Tacos al Vapor at El Valle in Aurora

I was headed out to Aurora's fabulous North Peoria St (where many of my favorite restaurants are located) to check out a place a reader had recommended to me months ago. It will have to wait because as I turned the corner at Colfax, my wife had sudden cravings for freshly steamed beef tacos-- and not being one to deny my wife her instantaneous gratification-- we made the impulsive decision (those are our best kind) to return to an old favorite of ours, Taqueria el Valle.

This Taqueria el Valle should not be confused with the taco shop of the same name (el tocayo) on Zuni near 30th. This is a one-hundred percent original, Aurora-born, Zacatecan-inspired gem that you don't want to miss. The specialty here is proudly displayed on the front window in bold blue neon letters. Translated it basically means steamed tacos.

It has been at least a year since I have been here, and the first thing that I noticed was that there was more of everything. There was, for example, more stuff on the already busy walls-- primarily in the form of bikini-clad beer model posters. Going down the back hallway towards the bathroom, I noticed the pantry shelves were packed even fuller than ever before, so that claustrophobes would do better to simply just hold it in (or run over to Pho 77). I even heard the distinct peep of a song bird come from the depths of the cluttered kitchen, likely there so as to avoid any canaray-in-a-coal-mine related suffocations from the inordinate amount of pots and pans stacked high in the sink.

Other things are the same, like the bathroom: clean enough, but cluttered as always with rack on top of rack of empty 1/2 liter Coke bottles "Hecho en Mexico". Also the moderately voluptuous waitresses were there as usual leaning on the counter, though tonight they were recognizable from the rest of the Saturday night crowd by their matching outfits, and they even made eye contact when we walked in-- and brought us menus immediately, something entirely unheard of before. The menus like the service, have received an upgrade as well: laminated, poorly translated (but translated) and about eight pages longer than they used to be-- which probably explains the overflowing shelves.

Also there was someone in the corner selling CDs and DVDs as there has always been, though this time I think it was the owner, and he was offering free posters of a Mexican-looking Coors model with every CD purchase. Never have I had so much peddled to me in a taqueria in the US as I have had here. And though tempted as I often have been-- by fresh cheeses, tortillas, toys, and other unnecessary but well-priced goods--I decided to pass and get what I came here to get.

What I was here for were of course tacos al vapor. We ordered immediately, not wanting to let the server get back to her counter where she could gaze up at the TV and pretend to avoid our waving hands. We were shocked enough to have our menus in hand when we first sat down and then double-shocked that she came back a mere one or two minutes later with our drinks-- we weren't taking any chances after that.

Our tacos came out in what seemed like seconds later, but it was probably more like five or ten minutes. I have literally waited 30 minutes in this place when there were three servers and two other customers, so anything under ten minutes is approaching light speed at El Valle.

The tacos al vapor I am glad to say were exactly the same. Get ready for another of my infamous sweeping statements of a general nature: This is the best taco al vapor in Denver. It has to be. I have only tried them in three or four other places, but these tacos are perfect in every way.

For this Zacatecan specialty, the beef is steamed until it is fall-apart tender. It is also incredibly moist. For you meat-and-potato types, it is like the best pot roast you have ever had-- but better, because it's in a tortilla. The tortilla is steamed as well so that it is soft, moist and warm. The whole thing is refreshingly grease-less so that it is almost like a diet-taco, and even though they come in orders of five, I can easily eat ten if I am pretty hungry (I can always eat ten). The onions and cilantro add a cool crunch and tang to the tender beef and moist tortilla, and both the red and green squeeze-bottle salsas are excellent (though the red is preferable for its spiciness). Here is another photo, this time with salsa.

Every so often I try something else from El Valle and usually it pales in comparison to the taco al vapor. This time was no different. I tried a pair of sopes de carnitas that were entirely edible, but the fired masa shell was a little too chewy, and the carnitas were so deep-fried (or dip fried according to the menu-- which was misleading because they were obviously immersed in oil for a long, long time) that they only tasted like day-old frying oil.

I love this taqueria for many reasons: the clutter and chaos, the wall hangings, the shopping and of course the tacos al vapor. They also serve beer which is a bonus and it looks like they are open later than seven or eight which was the time they used to lock the doors. Again, don't confuse this place with its tocayo in North Denver on Zuni. I'm pretty sure they are not at all affiliated, and I though I've heard their North Denver counterpart serves a good late-night taco, you want to come here for the steamed beef of the taco al vapor when you get a chance.



Also it appears that a new soul food place has opened its doors in the same little strip mall. Now, in this isolated strip mall on Peoria and 31st there is a solid pho place, tacos al vapor and potentially some good soul food. Gotta love Aurora.

Tortas de Tamal in Denver at Leobardo's!

Denver's South Federal is full of surprises. On a recent Sunday afternoon, my wife and I found ourselves driving south from Alameda to an old favorite of ours, Tacos y Salsas. I haven't written about Tacos y Salsas yet, and thanks to my fleeting, TV-conditioned attention span, I was momentarily distracted by a large sign less than a block away from Tacos y Salsas, and I won't be writing about it this week either.

