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Any good fish taco is a memorable experience for me.

Garlicky shrimp tacos in Cozumel. To dye for, I have tried to make them at home, they just aren't the same.

Pretty much any taco I've had out in SoCal - it's hard to come back to the East Coast after those!

I love the corner taco stand near my work. Any trip there is the most memorable!!

The first time I ate at a taco truck. I'm from a place where all the good Mexican places are in buildings, but when I moved, those "established" places were pretty disappointing. When I finally tried the shady looking truck I pass by every day, I kicked myself for not going sooner. I'm in a mole phase right now. Fantastic stuff.

Fish tacos, made at home the Rick Bayless way

I live in Texas so Mexican Food isn't scarce. Our youth group went close to the border to do some repair work on church buildings, and to thank us, a group of older traditional hispanic woman made us a very abundent meal. That was the absolute best taco I have ever had in my life! The homemade tortialls were so soft and buttery, and the shredded pork filling was to die for! Now, I won't even start to tell the story of how we tried their hot peppers.

late night soft tacos, anytime, anywhere. i like mole AND tomatillos. and cabbage. or anything.

when I knew I was moving from Austin to North Carolina, I ate tacos every day for 34 straight days until I moved at different establishments, only repeating 2 purveyors, in an attempt to get it out of my system.

I was still sad when I moved.

Taqueria Nacionale here in DC- my first tounge taco, my first agua fresca, and my first fish taco (which has become and obsession). So sad I don't work on the hill anymore- they're not open weekends!

Driving around with several friends at a conference in Anaheim, CA looking for dinner. I'm driving and not willing to settle for national chains or neon lights of fast food. My passengers get antsy and I say "Fine, I'll turn right here and we'll pick something down this street."

That's when I saw two Mexican men sitting on folding chairs by and entrance to a strip mall. They held cardboard signs that read "$1 Tacos."

Dinner Baby!

A restaurant in the mall put out a 10' x 10' party tent in front on Friday and Saturday nights and sold small $1 tacos from the tent (full menu inside). They had 5 flavors: carne asada, pollo, chorizo, al pastor, and cabeza.

And, yes, I got one of each.

It was my first 'real' taco and I've become a bit of a taco whore ever since.

Thanks to Rod, Chris, and Karl for bearing with me and eating some fine Mexican food. Shame on Ms. K for heading across the parking lot to get a chicken sandwich at BURGER KING.

love, love, love fish tacos! My birthday is actually Cinco de Mayo, so eating tacos of any kind and celebrating with friends definitely conjures up the best memories!

I had Chapulines, pan sauteed grasshopper taco topped with guacamole and chipotle tomatillo salsa. Memorable, yes, but I doubt I would order them again.

Finding out my boyfriend and I have the same love for tacos. Its our go-to birthday meal too (even if our birthdays are only 2 days apart). There's no such thing as too many tacos!

shrimp tacos in a lil outdoor cafe ...soo delish!

Oyamel here in DC always has something interesting

I moved to Denver about a year ago from the northeast. Right away I started a quest for great Mexican and was lucky enough to find a spot two blocks from my house. Double wrapped carne asada tacos for $2.50 a pop are a must for me and my friends at least once a week. The bottomless homemade chips and salsa and $1.75 margaritas on the weekends don't hurt either.

Most memorable taco experience...... ight. Best way to illustrate, is to simply do the math:

Tacos(hard shell + beans x hotsauce squared) + 1st date = Disaster

Failed that course, needless to say.

Fish tacos in Mexico. Right on the beach.

Made carnitas and homemade corn tortillas for the first time a few weeks ago. Then was able to make awesome chilaquiles with the leftovers. NEVER going back to store bought tortillas again!

I had some really wonderful fried fish tacos a few years ago...awesome.

I don't know if this counts as a good taco memory, but for me the most memorable time I've had regarding tacos was the time a friend introduced me to Sriracha sauce (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha). I hit the ground running and have never looked back, I use that sauce in so many applications now, but always with my tacos !

I guess the only other memory I could offer would be one from just a year or two ago when I was making tacos and my partner commented on how messy my tacos were when compared to his and I stated 'If a taco isn't messy, it isn't a taco!' That gets brought up every time Imake us tacos now ;-)

My first Carnita at Willy's....simple chopped pork, a squeeze of lemon, some cilantro and this cabbage slaw that is refreshing and crunchy. It was a welcome and exciting change from the crumbly corn tacos filled with mystery meat and goop I had always before associated with "tacos"....I am ruined forever now!

The best tacos I ever had were from a taco stand in LA a few years ago. I grew up in Texas and consider myself a taco expert, but those tacos blew me away.

The best taco experience I've had is at this fabulous, hole-in-the wall Mexican restaurant that's mere minutes from where I live.

Freshly grilled and chopped carne asada steak in warmed white corn tortillas. These glorious tacos are individually wrapped in foil to keep them warm. Served with small bowls of fresh and homemade pico de gallo and tomatillo salsa on the side. It also comes with refried beans, but I never get to them because I need to fill my belly with that glorious steak. I even use the leftover chips from the free chips and salsa to eat more of the pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa and any stray bits of steak that escaped their corn cocoons.

Damn, now I'm hungry for those tacos. Curse you, Serious Eats! *shakes fist*

Going home to Santa Barbara, CA. Taqueria Superica is the first and only mandatory stop. Homemade tortillas, pupusas, fresh guacamole, rajas tacos (which no one makes out here). It's memorable each and every time I go back...

My best taco experience was standing on line at El Verano Taqueria at Citifield with my wife; we were just about to place our order when we hear cheering and a loud thump noise - Gary Sheffield had hit his 500th home run right then! Needless to say, the subsequent delicious skirt steak tacos were eaten with much cheering.

