When a friend visited SD recently, he of course wanted to eat Mexican food, so I happily obliged. I took him to the nearest taqueria, which, if we’re being honest, isn’t likely to make anyone’s list of the top spots in the city, but it’s beloved in the neighborhood and I generally enjoy it. I figured it would at least do until I could get him to a taco joint with more name recognition. But reader, the burrito he got blew his mind. The next morning, he was still talking about it, and that afternoon, he went back. He ate five rolled tacos while he waited for his burrito to take home, then ate that, too. He was obsessed, although admittedly less than comfortable after all that food.
Again, he didn’t even eat at a famous spot. This was mid-range SD Mexican food, and it still made him lovesick compared to the Bay Area carne asada he’s used to. SD’s tacos are not to be trifled with. The food in our border region is the real deal, connected to a proud yet welcoming lineage.
The Mayans and Aztecs developed the first tortillas thousands of years ago using dried corn that had been nixtamalized (soaked in a lime solution to soften its skin and release nutrients), flattened, and cooked on a hot ceramic plate with raised edges (a comal). The first tacos no doubt predate the word “taco.” Folding food into tortillas is as instinctual for human beings as swatting mosquitos or making love.
Last year, the Pew Research Center found more than 1,700 Mexican restaurants in SD County, the third most of any county in the United States. From pre-history Mexico to what is now San Diego, this cuisine has evolved and grown while incorporating influences from all over the world. And with so many Mexican joints nearby, we get to eat this glorious food whenever we want. What. A. Gift.
But how to make sense of it all? How to know where to go? We’ve got you. This issue is a celebration of tacos and margaritas: arguably the perfect meal. And in this issue, we point you to 40 tacos that you gotta smash before you die. This is a list worthy of lamination, so try not to spill birria on it. To round out this most flawless of meals, we’ve got 10 margaritas you can trust to set your day or your night right. These creations range from utterly simple to fantastically complex, so pick your poison, and let me know if any of them knock your socks off. We can grab a round together.
On the cover, you’ll find an image from Marshall Williams’ photo series Taco Stand Vernacular, which we have long enjoyed here in the SDM office. Williams has spent years patiently photographing our city’s taco havens in the last vestiges of evening light, crafting a visual record of these cultural institutions. Together, the series serves as a kind of Rosetta Stone to these hallowed bazaars’ distinctive language.
Beyond food, we’re taking you inside the story of the local company that brought San Diego Monopoly (and a version for pretty much every other city) to life. We’re also offering interior design inspiration from a modern home in Del Cerro, meeting a local artist for whom the beach is a studio, and putting together a dream living room with aspirational finds from local stores. I’d say this is a solid issue to read while you’re crushing a five-taquito appetizer. Provecho.