TV also taught me the art of impulsivity, and that moment of distraction was all it took for me to pull a U-Turn on Kentucky, just a few feet short of our original goal. Actually it was two signs that distracted me, and both tugged longingly at my heartstrings. One was advertising tacos al vapor, which are deliciously fatty and flavorful steamed beef tacos, not all that common in Denver; while a second, larger and more attention-grabbing sign advertised Tortas de Tamal.

Tortas de Tamal are very special to me despite possibly sounding very ridiculous (and dry) to many.  I understand this logic: why put a hunk of steamed dough inside a hunk of baked dough? Well, in Mexico City, where someone somewhere has already tried anything you can think of inside of a torta, tortas de tamal are commonplace.

When I was living in Mexico City, just about every morning before work, I would stop on the corner near my in-laws house and get one. From the first morning I tried it I was hooked. It really wasn't all that dry, probably because the tamales were served fresh from a steaming pot; and it was definitely hearty and satisfying. And for about 15 pesos ($1.50 back then), I would get one along with a fresh squeezed cup of OJ.

My wife was equally excited about our detour, being that we have never seen anyone offer up this Mexico City specialty here in Denver. In fact, it is so uncommon even in the rest of Mexico, that we never thought to even look for one here. We practically burst through the door and scrambled up to the counter to order, but not before taking a couple seconds to shake our heads in disapproval at a third sign, bright yellow and advertising the place itself. It featured the stalest and unfortunately emblematic stereotype of Mexican culture -- the sleeping drunk under a cactus, clad in serape, sandals and sombrero. "Leobardo's Taco Shop," it read.

Inside Leobardo's, any transient disappointment we may have felt outside was quickly dissipated by a friendly chat with one of Leobardo's cooks, Elias. Elias is from Pachuca, and although not the owner, he was rather proud to tell us that he too had never seen another Denver-area restaurant with tortas de tamal. Pachuca is about an hour drive from Mexico City, so Elias was familiar with the notorious sandwich from his proximity to the city. He admitted to us that, like many non-Chilangos, it didn't sound all that appealing to him when he first heard about it. He began to politely give several explanations for this (he was really quite friendly and enthusiastic), then motioned to us to come in a little closer, as if he had a secret to share. He then asked us to excuse the expression he was about to use, but the first thing he thought when he heard of the sandwich was, "...que puerco!"

Literally he meant, "what pigginess", or more loosely translated, "who is the fat-ass who wants to eat that?!" He hoped we weren't offended. No, I assured him. There are many things that I take offense to, but being indirectly (or directly for that matter) called a pig is not one of them.

Needless to say, we ordered tortas de tamal, one green and one red. We also ordered a couple of tamales de elote (corn) and a taco al vapor just for good measure. Que puerco, indeed.

The tortas de tamal came out and they looked different. I will digress for a moment and rant a little about the state of torta bread here in Denver. For some reason it is universally too soft. The other alternative found around here is the too-hard bolillo roll. Happily in between the two is Telera bread, what is commonly used throughout Mexico for the torta, and is hard and crusty on the outside yet soft on the inside. It is the perfect torta bread, and I can't imagine it is that hard to make, but for whatever reason, I have not seen it used here.

Needless to say, I wasn't surprised to see the soft, mushy bread come out with our tortas de tamal, but I was surprised to see that they had been grilled. Traditionally, if the bread is warmed a little, it would be with steam, like that used for cooking the tamal. Elias explained to us that because the bread is a little soft, he decided to start grilling it, to give it a crisp. I admit that it was better than what it would have been otherwise, but it still lacked the authenticity of the true torta de tamal. Also, the tamales were small, so next time I will get two tamales per torta for proper tamal to torta ratio. And the taste? Well, it is not an authentic torta de tamal, but the nostalgia factor was high, so overall I liked it. The red and green tamales are quite good and I would recommend either to those who may also have a hole in their lives where the torta de tamal once was, and to those who have never tried it, or worse, dismissed it as too ridiculous.

The tamales de elote were not good. They looked good, filled with chunks of corn. They smelled good, like steaming corn bread baked with lard. But they were mushy and fell apart too quickly. They had a sweet corn taste, but otherwise were under-flavored and bland.

The taco al vapor was very good--at least part of it. The steamed beef was moist and tender with a rich flavor of being cooked slowly. The red salsa was dark and smoky, the green sweet and sharp with onion; both were adequately spicy. The tortillas, however, were of the packaged variety, and were simply dipped in oil and grilled whereas with this type of taco they ought to be steamed. (For a great taco al vapor, click here.)

Overall it was a great meal, and for that I can only thank my aptitude for distraction and my ability to impulsively act on it. Leobardo's is new to the south Federal scene, and shows much promise in its early months. There is a drive-thru window which they plan to put into use soon. One of the signs outside also purports that it is open 24 hours a day. It isn't yet, and even though our friend Elias smiled as he verified the new hours, his eyes said differently, as he surely knows he will have his share of overnight taco and torta-making shifts. Until then, visit Elias and his crew all week long during the 16 or so hours they currently stay open during. As for us, we took our piggy selves to the lot next door and bought a half pound of rosted piñones.
825 South Federal.