Oh there are so many. I am married to a native El Pasoan, who is addicted to tacos, so I have many different categories of taco to consider:

Other El Pasoans might agree that the first time I ate Chico's Tacos at 2am after being out at a family event. Very memorable, but hardly a 'great' taco in any gastronomical way.

Walking around ciudad Juarez and geting as many different kinds of tacos as there were vendors. Carnitas, Carne Asada, chicharone. Delish!

We are slowly building up the skills to recreate these flavors at home by trial and error, because even the best mexican cookbooks (Rick Bayless etc) don't quite get us there...

Taco nights in college, filling up on greasy goodness before a long night of drinking. And I'm proud to say my alma mater Ohio University was known for having the biggest Taco Bell in the world!

my first fish taco... sigh. somewhere on vacation.

i've never been able to find one as good :(

I think the most memorable for me was the first time I ever had a taco in the mid 1970s. It was homemade and my Mom had all the garnishes to go with it. It was new to me and something that I fell instantly in love with. The love affair carries on to this day!

I can barely remember the place, just the feeling that I know it was awesome and extremely delicious. Back when I was 6 or even younger there used to be a really good Mexican restaurant called La Leyenda in Spokane Washington. Every time we took a trip across the border we'd stop there for fantastic fajitas, burritos and tacos. Crab, lobster, shrimp or fish tacos. My parents always mention this place too. I'll always remember the feeling of delicious tacos, but the rest is fading away.

Fish tacos in Marin county outside of San Fran...cold corona, beautiful boyfriend, and three salsas. Good times.

college spring break. taco stand in tijuana. my first authentic carne asada taco. was perfection. it changed my life.

The only good tacos come out of questionably hygienic taco trucks and have the beautiful simplicity of carne asada, cilantro, onion and salsa. My best memory was learning that my favorite "questionably hygienic" taco truck actually got a 93 from the health inspectors scorecard. Not bad at all.

fish tacos - prefer the fish to be grilled, but i wouldnt kick pan seared out of bed.

Two days ago I made carne asada marinade from scratch and used it to make steak tacos with homemade salsa (with fire roasted jalapenos and poblano peppers). Corn tortillas, steak, fresh salsa, cheese, and authentic Mexican hot sauce: so good. Best I've had since moving out of the southwest.

The first time I ever ate a taco -- at the long-departed La Piñata in Somerville, Massachusetts -- many, many years ago now. I'm sure it wasn't particularly outstanding, but it was a revelation to me, coming from a WASP white-bread and mayonnaise bland background.

when i visited mexico and had some dietary restrictions and had to watch my mom and sister devour the authentic, abundant, and fresh chicken and beef tacos. i was so jealous.

I was never much of a taco eater until I visit San Antonio several years ago. I had the best taco of my life at a cheesy touristy restaurant on the Riverwalk. It was amazing. I'm still trying to find something even remotely comparable to this day.

both my roommate and i are from southern california where authentic tacos are abundant and delicious. we live in nyc now and whenever we need our fix, we have taco night! we make so much of the goodies that we eat tacos everyday for a week at a time. yum!

As a Los Angelena with grandparents from Mexico, tacos have always been a big part of my life. I've stood in line for over an hour at taco trucks, waiting for the best slow-cooked carnitas, drunkenly made pan-fried tacos de papa with my sister on NYE, and even sunk to Jack in the Box or Del Taco depths when a serious late-night craving's hit. Last year I lived in Australia for about 6 months, where I regaled my Korean-Australian boyfriend with tales of how much better Mexican food is in L.A. than in Sydney (obviously). When he visited the U.S. he took my recommendations to heart and sought out all the things I'd told him to order (incl. horchata). Back in Sydney, he decided to cook me a special dinner. He beer-battered fish and made pico de gallo and corn tortillas by hand. Considering the unavailability of maza harina or tortilla presses, I was so impressed! The kitchen was a disaster zone and the fish tacos were sloppy (though tasty). His love for tacos was totally charming and it made me really appreciate how omnipresent they are for me in L.A. He's coming to visit me in a few weeks, and our first stop home from the airport will have to be King Taco - in my opinion, the best!

All tacos are memorable!!!!!

I visited Morelia Mexico to teach a masterclass in music. On the last night we were in the city, our host took us to her house for dinner. Apparently every friday night her neighbor opened a "restaurant" in her driveway where she made tacos and tortas.

I have eaten tacos all my life and never have I tasted better than these made in a deep fryer in this lady's driveway. They brought over a salsa made with roasted guajillos that was the most deeply satisfying salsa I have ever had, on beautiful chicken and pork tacos fresh from a giant tub of lard. I ate probably 7-8, slathered in this salsa, with a few beers and some local mezcal.

Not only my most memorable taco experience, probably my most memorable Food experience. Period.

My best taco memory is swiss chard and carnitas tacos from last 4th of July--a wonderful day outside with my family, and AMAZING homemade tacos. :)

Tacos El Pastor for the first time. Yep.

My first carnitas taco as a kid growing up in San Diego.

The summer my husband decided to master the fish taco at home--- endless fish tacos, each one better than the last!!!

There is a significant Mexican population in Renton, WA, just south of Seattle. There is a small bodega located here that makes fresh totillas. Anyways, I had never experienced the wonders of truly fresh tortillas until a few years ago. A friend's parents had recently moved down the street from the bodega and recommended them for all of our taco wraping needs.

To make a long story short my friend and I were looking for a quick dinner to serve the first night of a weekend at a beach cabin. Tacos were suggested, and tacos were made. We poached chicken breasts in boiling water with lime halves and a few chiles, then loaded up the fresh tortillas with cabbage, shredded chicken and some black-beans -- perfection. The tacos were great, but the tortillas were even better. By the end of the night, after a cerveza or two, we were toasting them in a pan and eating them with the leftover cabbage.

