Had my first campechanos today. And everything about it was exceptional except the green salsa was a little bit on the mild side today. Perfect char on the pastor, and the steak was butter again. Crunchy pastor bits and tender, buttery steak bits just did a perfect marimba on my tongue.


Montalayo was on the board again. I passed.

We are so lucky to have so many taco joints that put out a product that is just downright droolworthy. Sure, many of the taquerias around town are just horrendous, but the handful of good ones just completely knock it out of the park.

I have introduced my office to Tierra Caliente and they are pleased. I picked up 30 tacos Al Pastor, crispy, and they killed it!

ronnie_suburban wrote:Lengua was meaty and unctuous as it always seems to be here.
=R=

Recalling this description, I tried my first taco de lengua from TC today, and ronnie_suburban's description was all kinds of on point.
I like this place more and more each time I go.

seebee wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Lengua was meaty and unctuous as it always seems to be here.
=R=

Recalling this description, I tried my first taco de lengua from TC today, and ronnie_suburban's description was all kinds of on point.
I like this place more and more each time I go.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. As good as the al pastor is at TC is, there are at least a few tacos at TC that may be as good, or better. TC shouldn't be known for it's al pastor alone. In addition to the Lengua being awesome, the barbacoa, birria, carnitas and campechanos tacos are easily as good as, or sometimes better than the al pastor.

Extremely well put, laikom.
In describing this place to a friend today, I said, TC might be the best overall taqueria in town. They do quite a few things very well. Most places do one thing great, and maybe one other thing well, and after that, everything else is just filler on the menu. At TC, and La Chapparita, there are three or four things on the menu that worthy of debate for being best in city. Neither will supplant my faves for straight up carne asada, but damn if they don't make just as craveworthy versions of OTHER tacos, which I thought was a pipe-dream since I was so hung up on carne asada. I mean seriously, I've been a die hard asada fan for years, but La Chapparita's tripas might be my favorite taco in the city. Tc's campechano might be number 2 on a good day.

It is no mas. Verdad.

New owner sitting shotgun @ the register renamed it El Chapin 2 months ago. Food and crew was pretty much the same. Besides our go-to compechanos and their to-go carnitas from their hotbox, we were gifted asada tosadas w/avo, melted queso, salsa verde, squeeze of lime- mighty fine.

Jazzfood wrote:It is no mas. Verdad.

Again?! Should we change the title of the thread (again) or lock this one and start a new one?

=R=
for the Moderators

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Jazzfood wrote:It is no mas. Verdad.

Again?! Should we change the title of the thread (again) or lock this one and start a new one?

=R=
for the Moderators

Sounds like it is the same good quality with just a new name again.

I would vote for a thread name change.

I am sure if the place is no longer good this thread will die a natural death.

Not El Chapin 2, El Chapin, 2 months ago. Sorry for the confusion. There was a very funny typo on the T shirts they're wearing as well. You have to see it for yourselves

Jazzfood wrote:Not El Chapin 2, El Chapin, 2 months ago. Sorry for the confusion. There was a very funny typo on the T shirts they're wearing as well. You have to see it for yourselves

LOL, ok. Got it.

=R=

A friend and I visited on Thursday to find the store being packed up into a van. I poked my head in to ask if they were closing, and they confirmed. We then b-lined it to Tierra Caliente #2 to get our fix: viewtopic.php?p=463671

At the conclusion of our meal at TC2, the same van pulled up and started unloading kitchen gear. All of the awards (Dolinsky, Time Out, LTH) from the original have been hanging in TC2 since September, so I'm not too surprised.

I heard a rumor to this effect a couple wks ago from a good source, but as it was just that, I kept it to myself. Sorry to hear it's true.

Oh, this happened a month ago?!?! I drove past yesterday and noticed the yellow exterior painted grey, windows papered over, etc. and was saddened to see one of my favorite stops for tacos gone... I guess the other location isn't that much further away, but not along the ways I tend to go regularly like the Ashland one.

The key man for the food there was Jose, who has been hired by a friend of mine to work his magic for him. More to come...

