My highly (highly!) scientific findings during Project Taco Truck -- and give yourself a decadel medal if you remember that project -- was that no local Mexican restaurant could stand up to what a truck could produce. Those findings were made a good while ago now, and the Mexican restaurant scene steadily got a lot better. Then, for some reason, it got a bit worse again.
So here we are, picking up the mission once again without limiting us to taco trucks. Food trucks in general will be vetted and hopefully loved.
Our first stop, Patty's Tacos up by B.A. Clark Park on Division, was as good of place as any to start, and luckily also of good quality. The tacos in all their simplicity were of the style of what we've seen in Mexico; a synonym for "tasty".
Give the chorizo here a try. There is no need for salsa if you do, what with the deep, smokey, semi-spicy flavor the sausage is packed with. Smacked on homemade tortillas with onion and cilantro, the taco might look simple, simply because it is simple. And that's a good thing.
The tortillas probably deserve some extra attention as they're particularly flavorful. That's not often the case around these parts, but Patty's has them down. (Although, keep in mind the bread is not homemade, if you're looking for a torta.)
The sope follows suit, and is again of good quality. The thick tortilla packs some flavor, and goes well with the queso fresco. The pork, though, wasn't quite up to notch during our visit. A little bland, a little too chewy... Serviceable, I suppose, but far from mind-blowing.
Finally, the quesadilla. Often times you get served up the typical American quesadilla at most Mexican spots around town -- you know the one; two flour tortillas slapped around cheddar -- but this one was closer to the more traditional huitlacoche style. Not fried, but still folded, and with a filling more akin to what you find in the tacos. The queso fresco gave it a nice fresh flavor too, with the only downfall being the chicken which, again, was a bit bland.
Some minor downs then, none of which really get in the way of the ups.
This is good eats. Yesterday we called Dawn of the Donuts's theme a bit pedestrian; Patty's Tacos is on the opposite side. Decidedly public transit. Check them out, and hopefully you'll have as good of an experience as we did.
(Also: Bonus points for using Square.)