Rather than sitting out and enjoying the sunset, we were huddled around the range competing for the next toasted tortilla!

My grandmother used to make chimichangas and tacos in a pool of hot fat on her stove in Tucson, Arizona. Everytime I take a bite, I remember the delicious smell of melting cheese and carne mingling with the oil. Those tacos were te best I've ever eaten.

First time I ever ate a fish taco, when I moved to SoCal 11 years ago. It changed my tastes completely!

I'm always on the prowl for the random taco truck by the side of the road. New York City isn't known for its Mexican food, but there was a truck that used to sit on 14th street across from the Salvation Army. Loading the carne asada taco with all the fixins', then slurping down a Squirt, was unbeatable.

Build your own tacos! One of my favorite dinners growing up, and one my OH and I now replicated regularly. Although...I remember less fondly the time I tried to toast the tortillas directly on the stovetop. A nice glass-top electric stovetop that for a long time afterward still bore the scorch marks from the tortilla sticking. My mother was not so delighted.

Puffy tacos in San Antonio!

1970's San Diego - my family use to go for tacos at a little place with a courtyard. Long communal tables, tacos served family style - I've spent the last 25+ years looking for a replacement - 'tis the holy grail.

Years ago I worked at a job that involved a six-week training program that was help in a strip mall one town over. Everyday my co-workers and I would shelp across that parking lot to get some gross Fred Meyer deli food for lunch. It was much less than ideal; and kind of pricey for my income at the time.
One day as I wondered around during lunch, I came across a beautiful taco truck a few blocks away! It was so cheap and so awesome! I was excited to share my find with the other poor wage slaves, but they didn't care. They continued to go to the FM deli! Losers!

Carne asada tacos con queso eaten on the street in Rosarito, Mexico, after many, many $1 tequila shots. Sabor!

We always go away to San Diego for the Comic Con in July. On State Street, not too far from the convention center, we found a little taco place that gave us each a huge plate of fish tacos with rice, beans and a drink for about $6 a plate - and it was really good! But what made the experience so awesome was going back the next day and having the guy at the counter remember us and greet us so warmly! The service was what really made the experience so memorable. We'll definitely keep going back there when we visit.

There is a place in Southern California that does puffy tacos with two layers. They put the meat and cheese in the middle section and the cold toppings in the other pocket. Best place to sit outside and enjoy a beer and tacos.

My first pork taco after spending 2 years as a vegan.

sometimes a great craving for tacos comes over me and am always trying different combos. what an addition to our cookbook collection this would be.

In college we discovered a great taco truck that drove around Bradenton, Fl. My fondest memory is of going to have them with my boyfriend for the first time, when it was conveniently parked next to a nightclub/stripclub. We sat in the parking lot enjoying the music and watching the characters that came in and out of the club.
ahhh florida.

I thought I knew and loved Mexican food until my boyfriend (who is from So Cal) started cooking tacos for me. I'm embarrassed to admit I thought El Paso was "authentic" Mexican. Boy, was I wrong.

Carne Asada, fish tacos, fresh garnishes of cilantro and grilled onions. Yummy - makes my mouth water just thinking about all the flavors that implode in your mouth. I'm an east coast girl, but in just this one instance I may have to agree that when it comes to Mexican (tacos especially) the west is the best.

a little hole-in-the-wall called La Simpatia, out in the middle of nowhere, CA. Outrageously good, simple mexican food.

Living in Altanta we used to go to a taco shack at least once once a month, sometimes every weekend for a month. They had Chile Rellenos tacos. SO GOOD. A chile relleno on a tortilla. They also had a great salsa bar with 6 salsas, including one that was more like pureed guac, plus a vat of pickled jalapenos (I like several) and a vat of the cilantro/onion mix that goes on all tacos. When I lived in California I learned that a salsa bar 'es necessito.'

I would get one relleno taco and one al pastor taco and share a chorizo/egg torta w/ my gf. Have not seen a) a chile rellenos taco any where else b) a good al pastor in NYC c) a better salsa bar. I miss great tacos. The name just came to me: El Taco Veloz on Roswell near the Perimeter.

Every time I get tacos delivered from La Mexicana on 107th -- unwrapping the foil, squeezing the little juiceless lime slivers over the meat, eating a good third of their contents with a fork before I could possibly fold up the taco and put it in my mouth... mmmm.

the first time I discovered REAL tacos al pastor. not the already cut and marinaded kind. im talking about the kind that is roasted on a spit and cut to order, like a Gyro. slowly spinning with a pineapple on top to drip its delicious juices down on top of it. cut by hand from a skillful mexican chef. the spit had a heating element on the backside to ensure that everytime a new section was cut it soon developed new crispy bits...AMAZING!!!

My mom's chili tacos after being away at school. I came home on break and she made a batch of her amazing chili with taco shells and all the toppings. My sister and I always ate the chili in taco shells when we were kids, and I always thought it was strange that mom and dad put their chili in a bowl......

as a kid, taco nights at home

Favorite is Surf Taco in New Jersey; they have a tasty Chicken Teriyaki Taco; and a tasty salsa bar.

Fish tacos in Maui.

Pass the Ol El Praso. Fish tacos are memorable, just because you don't expect to bite into a fish while eating a taco. Every fish taco I've eaten was too salty. I guess I have really missed the bus when it comes to "memorable taco experiences." I give up.

The best tacos were out of a garage in Arizona when I was a child. A family friend's grandmother made them and called them "chili burros" and they were amazing.

MMMMM 1st place goes to a streetside cart in Tijuana.... rolled Al Pastor tacos with onions, cilantro and lime.... and a fruit bowl on the side that we'd picked up from another vendor...

