Pork Chops @ Garcia's Mexican Food To Go
Before I officially began my job at the magazine, I knew the first taco I was going to write about was the pork chop at Garcia’s Mexican Food. The puzzling breakfast option (see “Breakfast” in the Tacopedia) is a thin, bone-in pork chop that is seared, grilled, and served with a steak knife. A lot of customers use the knife to cut off the bone. However, I recommend eating around it. Add a spoonful of the jalapeño relish for a helping of acidic heat.

Machaca Taco @ Granny's Tacos
Granny’s Tacos, located in East Austin, is a food truck that serves the best breakfast tacos in Austin. Granny’s Tacos was started by Guanajuato native Maria Rios in 2016. This food truck is not only popular for its breakfast tacos but for its lunch tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, nachos, fries, and other Tex-Mex favorites. Granny’s Tacos make their own flour and corn tortillas, salsas, and sauces from scratch. Their favorite sauces are red and green. The red sauce is spicy, and smoky and has a taste of habanero and guajillo. The green sauce is mild creamy, rich, and smooth with a taste of avocado and cilantro. The most popular taco of Granny’s Tacos is the Machaca Taco ($3.50). This fresh and lightly toasted homemade flour taco was made with steak, egg, pico de gallo, cheese, and avocado sprinkled with melted white cheese and fresh pico de gallo on top. While the taco appeared small, it was more filling than it appeared. Each piece of beef was flavorful and seasoned well. The marinade also helped tenderize the steak, allowing for a tender bite with no chewy bits.

Gringa Taco @ El Fogoncito
El Fogoncito in Mexico City claims to be the birthplace of gringa taco, another version of the taco al pastor which consists of flour tortillas filled with cheese, al pastor meat, and pineapple. This variation features a flour tortilla bearing pork al pastor and queso blanco. As the story goes, in the '70s, two white American women (ergo “gringa”) frequented El Fogoncito and asked for tacos al pastor served that way. Eventually, the option was placed on the official menu, but it’s not necessarily considered a classic Mexico City style like its predecessor.

Taco de Suadero @ El Rey del Suadero
Tacos de fritanga, strictly for the uber-carnivorous, maybe the most common in Mexico City. They consist of chopped beef or pork, often including viscera, that is sautéed in a pool of bubbling lard or oil in a large griddle that features a round depression in the middle. They are by many accounts unique to the capital and at their best, succulent and delicious, at worst, intensely greasy. Various meat tacos are offered at El Rey del Suadero, one of the few casual taquerías in tony Polanco. There is both a window offering stand-up tacos and a comfortable dining area inside. The tacos al pastor are decent but it’s the suadero (sliced from the beef rib) sautéed in manteca that keeps them coming for more.

Gilda @ Casa Valles
Casa Valles is a restaurant in San Sebastián located on Reyes Catolicos. Casa Valles is situated nearby to Arnoldo, and close to La Bicicleta. This is the place where Gilda was invented. Gilda, the chili peppers, an anchovy, and an olive pickled in vinegar skewered on a cocktail stick is the first pintxo created in Donostia, in 1946 by Joaquín Aranburu, a customer in Casa Vallés. This 80-year-old family establishment is run by the fourth generation and has been part of the San Sebastián classic. Casa Valles is famous for its pintxos, portions, and sandwiches made with care. They also serve gluten-free preparations so that everyone can enjoy their food.

Horchata, Churros and Fartons @ Horchateria Santa Catalina
Santa Catalina is the best place for Spanish sweet delicacies like horchata, churros, fartons, and hot chocolate in Valencia. It has been around for over 100 years. The interior is decorated with gorgeous colorful tiles. Besides the best hot chocolate in the city, they also serve the popular signature drink of Valencia: Horchata! Horchata is a sweet almond lemonade you just have to have when in Valencia. Santa Catalina is also the place to be for churros, ice cream, and fartons (sweet bread sticks to dip into horchata). The fartons come plain or filled with chocolate or custard.

Nou Racó @ Nou Racó
The Nou Racó restaurant is one of the most emblematic of traditional Valencian cuisine and specializes in the preparation of wood-fired paella. It is located in a unique setting of the Albufera Natural Park of Valencia. The restaurant is a key piece of the Nou Racó complex, a renovated classic that combines tradition and avant-garde, offering the usual flavors with a different presentation. This place is famous for its Mediterranean gastronomy that unites tradition and avant-garde using the best quality ingredients. Enjoy the typical Valencian rice dishes, meats, fish, and shellfish. They have menus that can be customized. There are special menus for vegetarians, and vegans, menus for people with food intolerances, and children's menus.

All i Pebre @ Restaurant Mornell
El Mornell is a modern restaurant located in El Palmar. It first opened in 2005, with attractive decoration and suggestive lighting, offering traditional Valencian cuisine. Its raw materials come directly from the fertile Valencian land. Paellas are their main specialty. El Mornell was born as a tribute to the life of the fishermen living in Albufera Natural Park. The name “Mornell” comes from the fishing hook used to capture eels. In 2022, on the occasion of the XIII edition of the 'All i Pebre' contest, the restaurant 'El Mornell ' was declared the winner. The All i Pebre is the essence of simplicity, a dish that takes its name from two spices: garlic and paprika. In Valencia, together with olive oil, its water, and a product as exceptional as the Albufera eel, it becomes the third emblem of popular Valencian cuisine, along with paella and fideuá. So much so that, traditionally, it was a Christmas or festive dish for Valencian families.

Clóchinas al Vapor @ Bar La Pilareta
La Pilareta is a historic tapas bar in the heart of the Valencia landscape. The food here is authentic, simple, and inexpensive. The tile-covered walls, ornate woodwork, and long zinc bar add to the historic atmosphere. La Pilareta, located in the Barrio del Carmen, is a great place to enjoy the evening with friends and family. The specialty of this place is clóchinas al vapor, a small type of mussel native to the region, steamed and served in a juicy broth. It is available in season from mid-May to late August. Other popular tapas at La Pilareta include sepia a la plancha (grilled cuttlefish), patatas bravas, Ensalada Rusa (a potato and mayo salad), and Boquerones Fritos (fried white anchovies).

Fritters and Churros @ Buñoleria Churreria El Contraste
El Contraste is the place par excellence where you can enjoy the best-fried dough specialties in the Ruzafa neighborhood. At El Contraste you can enjoy, during the 12 months of the year, the best traditional fritters and churros, made in a 100% traditional way that preserves all its properties and benefits. At El Contraste, the doughs are so fresh that their creations are made to be consumed at the very moment of their creation. In addition to churros and exquisite fritters, in El Contraste you can also enjoy other equally delicious specialties: hot chocolate, orange fritters, pumpkin fritters, batons,... And all of this is 100% handmade. Let Mariano Galán and his team surprise you and enjoy a delicious breakfast or snack.