“Ladies and gentlemen, we are starting our final descent into Mexico City. The Captain and crew would like to thank you for flying with us this evening, and welcome to Mexico!”
For weeks I have dreamed of these words, knowing that within the hour of landing, my lust for REAL tacos would finally be satiated. For the uninitiated, Mexican street tacos bear almost no resemblance to the tacos found in the U.S., although in certain neighborhoods of the state’s capitol where we live a resurgence towards the traditional style is gamely feeding the migrant population, and turning gringo hearts like mine away from deep-fried crunchy shells and “smeat” found in drive-thus and chain restaurants to the marinated and seasoned meats chopped fine and served in small corn tortillas topped with salsa, cilantro, onions, and a squeeze of lime.
Upon arrival to Mexico, after passing immigration, jostling around the baggage carousel, and clearing customs, after being welcomed by family where everyone, male and female alike, hug and kiss with every hello and goodbye, after threading and bumping our way through Distrito Federal to the suburb of Tlalnepantla, I make my long-awaited request: bypass the house and take me straight to the Taco Lady.
On the corner of Calle Colima off the highway to Queretaro, under a tarp serviced by two propane tanks and electricity borrowed from one of her family member’s small tienda, the Taco Lady to me, also called Doña Guille by the family, serves up some of the best street tacos in all of Mexico. For the last 40 years my husband’s family has made Doña Guille’s tacos the stop for the common late-night snack or 4th meal. The original owner of the store’s wife is Guillermina, and as a child, my husband’s cousin (primo Juan) simply latched on to the only other adult name he knew outside of the family: Guillermina, and so the Taco Lady became “Doña Guille”, although that is not her real name. To this day, no one in the family has ever called her anything else.
Doña Guille’s specialty is suadero, beef cut from the breast or brisket, chosen specifically for its tender, less muscle-grained texture, marinated and cooked in hot oil and then chopped fine, served in warm corn tortillas topped with onions, cilantro, and spicy salsa verde. Much to the chagrin of my hubby’s tender taste buds, Doña Guille always tops my tacos with extra salsa.
What makes tacos de Doña Guille so good is not just the suadero, which is the most delicious I have ever had, but the experience itself; the camaraderie of standing on the street corner in the glow and glare of sulfer streetlamps and clamped floodlights, the chatter and laughter of friends and family, and the knowledge that tomorrow, without fail, the Taco Lady will be back, slinging tacos
and pombasos from when the sun goes down until the early morning hours, feeding neighbors and weary travelers alike.
and pombasos from when the sun goes down until the early morning hours, feeding neighbors and weary travelers alike.