2nd place is probably one of any of about six "Berto's".... taco stands on Convoy in San Diego (ie, Roberto's, Adalberto's, Humberto's....)
I honestly can't remember which one was the best anymore...

the 1st time I had them in Texas

I guess the most memorable experience was going to mexico, and staring longingly at the taco stand, smelling the aroma, but being forbidden to eat. stupid Montezuma's revenge.

I ate nothing but tacos for 4 straight days in La Paz, Mexico. Chorizo, steak, and the freshest seafood pesos can buy.

love the tacos from La Lupe's in Philly - so good and cheap! My husband and I went to Mexico for our honeymoon so we celebrate our anniversary with tacos.

$1 taco Tuesday's at Tequila Jack's in Long Beach when I went out to stay with hubby while he was working in CA.

Rio's... the best Mexican food around southwest Michigan. Fresh tortilla, choice of meat (I like chicken tacos, but they'll mix six meats together for burritos and that's heaven), onion, tomato, lettuce, chihuahua cheese, cilantro and hot sauce.

I lived in Oaxaca for a year, every night was a beautiful taco memory.

Visiting my friend for the first time in San Antonio (being an east coast girl myself)-- it was a taco revelation! So sad to leave!

Taco Tuesdays at Bodega in Auburn, AL. War Eagle!

Delicious $1 tacos on 82nd with pickled radishes and carrots on the side.

the trucks here in SF have GREAT tacos, as does La Corneta in Glen Park...

Las delicias in denver has amazing tacos al carbon. the lime and avocado chunks really put them over the top!

The best taco I've had was during this spring break when I was in Mexico. We'd been hanging out at the beach all morning and my boyfriend and I decided to go search for some food. We found this little taco shop where the lady asked us if we wanted chorizo or pork. We chose the pork and it arrived on a huge tortilla with cheese and tons of meat. Plus there was a huge selection of things to add, from beans to three different kinds of salsa. It was utterly delicious.

Does a carnitas experience count? If so, Las Fuentes in Reseda, CA. They drip with manteca goodness.

dirt cheap tacos al pastor at a busy local taco stand in mexico

Fish tacos

the tacos at red hook ballfield

I can eat tacos any time, any where. Unfortunately, the most memorable one recently was a chicken one I had on the only snow day this winter that gave me food poisoning. :-(

My most memorable tacos experience is enjoying tacos with my grandkids in their home.

Nothing better than some dark meat chicken tacos, all juicy and moist. Throw some cheese on there are you're good to go.

My most memorable taco experience was a couple of years ago at a taco bell. I ordered something from their menu and the cashier asked me what's in it. Not having eaten the taco before, I told her random ingredients I liked and sure enough...I got what I said. My friend was right behind me and went up to the cashier after me. He was told that the taco bell was closed for the night.

medium grilled sirloin sliced thinly with grilled onion and poblano peppers. sour cream to garnish. YUM.

Years ago, in a big cafe place in San Antonio, Texas: Chicken tacos. Beef tacos. The tacos were simple and delicious.

my local mexican taco joint - best i have ever had. scooter7018@aol.com

Carne asada tacos at Taqueria El Nopal in Basalt, Colorado, but a close second would be following Steingarten's taco recipe for steak tacos from a Mexican taco stand.

i'll tell you about my worst taco experience, although i'm convinced that what i arte technically shouldn't have been called a taco in the first place. it was in my elementary school cafeteria, and it consisted of a hard shell and ground beef. that's it. ick.

My taco experience is antedating the word "taco." I don't think I need the book.

Taco etymologies, in no particular order:

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taquito/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/breakfast_burrito_breakfast_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/puffy_tacos/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/red_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/nuclear_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/fish_taco_lobster_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/crawfish_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/brisket_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/walking_taco_taco_in_a_bag_petros/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taco_salad/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/tacos_ahogados_drowned_tacos_or_drowning_tacos/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/al_pastor_cabrito_al_pastor_tacos_al_pastor/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/tacos_de_trompo_tacos_arabes/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/gringa_tacos_al_pastor_salsa_gringa/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/german_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taco_polaco_or_polaco_taco_polish_taco/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/chinese_burrito_or_chinese_taco_moo_shoo_pork_or_moo_shu_pork_or_moo_shi_po/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/vitamin_t_tequila_and_or_tortillas_tacos_tamales_tostadas_tortas_tlacoyos_t/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taco_short_of_a_combination_plate_not_all_there/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/say_no_to_drugs_say_yes_to_tacos/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/we_burn_rubber_and_chipotles_houston_taco_truck_slogan/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/if_it_looks_like_a_taco_and_smells_like_a_fish_fuzzys_taco_shop_in_fort_wor/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/its_more_bueno_taco_bueno/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taco_breath_enchilada_breath_jalapeno_breath/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/mexican_food_shit_mexican_shits_taco_shits_screamers/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/tex_mex_mile_or_mexican_food_mile_or_taco_row_south_first_street_austin/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taco_truck_taco_trailer/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/taco_tech/
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/summary1/ (Big Taco=Mexico City)

My most memorable experience with tacos involved the first time I learned that tacos were nothing like the Ortega mix and taco bell ground beef and seasoning packet tacos I thought were the only tacos there were. I was 12 and my mom's boyfriend from San Diego (we live in Pittsburgh) took us to this little dive Mexican place called the Fajita Grill and I had a taco platter with three different tacos (beef, chicken, and pork). The salsa and cheese were like nothing I'd ever had. "This is what Mexican food is like where I'm from," he said. I've never looked at a taco the same since. And I never get the ground beef version of tacos (unless I am at taco hell) if I can help it.

Fish tacos on the beach in Puerta Vallarta, the vendors would come up to you and make them fresh right on the beach. Those tacos and a few cervezas almost made me not come home.

