A happy taco discovery

0

Ever since the closing of the
carniceria on Boulder’s Bluff
Street, I’ve been at loose ends
trying to find a suitable substitute
venue for bargainpriced,
traditional Mexican tacos. Word
on the street was that Longmont’s El
Taco Feliz served up what I was seeking.
I’m ecstatic to report that this eatery’s
offerings are even better than
those of the late, lamented carniceria,
and that the tacos here are among the
very best I’ve had in
Colorado.

Taqueria connoisseurs
know that fancy
décor is a negative
rather than a positive
when it comes to a
cash-only spot like
this. Feliz’s nondescript strip-mall location,
coupled with a Spartan but brightly
painted interior, ably passes the
humility test. Seating here is limited,
with only a handful of counter stools
inside and a couple of picnic tables outside.
But what Taco Feliz lacks in
chairs, it more than makes up for in
service, as the amiable counterperson/
cook happily answered our questions
and offered up samples of the wide
variety of meat fillings.

Prices here are reasonable, with
$6.25 quesadillas, a special $4.50 enchilada
plate and a $3.75 breakfast burrito.
Beverage selections include south-ofthe-
border soft drinks, including
Mexican Cokes, fruity Jarritos sodas
and a potent housemade horchata, the
sweet and creamy rice milk drink.
Friend Jon cheerfully commented that
this sweet brew, best served with plenty
of ice, was “a meal unto itself; it’s like
drinking rice pudding.”

For dinner, Jon’s wife Arleen went
for a $6 Pollo Flauta platter, essentially
an entrée-sized version of the familiar
taquito appetizer. This jumbo example
consisted of achingly tender chicken
morsels served up in a freshly fried tortilla.
This piping hot wrapping possessed
the qualities of the best and
freshest tortilla chip
you’ve ever had, with
an addictive crunch
that nicely contrasted
with the lightly
seasoned poultry.

Ann’s choice of a
classic $5.25 carne
asada burrito strayed from tradition by
virtue of its considerable girth, making
it closer to a San Francisco Mission
District behemoth. The ample steak
filling was packed with meaty flavor,
and it was enlivened by a dash of salsa
verde. Less successful was $2.50 brace
of sizable tamales, which could have
been improved with more pork and a
moister consistency.

Dryness wasn’t a problem with Jon’s
$6.25 smothered barbacoa burrito.
Barbacoa is slow-cooked beef, and this
version clearly benefited from several
hours of cooking, creating melt-inyour-
mouth meat akin to a well-prepared
barbecued brisket. Han