I was half expecting a graphic expose showing all the horrible things that happens in between getting our food from farm to the table. Granted, there is still some graphic footage that is needed to help get the point across, but it was such a small percentage of the documentary. This isn’t isn’t like a shock film made by extremists that you’ve might have seen floating around on the internet.

Food Inc. actually shows some people who are actually doing something and making a change, which is rather inspiring. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm is highlighted in this film, and frankly, after watching his free roaming grass-fed cows and his ways of farming, I’m ready to sign up for the apprenticeship program.

The film also shows how the people working under the farm factories are exploited as much as the animals, and how Monsanto lawyers are a bunch of thugs. If you’ve ever wondered why your pieces of chicken from KFC come with pre-broken bones, you should watch this movie.

Overall, a great movie – go check it out!

The tacos are delivered through the window with just the tortilla and meat, it’s up to you to add onions, cilantro, and your choice of salsa (rojo, verde, avacado).

Along with more food options when compared with the El Taquito truck, there are also more drink options.  You can get your agua frescas, canned sodas, and bottled Jarritos here.  All these options and lack of taco specialization may be part of the reason why this truck isn’t as consistently excellent as the competition just south of it.

All in all, the tacos are good (we’ve  definitely had worse), but not as stellar as the El Taquito truck just a half block away.  Buy your tacos at El Taquito, and send your burrito loving friends up the street to pick you up a Jarritos Tamarindo Soda.

The truck is located on the corner of Fair Oaks and Bellevue Dr.:
400 S Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105

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Rating: B

Horchata Rating: Normal (decent)

Positives: Plenty of parking. Bright yellow truck makes it easy to find. Large variety of DIY sauce, good selection of drinks.  They serve more than just tacos (burritos, quesadillas, and mulitas). Full selection of fillings: cabeza, lengua, tripa, asada, carnitas, buche, al pastor, pollo, suadero, chorizo.
Negatives: They serve more than just tacos.  Meat and tortillas are generally quite dry, and is sometimes lacking in seasoning.  No chicharron.

Selling tamales on the streets of Los Angeles is a dangerous game of hide-and-seek. Tamale vendors, or “Tamaleros,” have to avoid obstacles like gangs, traffic, police and health inspectors to make only about $30 a day. Devin Browne talks to one Tamalero whose found ways to stay in business.

“Global Street Food” is dedicated to the fascination with improvised kitchens in public places. Urban fast food stations navigating the contrast between pragmatic dilettantism and complexity in the smallest of spaces. Mike Meiré will be presenting several objects and street kitchens from different parts of the world in the Buckmneister Fuller Dome. An exhibition depicting the sculptural quality of authentic objects and their cultural identity.

“Then one day, some cholo comes up to my lonchera and points a gun. It was during the day, but he didn’t care. I was by myself—my wife, who usually helps me, had the day off. I thought I was going to die. I was scared. I mentioned the name of the guy whose route I bought—said he was my boss. The cholo smiled and put away the gun. He didn’t buy anything that day, but they never bothered me again.”

The Los Angeles Times travel blog does an article about some NorCal street food vendors using twitter to alert customers of their location (the Kogi Truck of course gets a mention), and Serious Eats has a list of street food vendors who use twitter by region of the country.  EatingLA is also keeping a list of Los Angeles foodie tweeters. Are they missing any?  Are they all over rated?

When: July 18-19, 2009
Saturday, July 18: 12pm to 11pm
Sunday, July 19: 12pm to 10PM

Where: Rainbow Lagoon Park, downtown Long Beach

Click on the pic below for more details.

http://laist.com/2009/06/06/taco_zone_truck_set_on_fire_last_ni.php

We haven’t been able to make it up there, but word is they are back up and running.