Dear West Coast Tacos: I Love You!

Never has the first week of classes on the IUPUI campus been so culinarily blessed. The West Coast Tacos truck came a-calling and I was there, cash in hand, to savor the deliciousness of spicy pork tacos.

What a cool concept. Sure, we've had the dirty-water dog stand for years (which was conspicuously empty on this day), but come on. Tacos...from a truck...while you wait...with your friends...and they're indescribably good. What more can you want?

I gotta give a great deal of credit to the creative ingenuity of Arnold, John, and Trent, who, according to their Facebook page (of which I am a loyal fan) are "just a couple of guys who sold everything [they] owned, bought a taco truck and just started working as hard as we could." THANK YOU! And really, I don't know what made you choose Indianapolis, but I'm so glad you did. Please come back to IUPUI again . . . and again. I told all my students about you today and will consider trading communication plans for tacos. "Will work for spicy pork!"

So what is this interesting resurgence of meals in trucks, trekking from neighborhood to neighborhood, selling their food options to swelling crowds lining the sidewalks for a taste? Is it the Food Network series "Food Truck Wars," or just a growing need to fill a niche for affordable, fast, tasty food on the run. (And by the way, you can vote for West Coast Tacos to be on the next season of Food Truck Wars. Voting starts August 29th and I plan to vote early and often.) Or is it just a need for something different? Both fit in the Indianapolis market. We don't really have a Mexican place that I love, but this isn't really Mexican. There is an interesting influence on the spice that I can't really identify just yet, but suffice to say, it's gooooood.

Let me tell you about my tacos. I ordered the spicy pork. I really wanted the fish and I think that is the most perfect taco combo on the planet, but no fish tacos today. However, I LOVE spice, and this had a kick even for me. So kudos to the WCT kids for their brave foray into taco spicery. What you get is a double-corn tortilla, lightly dipped in hot oil, covered in delicious spicy pork and covered in spicy deliciousness. I purchased my 3 tacos for $5 and nearly plowed over people running back to my office to savor each bite. It's so deceptively simple. And so fantastically good. The portions were just right. I could roll the tortilla around the spicy meaty goodness with only minimal spillage and in 3 delicious bites, devoured my taco. Corn tortillas are such a wonderful treat. Thank you. Everyone around here uses flour. But corn actually has a flavor, so you don't need lots of toppings. Corn, pork, spice, and I am a happy girl.

So kids, my new love affair with WCT is only beginning. I plan to stalk them wherever they go--Mass Ave, Broadripple, and hopefully back to IUPUI. I may even wander onto the Butler campus tomorrow for dinner. Thank you WCT for forecasting where you'll be. That makes stalking you much easier. But seriously, thank you for taking such a simple idea, buying a truck, and cooking well. I can't wait until truck #2 arrives.

Sincerely,
A Loyal Fan and Spicy Taco Lover