I ♥ Sacramento {Taco Tuesday - El Herradero}

Hi everybody, As Claire mentioned my little guy and I were busy fighting off a cold that felt like consumption but we made it through and I believe that deserves a little celebrating… with tacos. Of course!

Today’s stop is a little place on Arden, just past Bell called El Herradero. There are several reasons I am a Herradero fan and first up is the décor. Herradero is in a stretch of Arden that best described as “auto-mall wasteland” and yet despites it’s shady local and super-cramped quarters the inside is wonderful. It’s filled with original paintings of horses and was obviously decorated with love and care.

Sometimes it’s the little things, right?

The second thing I love above El Herradero are their ceviche tostadas. The ceviche is fresh and clean and you usually get to choose between fish, shrimp or my favorite “combinado!” I know some of you are feeling uncomfortable with me eating “tostadas” on a taco tour and I understand that. It’s ca-razy rule breaking behavior.

Don’t worry. Their tacos are good too. In particular people rave about the carnitas, but don’t take my word for it, go check it out yourself and report back your favorites!

-Emily from NotoriousMLE

I ♥ Sacramento Guest Post {Taco Tuesdays: Chando's Tacos}

For the next few Tuesdays, I am pleased to have my friend Emily guest posting her favorite taquerias in the Arden-Arcade area. Since it's my birthday week, trust me I'll be using that leverage to get me a taco or two for dinner this week!

Hi everybody I’m Emily Perez from NotoriousMLE and I’m so happy to be here guesting at Glitter and Grunge. Claire does such a great job pointing out SacTown highlights that I thought I’d join the fun and take you on a Taco Tour of the Arden area. You like tacos, don’t you? Of course you do. So let’s go!

Chando's Tacos

Our first stop is Chando’s Tacos. Located in a weird industrial strip west of the Capital City Freeway Chando’s blithely oblivious red and yellow paint job is a welcome relief for hungry travelers.

When you get there they will be blasting salsa. Non-Spanish speakers might not know this but salsa is not commonly played at taquerias, and good salsa is even more rare. I know you don’t know me but you must trust me! My husband is Colombian. I know of what I speak. I took my friend Jason to Chando’s last week and when he heard the music he turned to me excitedly and said, “Oh, it is so on.”

Indeed. There was a point when I thought I’d have to remind him we were there for lunch and not dancing.

Am I boring you with my salsa-blabber? Don’t worry. There’s so much more at Chando’s then ambiance! In fact I haven’t gotten to the most important part yet: their mouth-wateringly delicious tacos. Chando’s is literally a walk-up window with a patio in the back. Since they are tight on space they grill the meat on a spit in front of the stand. This means your taco meat is being produced approximately three feet away from Arden Way. Amazing, no?

They are literally street tacos.

Messy Mulitas

I spent a summer in Mexico City and when I’m at Chando’s it all comes flooding back, the smoky grill, the blasting music, the traffic and most of all the kind of tacos that you just can’t eat fast enough. In addition to tacos, quesadillas (excellent ones) and tortas they also serve a wonder of modern Mexico that they call mulitas. Mulitas are a quesadilla/taco hybrid. They are messy and delicious and everything you didn’t know you needed. But you need one. You need one bad.

On that dramatic note I bid you ado, but I’ll be back later to bring you two more taquerias worth trying in the Arden area!

Emily Perez

NotoriousMLE

Notoriously Loud. Notoriously Sleepy.

Notoriously Ready to Eat at All Times.