A warm summer night, marinated skirt steak grilled to perfection, served on a delicious whole-wheat flour tortilla, with just the right amount of veggies, salsa, and crema. So good,

A friend in the my Texas dorm my freshman year was from a border town in West Texas. We got on the topic of what a good taco is and he said he knew just the place. We all thought he knew a place in town. . .half a day's drive later we're in McAllen, TX eating some of the best tacos I've ever had.

It almost cost me missing a final and it was absolutely worth it.

Mmm fish tacos. My favorites have been a nice grilled white fish with avocado mango salsa and a seared tuna taco with wasabi cabbage salad and marinated cucumber shreds.

One night , after getting some tacos from TACO BELL ( I KNOW ...I KNOW ) , I plunked myself down in front of the " boob tube " to enjoy my snack . While watching my program a " news flash " interupted with this .............COCAINE FOUND IN TACOS AT LOCAL TACO BELL ! With my mouth full of possible illicit drugs , I dug thru the rest of my food looking for white powder . With none found , and hating waste ( apparently more than an OD ) , I finished the rest of my food . Looking back ........KINDA STUPID !

While working at Taco Time (a fast food restaurant that served a mexican-lamerican-cheep menu) I was invited to a pot luck. I decided to show off my skills: I made platters of beef and bean enchiladas, baskets of chicken and cheese quesadillas, and homemade salsa. Another friend brought food from Taco Time. Most folk couldn't tell the difference between our two donations!

My taco experiences span 4 states. California tacos had lots of fresh tomatoes, lettuce and ground beef. Arizona tacos came with a lot of guacamole and beef chunks. New Mexico had tacos that came two ways: hot and hotter. Then their are the Tex-Mex tacos from Texas-as big as the state and really tasty.

Every time I eat a taco it is a memorable experience. I had a pork soft taco at the Tricky Fish in Charleston, WV last Friday that was AWESOME! www.trickyfish.net

Tacos at this little hole in the wall in Del Rio Texas when I was there in the Air Force

It's hard to select a favorite taco experience when you live in or near the LA. area. There are many places where you can get great tacos made from scratch.

Taco Friday nights when I was growing up...a tradition they started when they got married 35 years ago and still continue pretty much every Friday now. Some people do pizza Friday nights, my family does tacos.

My favorite taco experience is going to a very tiny, local Mexican joint in North Jersey where I can get lengua and cabeza tacos. I like to sit in front of the grill and enjoy the simple flavors of either of the aforementioned meats on soft flour tortillas with cilantro and raw onion.

The first time I had an authentic Mexican taco- with just meat, cilantro, onions and a a wedge of lime. I was probably about 15 and had only have my moms gringo tacos (with Ortega seasoning and hard shells) or tex-max. I’ve been in love with tacos ever since.

my first taste of cochinita pebil at Rebozos in Toronto. Best tacos in the city bar none.

My memorable taco experience was in México where I received my first real taco al carbón. YUM!

The tacos my mom used to make, back when we couldn't find Old El Paso taco sauce on the East Coast and she'd have it shipped in! We always had tacos the night after the shipment arrived.

I think the first time I served tacos to my then boyfriend-he had never had them and was so afraid they would be too "hot" . He had been raised on bland mostly Polish food and was afraid he would get sick but he so loved the ones I made him that he asked for them at least once a week!!

My favorite memory of tacos is Christmas. We have a tradition in my family started by my father which is that the Saturday before the Saturday before Christmas is known as Taco Saturday which is the day that you get the tree. We are from the Northeast, and my dad's reckoning was that you got cold going out to get the tree and what could be a better day to warm up than with some nice hot tacos. I still have visions of my mother standing in front of the stove frying up the corn tortillas making a mess of her kitchen trying to make enough tacos for three growing boys and my Dad. My wife and I still celebrate this day to this day.

Favorite taco memory would be the last time I visited Playa Del Carmen. Shrimp tacos, fish tacos, calamari tacos, and probably my very favorite: Tacos al pastor. Yum.

one time my grandmother randomly gave us this "taco kit" that included a spice mixture and the shells. All you needed to do was provide the meat and toppings. On a whim, we decided to make them using soft tofu (broken down a bit) and it came out pretty good! The texture was only slightly different from ground beef. It was nice to change it up a bit. This is also one of my favorite tofu stories as to its versatility. :]

The Shed in Santa Fe! Blue corn taco - ymmmmm

La Vallesana! On Cherokee Street in St. Louis, MO My favorite is the tacos all pastor, but they are all divine... just pork, pineapple, onion, cilantro, with a wedge of lime. And the mystery green sauce on the side burns so good...

First time eating tacos - a restaurant in Wellington, New Zealand.

Shredded Beef Tacos at this whole in the wall place in downtown Portchester, NY

in mexico, on the beach.
little place, first REAL taco (non taco bell).

Just like the columnist, at a dump in Encenada, Mexico. I got a couple as a tide-over until dinner a couple of hours later. Just a chicken and a beek taco, but the flavors were so vibrant, so clear! Just the best. I can't find that in the northeast.

I'm from San Antonio (the city we lovingly call San Antacotown); thus, all taco experiences have been nothing short of dreamy.

I was just home last week and found myself in an odd situation. Explaining to out of town company the existence and full level of awesomeness of the breakfast taco. Had I really taken for granted these yummalicious items my entire life? Does the rest of the country truly live deprived of said morsels? How can this be?

Needless to say, we did a quick sweep/taste test of SAtown's finest.

My favorite is grilled salmon tacos with mango sauce

El Tonayense taco truck on Shotwell next to La Clinica, man those little tacos rock!

Tacos in general are a wonderful experience for me, and fish tacos are my favorites.

fish tacos, anytime anyplace

tacos at least twice a week!

Fish tacos in Key West a few weeks ago.