I dunno about Tierra Caliente. I've only been once, a year ago, and I haven't been back. I remember that they microwaved my order to reheat the tortillas before adding the meat and garnishes. The al pastor was okay, but frankly it didn't matter if it was cut off the spit or not because the terrible, dried out tortilla shell overpowered the rest of the taco. Any place where the tortilla does not touch a hot griddle is not going to win my "best of" anything award.

eating while walking wrote:I dunno about Tierra Caliente. I've only been once, a year ago, and I haven't been back. I remember that they microwaved my order to reheat the tortillas before adding the meat and garnishes. The al pastor was okay, but frankly it didn't matter if it was cut off the spit or not because the terrible, dried out tortilla shell overpowered the rest of the taco. Any place where the tortilla does not touch a hot griddle is not going to win my "best of" anything award.

Lovely eulogy. Too bad you never gave it a second chance, you missed out.

laikom wrote:
Lovely eulogy. Too bad you never gave it a second chance, you missed out.

If you're saying they stopped microwaving their tortillas, then sure I'll give them another chance. If they're still doing it then no thanks. A taco is only as good as its tortilla just like a sandwich is only as good as its bread, like a dumpling is only as good as its skin. It's the first thing to hit your tongue when you take a bite so please, Tierra Caliente, put some effort into it. Let that not-so-fresh tortilla at least interact with some grease on a hot griddle to revive it a bit.

I agree that grilling/pan frying the tortilla is nice - that's what we do at home. But, my favorite tacos are from El Asadero on Montrose and they microwave the whole bag of tortillas to heat them up, then stuff. No grill. Still a mighty fine taco, though.

I always thought microwaving tortillas was a perfectly fine way to steam them a bit and soften them so they don't disintegrate under the weight of their fillings. Actually, IMO, tortilla preparation is one of the more legitimate uses of microwaves in restaurants. I don't think it necessarily has any relation to how fresh the tortilla is.

eating while walking wrote:

laikom wrote:
Lovely eulogy. Too bad you never gave it a second chance, you missed out.

If you're saying they stopped microwaving their tortillas, then sure I'll give them another chance. If they're still doing it then no thanks. A taco is only as good as its tortilla just like a sandwich is only as good as its bread, like a dumpling is only as good as its skin. It's the first thing to hit your tongue when you take a bite so please, Tierra Caliente, put some effort into it. Let that not-so-fresh tortilla at least interact with some grease on a hot griddle to revive it a bit.

What I meant was that I'm still in mourning Tierra Caliente no longer being in existence. I guess you missed the few posts above when someone announced it was closed permanently. In which case, I forgive your comment.

Re: microwaved tortillas, I'm sure it's been covered on LTH many times. To each their own, but given the choice at home, I usually steam them in the microwave rather than griddle. I do so out of preference for a steamed soft tortilla. Many of my favorite restaurants use the microwave, asadero being a favorite of mine as well.

laikom wrote:What I meant was that I'm still in mourning Tierra Caliente no longer being in existence. I guess you missed the few posts above when someone announced it was closed permanently. In which case, I forgive your comment.

Re: microwaved tortillas, I'm sure it's been covered on LTH many times. To each their own, but given the choice at home, I usually steam them in the microwave rather than griddle. I do so out of preference for a steamed soft tortilla. Many of my favorite restaurants use the microwave, asadero being a favorite of mine as well.

I'm sorry to hear about the closing, I did indeed miss the news up thread. I wasn't trying to cast stones at an old favorite of yours, just report my one experience with the place. Hope you find a new favorite al pastor favorite soon.

As mentioned up thread, Jose (the keeper of the pastor) has landed @ Picante on Division, where they will slowly be working his food onto the menu. A trompo has been purchased and is in use already w/more to come.

Jazzfood wrote:As mentioned up thread, Jose (the keeper of the pastor) has landed @ Picante on Division, where they will slowly be working his food onto the menu. A trompo has been purchased and is in use already w/more to come.

This is good info, but I'm still going to mourn the passing of TC. The al pastor was awesome, and I hope it is as good over at Picante, but I liked a number of other tacos at TC even more.

Jose is the man that did the food @ TC for yrs and believe his greatest hits will follow him here. Out of curiosity, what were they? I know a guy...

I loved the barbacoa, which was probably my most ordered item. Also the birria tacos, and carnitas (usually in campechano with chorizo).