Pre-Cinco de Mayo Taco Madness

Ignoring my slight fever, I headed off to a cinco-de-mayo-birthday party. At 9pm, I thought I would catch the tail end of the party that was supposedly going on since Friday. However it was still in full swing and the margaritas were still fresh.

Despite being the senior (and I mean citizen) member of the party, I think I was successful in co-mingling with the flock of 1st year med students. These future doctors apparently thought I was interesting. I thought perhaps they are budding mental health specialists and I made an interesting discussion in their Shrink 101 class. Perhaps being the only person there who could discuss matters which did not relate to chemistry, math, or how many parts per million of whatever chemical will cause cancer was a refreshing change. Good thing I did not bring up the debated theory that a widening mediasteinem is indication for traumatic aortic injury and hence require immediate surgical intervention (huh??).

Battling the want to flirt with the 22 year old co-eds, I finished my mandatory Bud Light and departed after wishing the enebriated birthday girl "adios."

As I wound through the dark recesses of the Hollywood hills, a yearning for midnight food grew. I thought it best to ignore that thought in lieau of a organic pear.

Nearing home, I noticed the familiar smell of a street side taco stand. El Pollo Loco? Taco Del Mar? I don't think so. Rounding the corner off Beverly Blvd, I saw it...

A shiny aluminum stand powered by car batteries and propane tanks; feeding midnight cravings with jalapenos and a variety of sauces (mild for me). The irresistable greasy asada was just too much to pass up. There was even a big car accident on the street to provide entertainment for the adventurous diners - and there were plenty of them. I noticed the BHPD officers eyeballing the steaming tacos...no doubt anxiously waiting for the tow truck to show up so they can take a snack break. Horchata instead of coffee?

As I parked my car, I could hear distorted chatter of the local Spanish station on a small boom box. No doubt it was draining the hand-rigged car battery contraption with every salsa song played.

Something was awry. The smell was there, the sounds were there, and the midnight bar crowd hovering in line rubbernecking between the steaming grill and the car accident certainly looked right.

As my turn came, the anomaly revealed itself. The cashier was wearing a yarmulke! And the proverbial portly latin woman grilling the meat was replaced with a clean-cut young guy wearing a bow tie! And of course there was a sign indicating the food served was Kosher.

Did I just find the world's first Yuppy-Midnight-Kosher-Street-Taco-Stand????!?

If the cashier spoke to me in Spanish, I would not have been surprised. Indeed I was mentally preparing my few lines of high school "Espanol" to order my "comida medianoche."

I have to admit my feelings were ambivalent. The traditional taco stand has been breached by the Beverly Hills business man! This stand even had a certificate of inspection from the health department! I would have preferred to see the rusty push-cart with the briquettes grilling mystery meat. Then again, something like that would never make it in BH. The officials here have nothing to do other than giving parking tickets. An illegal taco cart would mobilize the Swat Team.

The food was well made and the ingredients were clean and fresh. But something is lost when you are eating street side vendor food that you KNOW is clean. Where's the fun in that?