Tacos el Pastor in Chicago.

Between my sophomore and junior year of college in the Northeast I was working at a hotel front desk. I had managed to get a daily plate of the kitchen and maintenance staff's family meal, so I was able to eat an amazing Mexican meal every day for 3 months. Hard as I try, using the same ingredients, I still can't duplicate the prime rib tacos.

Soft tacos with carne asada in Rosarito Beach, Mexico

Gordo Lele's Tacos in Cabo San Lucas:

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The plates were covered in plastic bags, the beer was ice-cold, the tacos out of this world and we were serenaded by Gordo himself.

Shrimp tacos at El Vale in Bryan, TX -
http://el-vale.com

I asked for tacos every birthday for the first 17 years of my life. every year.
i heart you tacos

My first taco experience involved a crispy shell which shattered on first bite. I was left with a plate of splattered taco filling and shell fragments.

the BEST tacos I ever had were at Adventure Zone in El Paso. They were delicious.

My first fish taco is a close second, but sharing fish tacos with some close friends on their first trip to California definitely wins. Where we live in the midwest, most people think tacos come from Taco Hell and must be made with ground beef. It was such a great experience to see my friends broaden their horizons to enjoy tacos made so differently.

Also, while absentmindedly watching TV and flipping through a cooking magazine, I sang out to my roommate, "I looove taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacos!" randomly one night. Still a source of laughter in our apartment.

Best tacos... (other than my homemade ones) are at a little place called La Esperanza in Cutler, California!

when i was growing up, my mom would make us tacos once a week

mine is my elementary school's lunch. It was so fun to fill my own taco mess and eating with my classmates...the good old days...

That would definitely be the myriad of family events (weddings, birthdays, etc) I attended as a kid where slabs of marinated meat were grilled (carne asada) and served with warm tortillas to make your own tacos. I actually miss the Styrofoam plates.

Homemade by a friends Grandma.

I was at a kid's birthday party and her dad was on the grill for hours cooking some carne asada. I was getting so hungry and finally lunch was served. It was worth the wait because it was the best taco I have ever had! I later found out he drove hours away just to get his hands on this specially marinated beef.

I was about ten and had my first Barbacoa taco in Mexico. The barbacoa was steamy hot, the tortilla soft, and the red sauce that went with it was perfect. I remember the sauce had cilantro in it, just the perfect taco ever.

In the square of Alamos, Sonora. Freshly grilled strips of carne asada, in a freshly made flour tortilla (they roll with flour, not corn in the North). Salsa made from chile de arbol, cilantro, onions, some grilled jalapeño, and a cold one. The best ever.

This fall at my friends citizenship party we made a big bunch of tacos. Some of our indian friends decided this would be the first time they ate beef. They were REALLY tasty brisket tacos, and less tasty chicken. A look of wonder crossed over their faces, as they proceeded to devour most of the beef tacos.
Thanks Jerks

My most memorable taco experience? I would like it to be a positive experience, but its not. Broken glass **IN** my water glass. My taco experiences were always at home after this. Plus I do like making tacos... crunchy, fresh, spicy. They make a tasty meal

Introducing my boyfriend to authentic fish tacos (mostly so I could make less authentic ones at home that he'd willingly eat!)

eating them at Chuy's in Houston

I've had some awesome tacos from vendor while vacationing in Mexico. This book looks great!!

First are the tacos at a taco stand in Mexico City - we sat outside, everything was brightly colored, the meat was on a spit but they also threw in a bit of everything, I know there was chorizo, who knows what else, they put the best salsa on it for me and you finish by squeezing a lime on top, yum. It was dirt cheap and the best thing I have ever tasted. Of course you have to have orange fanta with it.

The next (ok, they are a tie) was duck tacos from Cafe MP in Mexico City - OMG. Never leave this earth before having them.

My ex-boyfriend also made amazingly good carne asada tacos from Tyler whats his faces recipes. However seeing as he did not believe in fidelity or truth-telling, I have not had them in awhile.

Taquiera Y Fonda up in Morningside Heights, NYC. Best drunk/studying for all nighter food ever. They make them right in front of you on a grill. Heaven.

Tacos bought from a street cart in Mexico. I don't remember if the tacos were even that great, but it was part of an interesting day.

Tacos in So Cal-- from pretty much anywhere-- are an entirely different species than those on the East Coast or, god forbid, Taco Bell. It was a total revelation the first time I visited LA, and they are still the standard I hold all tacos against!

Has to be the tacos and other Mexican food at Mrs. Lady's in IA.

First taco in 1967. And they keep gettin' better.

The time my husband told me he liked the tortilla lady better than he liked me here.

Anytime I go to Tito's Tacos in L.A. or get the fish tacos at Rubio's. I know it's a chain, but those fish tacos are so damn good. I wish I could find comparable ones in nyc.

Tacos de Lengua (Beef Tongue).It tasted a whole lot better before I was told what it was.

Tacos,we don't have any stinkin' tacos except Taco Bell,so I have probably never had a good taco experience.

My kids would always have a smile on their faces when they came home from school and learned that there would be tacos for dinner.

We have a weekly taco night at our house- always a big to do. They are all memorable!

I love fish tacos with lime and cilantro.

Being in Baja and buying wonderful wonderful beef tacos and fried potatoes for breakfast from a woman in a little trailer by the side of the road.

my husband told me the best tacos in LA were in koreatown and i laughed in his face but when i tried the pork adobado tacos from mariela's i was in love and that is where i learned that i HAVE to have fresh radishes with any authentic taco :)

I remember when you could get a ten-pack of tacos at "Taco Bell". Once in awhile, I would get one for lunch and eat it all sitting in my car.

When I was a kid my parents took us to a place that had soft bread taco's and they were out of this world.

