly grilled. You pile on your own garnishes, with are available at the garnish station, to the right of the counter. My garnishes of choice were chopped cilantro, salsa cruda and diced onions. Delicious tacos! Tacos Corriendo is parked at the same place, nearly every weekend of the year. The only time I've seen their place vacant is during a driving rainstorm, or exceptionally dense fog. You can depend on Tacos Corriendo to deliver delicious tacos, at a price that's only a tad higher than tacos you purchase on the streets of Tijuana. Great tacos, great prices, and great staff! Let's go back to 2008 and take a look at my first visit to Tacos Corriendo... I take a walk every day, both for enjoyment and health reasons, and to stay in shape. Frequently my walks on days when I don't have to work take me many miles from home, and on weekends especially, I like to head east, toward Denio's Roseville Farmer's Market, as I find the whole scene somewhat intoxicating, with the people it attracts, the food, and the bargains. Denio's is a fun place to visit, and snap up a few bargains along the way.
Photo: Tacos Corriendo is parked at an upscale business park, just west of Denio's. They don't offer any tables or chairs, but there's a nice, green lawn next to the truck, where you can sit down to enjoy your tacos. Ok, back to one of my favorite subjects: Food. In years gone by, Denio's appealed to primarily clientele of Latino descent, and a good many Latinos shop at Denio's every weekend, but over the last 10 years or so, the clientele has shifted in the direction of Hmongs and Russians. Don't get me wrong, Denio's attracts everybody, from every economic, ethnic or social strata, but the food sold on-site doesn't reflect the diversity of people the flea market attracts, as the food is mostly bland, Americana-style food, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and the like. There are a few taco stands, but they just prepare tacos that are one-jump above the typical mass-produced, American-style tacos offered at the big, national chains. So the taco scene is a little dismal inside the grounds of Denio's... Just outside the gates of Denio's, the taco scene is quite different, as there are two sit-down Mexican restaurants, and a taco truck that is in the same location every weekend. If you're a reader of this web site, you'll no doubt recall that I've sampled these restaurants, and have written up my dining experience at each of these eateries. But I'm always on the lookout for new taquerias or taco trucks, so you can imagine the joy and extasy I felt at 0830 on Sunday morning, January 25, 2008, when I saw Tacos Corriendo parked on Vineyard Road, only two blocks west of Denio's. I made a beeline for the truck, but they told me that they were in the process of setting up shop for the day, and they wouldn't be open for another hour or so. So I finished my walk (I walked 7.08 miles that day,) went home, completed a couple of small projects, hopped into my car, and made the short 2-mile drive to the industrial park whre Tacos Corriendo had set up shop.
Photo: Husband tells wife my order of two tacos de cabeza. The condiment tray is to the right of the door, and the soft drinks are to the right of the photo. The hand-printed taco menu is posted above the soft drinks, and it shows the variety of tacos that they will prepare for you. Tacos Corriendo parks their taco truck in an industrial park, two blocks west of Denio's, at the corner of Vineyard Road, and Opportunity Drive. The business is owned by a 20-something year old husband and wife team, who own and run the business, completely by themselves. Prior to today, I'd never noticed this particular truck, and when quizzed, the husband said that this was their first weekend at this location, and if things work out, they plan to park at the same location every weekend, to draw business from the crowds that flock to Denio's each weekend. During the week, they cater primarily to construction sites, as many construction workers are fond of tacos, tortas and burritos, which are the entrees that Tacos Corriendo carries on their menu. Due to the sad state of the economy, and the fact that the majority of construction work is currently at a near-standstill, they are now going to attempt to tap into the crowds that crowd Denio's on weekends.
Photo: The wife, who does the cooking, poses in the kitchen, next to the sink. Tacos Corriendo's kitchen is tiny, but very clean and shiny. This lady was very shy, and didn't want her photo taken, as a split second after I snapped her photo, she hid her face from the camera. LIke most taco trucks, Tacos Corriendo has a menu posted on the truck, but it just reads "tacos." When I asked about the specific varieties of tacos, the owner pointed to a sign right above the condiment trays that listed all of the varieties of tacos they offer. He then gave me a running commentary about the virtues of each variety of taco, but since it was 1030 on a Sunday morning, tacos de cabiza seemed in order. So I ordered two cabeza tacos, and plunked down my $3.00 for two tacos.
Photo: Husband laughs as he hands me my plate of two delicious tacos de cabeza. Both he and his wife were mystified that I wanted to take photos, and didn't seem to quite grasp the concept, even after I explained to them what I do. Tacos Corriendo has a limited menu of tacos, burritos and tortas, and they carry many popular varieties of domestic, and Mexican soft drinks in a iced-down compartment, adjacent to the order window. Next to the order window is the condiment section, and condiments include hot chipotle salsa, pico de gallo (fresh salsa,) salsa verde, runny red, mild salsa, diced radishes and sliced limes. As the wife was cooking my tacos, the husband pointed out to me that the salsa is made fresh daily at home, before they hit the road, but if the salsa runs out, they have the ingredients and the means to make more, on an as-need basis, while the truck is parked on location. These folks speak English as good as your next-door neighbor, but they got a real kick out of me conversing with them in Spanish, as the guy pointed out that they don't get many gringo customers, especially gringo customers who speak Spanish.
Photo: Two perfectly cooked, authentic tacos de cabeza, garnished with fresh salsa and lime juice. Note that each taco has two corn tortillas; they bend but don't break when you eat them. My tacos were ready in only a couple of minutes. The small pieces of cabeza were cooked perfectly, and placed on two corn tortillas, which were heated on the griddle until they were soft, moist, and pliable. Before I added pico de gallo, the tacos were garnished in chopped-up cilantro leaves. For some reason, many Americans are afraid to eat food purchased from taco trucks, but I'm attracted to them like a moth to a flame, and Tacos Corriendo definitely serves delicious tacos, and deserves your business. The tacos are perfectly cooked in a well-organized and sanitary, albeit tiny kitchen, but real poeple, who work hard to provide a quality product. The tacos served at Tacos Corriendo are about as close to the sort of tacos served in Mexico by street vendors, and small taquierias, as you'll find in the United States in general, and Roseville, California in particular.
Photo: After I picked up my order, this couple came, and ordered tacos for their lunch. That's Vineyard road in the background of the photo, and Opportunity drive in the foreground. The only negative thing that I could find about Tacos Corriendo is the fact that they don't offer any seating, nor do they have a trash can, but I assume that they will allow you to discard your trash inside the truck. They do not have a supporting truck, which packs tables, trash cans, awning, etc., like some of the larger oprations do, and I suppose there may not be room inside the rolling kitchen to pack folding tables and chairs. But it would be nice if they did, as I'm not a fan of eating, while standing up. On weekends, when you're on the way to Denio's Roseville Farmer's Market, skip the bland tacos sold on-site and do yourself a favor: Dine at Tacos Corriendo! Tacos
Corriendo Copyright(c) 2008 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002.
|