The Best Taco Truck Revisited

My favorite Taco Truck, which seems to be sadly teetering on the very brink of existence is going through some changes. Since several people have told me they were going to head over, I thought I would put the word out that La Lonchera Dos Hermanos won't be there on Friday night for the foreseeable future. I tried placing a large order of Tacos al Vapor tonight for a party on Friday. Unfortunately, the brothers Memo y Lasaro now have to work late that day (at their bill-paying jobs), and don't have the time to make tacos. Instead they will be open starting at 9am on Saturday and Sunday; and will stay open until the tacos run out or until about 7pm. Too bad for our party guests on Friday, but certainly better hours for all you West-siders. Still the best bet is to call.


720-621-8686 8700 East Colfax and Xanthia (2 blocks west of Yosemite). 

Denver's Best Taco Truck

It's Friday afternoon. I just got done with a long week of work, and I'm hungry and tired. I need tacos. I'm excited that it's Friday of course, and to put an end to this busy, taco-less week, but what has me running out the door down the four flights of stairs out of my weekday confines is returning to La Lonchera Dos Hermanos. 

In my taco truck (AKA La Lonchera) introduction I mentioned that a lot of taco trucks have specialties. Nowhere is that more true and delicious than La Lonchera Dos Hermanos. These two brothers from Zacatecas, Mexico, specialize in two tacos, and make them as good as I've ever had. Memo (short for Guillermo) mans the window and does the talking. He looks tired this afternoon, and he should be. He works all week washing windows and then, either for fun or necessity or both, sets up shop on the weekend selling what is a masterpiece of a taco. His brother Lasaro is off to the side cooking and preparing the tacos. It's a beautiful thing really. These two brothers, part of the faceless and thankless workforce that keeps our city running, are also quietly and faithfully making some of the best food Denver has to offer.

And Memo and Lasaro make a mean taco. The absolute specialty is Tacos al Vapor, a traditional dish from the brothers' home state of Zacatecas. Tacos al vapor literally means "steamed taco". It is steamed beef, shredded and served in a steam-warmed corn tortilla. It is topped with the usual suspects of onion and cilantro, and finished with a light and spicy red salsa. It is soft, tender, virtually grease-free and it is so good it is addicting. The other taco they do to perfection is lengua. Lengua is tongue. Tongue scares off a lot of Americans but is a tender, richly flavored meat. It is worth trying for the first time here, and if you don't like it here, then you just don't like tongue. And while I think it's great, I come for the Vapor, and I recommend a 5:1 Vapor to Lengua ratio. 

From their lonely location in a relatively empty lot on the Northwest corner of Colfax and Xanthia, it is understandable why so many unknowing people pass it by. The parking lot is usually empty. The truck stands alone in a lot belonging to a night club that isn't even open by the time the brothers have to leave at 7 PM. The hand-lettered sign they put out facing Colfax is makeshift at best, and doesn't exactly grab one's attention. To make things worse, there is another taco truck two blocks away with fresh detailing, flashy painted lettering and a prime location on a busy intersection. 


Memo and Lasaro used to have a piece of prime real estate: the bustling corner of Montview and Clinton between two predominantly Mexican strip malls. This year they were kicked out of the Montview location and had to scramble to find this one in front of an empty night club. The politics and the licensing requirements for the "mobile food trucks", as the city refers to them, is complicated, but the first need is a property owner willing to play host. The old owner complained that Memo and Lasaro's truck was crowding the parking lot, but I would venture to say that what really happened was that the brothers' tacos were so much better than the two restaurants in the strip mall that they were threatening business. Because seriously, if you've ever been to Montview and Clinton on a Friday afternoon, you didn't turn around and go home because there wasn't a parking space. 


So that brings us back to the sad and scrumptious corner of Colfax and Xanthia. My wife and I stand at the truck's counter and eat one after another of these incredible tacos. We watch the busy afternoon traffic race by and I think of how many people would like this place if only they would stop. I see in Memo's bloodshot, swollen and fatigued eyes that he is thinking the same thing. He is powerless to change his situation currently, but is hopeful that more business will come soon. And there is hope, because these tacos are so damn good. While we are there chatting a guy walks up and skeptically decides to order two tacos. He takes a bite, his eyes light up and he nods his head while he chews. He quickly finishes them off then flashes two fingers up towards Memo with his mouth still full. Two more. Memo and Lasaro only need the people to come. The tacos will do the rest. 

Los Hermanos Lasaro and Memo only serve tacos Friday and Saturday afternoons until about 7 PM on the Northwest corner of 8700 East Colfax and Xanthia (2 blocks west of Yosemite). The tacos are $1. Call Memo if you want to be sure he is there: 720-621-8686