Comeeda

Tag: Oakland

  • Tacos on a Tuesday with Tacos El Precioso

    Tacos on a Tuesday with Tacos El Precioso

    Tacos El Precioso @ Eli’s Mile High Club

     

    I recently caught up with Devin Gonzalez – owner of Tacos El Precioso – at his regular Tuesday pop up at Eli’s Mile High Club, a bar / music venue on Martin Luther King Blvd in Oakland, CA. I know what you’re thinking…tacos on a Tuesday?! What can I say? I like to live on the edge. 😛

    “How did all of this start?”

    Having worked in restaurants, people close to him encouraged him to start his own thing.

    “…they would tell me you can really do this, your food is good!”

     

    And so, after some more urging, Devin decided to give it a go. Tacos El Precioso has been up and running for about a year. Gonzalez is working hard to fill out his schedule with pop ups at local bars, business, and private events. He has pop ups around Oakland throughout the month, including pop ups @ Temescal Brewing Company and a Vegan Pozole Pop Up @ Hasta Muerta Coffee.

    The name Taco El Precioso comes from a nickname that his grandmother gave to him as her first grandchild. (Precioso meaning precious.)

    “It’s tacos, you can’t take it too seriously, so why not?” Devin explains.

    Vegan Pozole – Tacos El Precioso

    It’s with that approach Gonzalez handles his business and his food: nothing too pretentious, just good food. But sometimes Gonzalez needs a little assist with the pop up and on this Tuesday, his friend Shelly helps whip up food while Andrea handles the orders.

     

    “We’re all friends!” they tell me, and that comes shining through when you talk with them, as well as the way they work together.

     

    But now, let’s talk food. On the menu the evening of my visit were carne asada, cauliflower pastor, chicken tinga, shrimp ceviche tostada, vegan pozole, and Mexican ice cream sandwiches. I did not indulge in the ice cream sandwiches this time around (sad, I know  )

    Asada X Cauliflover Pastor X Chicken Tinga – Tacos El Precioso

    I’ll start by saying these tacos were gorgeous. The colors, the smells: it was a thing of beauty. Everything I ate was high quality and super flavorful. If I had to choose, the standouts for me were the chicken tinga taco and the shrimp ceviche tostada. The chicken tinga almost melted in your mouth, with a rich, hearty flavor in the chicken and a hint of sweetness on the back end.

    Shrimp Ceviche – Tacos El Precioso

    The ceviche was super light and gave a nice burst of freshness to accompany my beer. The softness of the shrimp combined with the crunch of the tostada made for the perfect bite. Oh, and then there was the cauliflower pastor. You don’t say? Its good – trust me.

     

    Devin Gonzalez (center) gets an assist from friends Shelly (left) and Andrea (right)

     

    Had a great time during my visit. Next time I’ll have to try the ice cream sandwhiches.Overall I find that the crew that makes up Tacos El Precioso is just a good group of people making really good food – and having some fun while doing it.

    You can catch Taco El Precioso at their weekly pop up @ Eli’s Mile High Club.

    To schedule Tacos El Precioso for your next event, go to tacosperciso.com 

    Be sure to follow them on INSTAGRAM: @tacoselprecioso.

  • Corners Café – 8711 MacArthur Blvd Oakland California 94605

    Corners Café – 8711 MacArthur Blvd Oakland California 94605

    The space inside Corners Café is bright and welcoming. Walking in, you definitely get the vibe that this is a community café. Employees from Youth Uprising next door, as well students were there enjoying the atmosphere. Out the windows you could see kids working on their tricks at the skate park and kids playing tag in the grass in front of the building.

     

    Corners Café shares a building with Youth Uprising

     

    There are a lot of things to like about Corners Café. They source local and sustainable ingredients. Aside from tacos, the menu includes breakfast and lunch options such as burgers, salads, etc. Nestled in the corner are nice couches where customers can sit and relax. There are a few tables for seating that would be awesome to order a coffee and relax with a book.

    But, let’s make no mistake; I was there for there for the Tacos. ((((HEAD’S UP at the time of this writing, tacos are only available as a special on Tuesdays.)))) As a part of their Taco Tuesdays, there are 4 options: Steak, Chicken, Veggie, and Shrimp.  On this visit, I went with 2 steak and 2 chicken.  Both the chicken and the steak are served on warmed – almost crispy – white corn tortillas that have melted cheese. They are then topped with a mild red salsa, red onion, and cilantro.  

    The tacos lean more to the milder side when it comes to heat. The steak is well cooked with a real melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The chicken was moist with some deep, rich flavors that are highlighted by the mix of cilantro, onion, and salsa. Overall, the tacos were great. They are a great value for $1.25 each.

    2 Steak, 2 Chicken Tacos

     

    Corners Café is a branch of Youth Uprising’s social enterprises.  Youth Uprising is an NGO whose mission is “to transform East Oakland into a healthy and economically robust community by developing the leadership of youth and young adults and improving the systems that impact them.”

     

    You can find out more about their programs by visiting http://www.youthuprising.org/

     

     

  • 3 Tacos To Eat #3 – Oakland California

    3 Tacos To Eat #3 – Oakland California

    1. Tacos Sinaloa (Carnitas)

    2138 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606

    Taqueria Sinaloa

    One of the most popular taco destinations in Oakland for good reason. The 2 orange trucks that bookend the parking lot on 23rd Ave and International Blvd welcome all in need of a taco fix. Tacos Sinaloa’s carnitas taco tops the list this month. Crispy, crispy carnitas (fried pork) topped with cilantro, onions, and a mild red salsa. Take a seat at one of the tables (equipped with tapatio) and enjoy.

    2. Belly (Cali Taco)

     1901 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94612

    2016-10-08-13-01-10

    Belly’s Cali Taco (pictured on the Left) comes in at number 2 this month. The Cali Taco features house marinated steak, fries, guacamole, pico de gallo, spicy sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. And I know what you’re thinking… fries on tacos? Yes! fries on tacos. That is just one of the layers that make up this dish, and they all work together to deliver an amazing burst of flavors. Definitely not a traditional taco, but definitely delicious.

    3. Tacos El Grullo (Chorizo)

     27th Ave and international Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601

    2016-10-08-14-51-44

    Not to be confused with Taqueria El Grullo on 26th Ave and Foothill Blvd, which may make another list :). Tacos El Grullo is tucked behind an office building on International blvd and 27th Ave. Just follow the arrow on the red and white sign on the corner.  This month, Tacos El Grullo’s chorizo taco gets our 3rd spot. Spicy chorizo topped with finely chopped onion, cilantro, and a green salsa. If you only judged by the lines at lunch you would know this is a spot worth checking out. Once you have sampled this busy taco truck, you’ll know why people keep coming back.

    That’s our list for the month!!! Check out previous lists and other articles on our blog.

    3 Tacos to Eat is a regular blog series highlighting our favorite tacos for the month. Restaurants and tacos are selected by a combination of Editors at Comeeda as well as surveys and opinions from tacophiles from our community. Lists can be grouped by taco fillings, neighborhood, city, and more. New list every month. Check out our blog for past lists, other taco related articles, profiles, recipes, and more.  Follow us on Instagram — @tacos.comeeda

    Like the list? Did we miss your favorite spot? Let’s taco bout it 🙂 Comment below.