One of my most memorable experiences had to do with those taco kits that you can get in the store. My dad was in charge of cooking the meat, but he forgot to mix in the seasoning, so we basically ended up eating hard-shell tacos with ground beef. Because we didn't realize that he'd forgotten the seasoning until we dug into the food! I don't recommend it.

San Diego fish tacos

I make a dish called "Taco Surprise"... completely inspired by what ever is fresh in the market, and my experiences in Mexico and the Caribbean. My friends love it, and its so easy to make!!

the fish tacos my friend liz made from her rick bayless cookbook, complete with pickled onions. yum!

Fish tacos at a beach shack in Mexico after a day of snorkeling.

There is nothing like a taco made with Lake Erie walleye fish. I was leery of the idea initially, but now I am a convert.

Mmm, fish tacos at Agua Verde...

tiny little carnitas tacos from mexico with super fresh salsa. The flies buzzing all around the condiments bar only adds to the experience.

taco truck tacos!!!

My mom is famous for eating a taco and having a tomato fall out directly into her shirt pocket. I still can't eat tacos around my mom without laughing.

A kickball team mate of mine who we call Fifi made us some bomb ass tacos with just grilled green onions, MEAT, and lime juice squeezed on. We felt like true carnivores :)

Or a drunken drunken night involving fish tacos.. way to go Thirsty Thursdays!

in guadalajara mexico, there exsists a taqueria directly across a neighborhood church. they had tacos de papas (dorados) there. delicious golden fried tacos with a waxy potato filling. topped with lettuce, radishes, fresh salsa and some firey tomatillo salsa on the side with iced horchata. you could watch the employees chopping the fresh vegetables on big tables to the side of the seating area, tortillas being made, fresh meat being sliced off of a spit... it was heaven.

I have two memorable tacos to share. The first was the fish taco back when Flaco's Tacos was a locally-owned chain in St. Louis, MO. Flaco was well ahead of the curve when it came to bringing the fish taco to St. Louis! Loved, loved, loved the lightly breaded and fried fish, great shredded cabbage dressing. To. Die. For. Unfortunately, Flaco's Tacos mysteriously shut down in St. Louis many years ago. There was a resurgence recently with the opening of Flaco's Cantina but foodies in the know tell me it isn't quite the same baja bliss that we knew and loved.

My second memorable taco is one I eat about three times a month! El Caporal in St. Charles, MO, makes the best lengua tacos I've ever had. They are spartan, double corn tortillas, a scoop of lengua and onion and cilantro, served with a lime wedge and two different salsas on the side. Amazing and wonderful creations and the best part is that you can also have the lengua as a torta! Makes me want to make a taco run right now.

Some of the seafood tacos I have had in Aventura Akumal, Mexico are the BEST I have ever had. Nothing comes close to that perfect blend of fresh ingredients, homemade everything, and wonderful taste.

My most memorable taco moment was when I tried a fish taco. For a person that hates fish, I loveeeee fish tacos!

My favorite taco place of all-time was this incredible restaurant I went to in Tijuana. I really have no recollection of the name of the place, but I remember leaving happier than any other Mexican restaurant I've ever been to.

First ever taco truck experience after I moved to Seattle. Before then I didn't know corn tortillas could be good, they were always the stale things on a bottom shelf at the grocery store!

when I made grilled fish tacos for the first time--OMG--fabulous!

The first ever fish tacos I made, baja style w/ a yummy panko crust and a white lime chili so. Soooo goooood.

I was on a road trip with 3 of my good friends when we stopped at this hole in the wall place in San Diego, the name of which I have long since forgotten. It was right near the beach and we got there near the end of the day. We took our food to the beach and washed the tacos down with a few brown bagged beers and watched the sun go down.

First time I ever had one I was a little girl on the east coast. We traveled to Florida and found a Taco Bell. It was very inexpensive back then so my dad ordered one of everything on the menu. (the menu was much smaller). I remember having a bite of my first crunchy taco and it was so new to me and delicious. The burrito confused us and my dad has to ask if you ate the wrapping.

Fish tacos with creamy salsa out of a van on Maui. Fresh caught that morning! They went perfectly with our sunburn and sno cones.

I always thought that my father's special combination of taco seasoning was more magic than anything else, so it was pretty memorable when he sat me down to teach me the drill, and then had ME make the tacos that night! It was the first recipe I cooked for my boyfriend :)

Late night tacos during sleepovers with my cool aunties. We had real tacos--a taste of Mexico, unlike the greasy "tacos" they had in the public school. It was my first introduction to Mexican food, and had it not been for them, I may never had had real ones. I wish I had several tacos now; I'm studying in South Africa, and authentic Mexican is non-existent. Tacos are always the first food items I miss when outside of California.

Hands down my best taco experience came on the Road to Hana on the island of Maui in Hawaii. We didn't heed the warnings in various travel books of the lack of food availability along the route, so needless to say we were quite hungry as breakfast was about 6 hours prior. Eventually we happened upon a roadside taco stand that served the absolute best taco I have ever eaten, made with mesquite smoked Kalua pig and fresh made salsas. There was something magical about sitting outside next to a smoker filled with Kalua pig, chicken, and mahi-mahi...(maybe I inhaled too much mesquite smoke)

Even though I would have eaten just about anything at that point, the taco seemed to be the perfect complement to a day spent jumping into secluded pools, and discovering hidden waterfalls. Truly memorable!

I don't really have a "exciting taco moment" but I do enjoy tacos!

Best tacos experience, a little taco truck at a 76 station in Kirkland WA, three tacos al pastor with slices of guacomole and chipotle salsa. Yum! And now that truck is gone, of course, like the magical curiosity or toy shop in a story.

The taco I remember most was actually the worst taco I ever had. While traveling in Australia I stopped in a "Mexican Cafe" where I'm pretty sure that no one who worked there had ever been to Mexico or had even met a person of Mexican heritage. The taco's they served to me and my traveling companion had some sort of melted cheese and what appeared to be spam in a stale taco shell with french fries on the side. I remember thinking I could open aTaco Bell franchise here and make a killing.

My great aunt used to own a Mexican restaurant in Torrance, CA in the '70s. I have many fond memories of that place - we ate there a lot. The tacos were delicious and so was the time I spent there with my cousins.

the usual beef tacos, but, what makes our weekly taco dinner special, our family enjoys it together

Tacos that we had in a restaurant that was actually in the jungle near Puerto Vallarta. It was in the area they filmed Predator and we went there by bus and stood in line an hour. The food was wonderful!

This was before Mexican food was Mexican food, can remember my mother frying tortillas, which came in a round can, on Friday evenings, to eat while watching Perry Mason on a Black and White television.

Goat tacos at the taco truck on 96th and Broadway.

Years ago a friend of mine cooked a bunch of us turkey tacos. They were delicious. Nothing beats homemade cooked in a pan taco meat! :)

Our tacos are super easy. Ground beef,corn tortillas fried, with cheese,avocado and sour cream.

@wmoss - which truck?

We like Guajillo's in downtown Durham and La Vaquita in East Durham. My favorite though was from a place on THE highway through the Baja that serves cabeza along with everything else.

pork tacos on the beach in mexico. yum!

ethereal tuna tacos with ginger aoili at lorraine's in provincetown - so light and delicate and incredibly delicious.

most memorable of late- A California transplant to NYC like me finding a mecca of good Mexican food, including tacos, in Sunset Park.

I seriously need to eat somewhere besides fast food, because most of my taco memories take place in Taco Bell. :) I guess the most memorable experience would be when my husband showed me how to fry a soft flour taco - yum!

My 1st Mexican street tacos. Mmm...

The first taco I ever had was a home-made taco at a friend's house whom we were visiting out of state when I was a little girl.
I'd never tasted anything so good in all of my short life!
I remember asking for another and my grandmother fussing at me...lol
But I couldn't help myself!

My most memorable taco experience was in Puerto Vallarta at a restaurant way off the beaten path. It was on the "third story" of a residence/building and had the most amazing tacos that I have never been able to duplicate or find since then.

Taco truck in the Mission.

I haven't had one, that's why I need this book.

Fish tacos in a little place in Santa Monica; can not recall the name but they were good! Thank you!

Fish and clam tacos one night after the bar closed. It was dark and I don't remember much.

Homemade tortilla tacos made by my favorite babysitter when I was a kid. Yum. To this day I can remember eating tortillas by themselves, or with just mustard. Luv 'em.

Fish Tacos in Old Town San Diego. Can't remember name of the resturant, but will never forget the taste. Everything fresh and flavorful. Always searching for a great fish taco to match.

My most memorable taco experience is when I was a kid and the great tacos we used to get from this little taco truck at the beach.

Thank you for the giveaway!

Soft tacos at a dumpy place on the east side of Detroit-really good!

I would love the chance to win, thanks.
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net

Living in SoCal, tacos are a mainstay in my families life, but my most memorable experience with tacos was when spending a week camping on the sands on the beach in San Felipe, getting fresh fish tacos from a little roadside stand. Simple, yet the most wonderful and flavorful tacos I've ever eaten.

The best tacos are made by my mom! Delicious!

Fish Taco on the beach in Cabo San Lucas. Best ever!

Making tacos for dinner with my kids!

My most vivid was eating at a little hole-in-the wall taqueria in San Mateo and realizing that the metallic cutlery we were using was from United AirLines.

This was about a year after 9/11 so we found out where all of the cutlery taken from the airlines had gone.

It would have to be when I actually had a taco in Mexico!

Definately when we found a hole in the wall mexican place in Colorado Springs, CO on vacation. We ate there every day for a week!

I remember the first time I had a fish taco. It was from a street vendor in Santa Monica and I was sold! It was so fresh and tasty. I don't think I've ever found one that good since but I do enjoy them. This would be an awesome book, thanks!

Threw a party for my 21st birthday this weekend and grilled up kilos of steak and chicken, threw together tons of veggies and downed the lot with a good selection of mexican beer. That is one taco experience I will never forget.

my most memorable taco experience was when my friends and I went down to Mexico and had tacos prepared by a street vendor - I tried them with some trepidation but was pleasantly surprised, they were grilled meat, cabbage and lime on a heated corn tortilla, washed down with an ice cold coke - mmm bravisimo!

I had wonderful fish tacos at a stand in San Diego and I can not find a better taco anywhere!

I had never had a fish taco. Then, working with a sale rep who had lived in California, he suggested we go to have fish tacos while in LA, where he used to live. We went to a couple of places before we ended up with what was my first fish taco, about 4 years ago. Love em.

Finally perfecting my shredded beef taco recipe. Soooo good!

Tacos from a taco stand in mexico. Better than any restaurant but not as good as mine. :)

We went to Cancun&they had the best crispy,meat,feta cheeses taco!I never found them again:(

The time my son took me down to Rio Doso and we had a fun day and finished with eating taco's at a resturant that overlooked the sea.

TACO BELL IN GROVE OKLAHOMA :) ty 4 sponsoring this awesome giveaway and 4 the entry:)

My most memorable taco experience was eating fish tacos for the first time.

Shrimp tacos on the beach in Zihuatanejo.

Homemade tacos as a kid.

Ata a community dinner a lady from Mexico brought the most delicious tacos.

I can remember the fish tacos at a place called Islands in San Diego! The were the best! The had shreded cabbage instead of lettuce! Thank you for the giveaway!

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moo1018
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