Who Brings a Food Blogger to a Knife Fight?

I totally meant to take more photos but, man, I was having so much fun hanging out with my friends and, well, being a judge that my photo duties kind of took a back seat.

So...apologies for the lack of images.

It happens.

High on fire

The Tucson Knife Fight began in September of this year with 16 local chefs competing for a bodacious trophy, $400 cash and total bragging rights. Think of this as a very long episode of Tucson Chopped where each chef brings a secret ingredient to scare off the other while another unknown ingredient is introduced right before the competition. I was lucky enough to be a judge on the 'final 4' slot where two chefs brought the same secret ingredient (duck hearts), which was pretty funny, and the secret secret ingredient was jackfruit, basically a bigger, spikier version of a mango, and totally sticky too. The competition was really close that night but from the ashes of the semi-finals rose two local kitchen heavyweights to make it to the finale:

Gary Hickey of Charro Steak and Tim Marshall from The Parish.

Oh man...you can cut the tension with a knife.

Huh. I just saw what I did there...

The view from the judges table

Just like the final four the finale was held in the back patio at Martin Drug Co. on Congress. It's really a great space but unlike last time, this event was definitely bigger.

First thing I noticed were all of the flashy DJ lights and lasers and such. Looked like a rock concert or rave rather than a cook off. Plus there was a large screen projecting the action live on the side wall. Very cool. The stage was decidedly higher too putting contestants well above normal head level. They were going all out with this one. I was really impressed.

Not to mention the place was packed, like wall to wall people. So far this was going to be a night to remember...

Chef Mike holding the esteemed trophy

To start things off there was a cocktail competition, ironically enough, between bartenders from The Parish and Charro Steak. While this was going on folks continued to stream in as the two competing chefs began prepping for their big moment. It was at this time that I walked up to the stage to take a place at the judges table.

I was joined by Adam Lehrman from Tucson Foodie, Kate Selby of Edible Baja and, once again, Ben Caballero, executive chef for HUB, which Martin Drug Co. is a part of, whom I judged alongside with for the Final 4.

We were way up there and I kept having to make sure that I didn't slip and careen down the metal stairs because, honestly, we were all drinking and I didn't want to look like a total amateur chump in front of a full house.

But, as doing events such as this before, I began to feel cool so maybe taking a head plunge down would calm my ego just a tad.

Although I'm glad I didn't tumble. We were really high up and those stairs looked sharp.

Chef Gary in full action

Before we knew it the competition was underway. The unfortunate secret ingredient was taro root, which is a root vegetable and kind of tough to deal with. Another culinary monkey wrench was the use of Pate a Choux which is a fluffy dough usually used to make eclairs or beignets.

This is going to be tricky.

Huge cut of meat, cooked perfectly

With all of the lights flashing and host Matt Russell of On The Menu, Live! talking in his usual fast candor, when dishes started to arrive on the table I kind of couldn't hear, or see, what was in them (obviously taro root and Pate a Choux) although I do recall a gnocchi dish where the Pate a Choux stood in for the usual potato. The Pate a Choux was really soft but the sauce and other components were very tasty. I thought the dish worked fairly well.

For me, when I judge, its usually very close as far as scoring is concerned. Unless, of course, something blows my mind or something really sucks. Not going to give anything away but when I did the Margarita Competition there was one drink that was so foul that I gave it my first 1 out of 10. Ugh. It was gross and served warm. C'mon now.

Here though, my scoring was pretty darn close. That is until Gary Hickey brought out this pho platter that totally won me over. It was stunning. In the short amount of time that he had Gary pulled out one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever had in a culinary competition. Tim did great with a huge steak but the taro root was a bit buried. That was my only complaint.

After three or four dishes each we all had our fill, we tallied the votes and one winner was announced.

Who would it be?

This is going to be a close one.

Gnocchi out of Pate a Choux dough? Awesome!

And the winner was...

Gary Hickey of Charro Steak!

Tim gave a great performance and delivered delicious delights but Gary took the grand prize. That pho dish though. Ugh. So good.

Everything, all of it...so good.

Thanks again for letting me judge yet another amazing culinary competition and, hey!, keep 'em coming. If you need a food dork like me on your panel I am that guy.

Looking forward to the next big competition.

Bring it on!

Cheers...

And the winner is...

Eating, Drinking & Judging
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Why is it still hot out...it's November!, 2017

Metal Influence:

IRON MAIDEN

"Flash of the Blade"

Teetering Toward Great, Flirting With Disaster

Being a food writer and blogger in Tucson means that you eat a lot of tacos. You see, I am totally fine with this. Because of that reason I love what I do both in print and online and when a new Mexican place opens up you better believe the Homeskillet crew will be there to sample yon wares of deliciousness.

Here's the thing: Sometimes you can burn out on a style of food. Its easy, especially when you're in the food writing biz. Like, for example, I am totally in love with pastrami sandwiches but if I ate those mofos 3 - 4 days a week on a fairly regular basis I'd change my last meal option if I was to be sent to the electric chair from a #19 from Langers Deli to, oh, I don't care...anything but really.

How are Hot Pockets? Are they tasty?

Fortunately it had been a while since we stepped foot in a proper Mexican food joint so when we were in the neighborhood of Calle Tepa we slammed on the brakes and prepared ourselves for some serious southern border street food.

The place is colorful, we'll say that much

In a shopping strip on Broadway just off of Wilmot, wedged between a Panera Bread and Breugger's Bagels, is a lively spot owned by the wife of the guy that opened up the Guadalajara string of restaurants. The pedigree is there, the financial backing is obviously happening...so this place must be awesome.

Right?

Checking online reviews, Calle Tepa is pretty much 3 -5 stars across the board. First off, we were hungry. Second, we were now excited because of the internet hype. With over 400 people essentially praising this place we wondered why we hadn't visited it sooner.

Oh yeah. There's like 1,000+ other Mexican food stands here in Tucson.

That's probably why.

Chips were tasty and the salsas were really good

When we walked in we were immediately taken with how colorful the space was. The wall to your left is a vibrant mural of their menu with fairly standard fare without being too extensive which is what we like. When restaurants get too bold with their options we tend to get flummoxed, flummoxed we tell you!, and eventually end up ordering something safe just to get it over with.

The last time we were at that Cheesecake place their menu was like a frikkin tome of ancient wisdom and long sagas of battles and mythology...except with elephantine portions of extreme shrimp popper alfredo colon blocker bombs and "salads" that boasted more sodium and fat grams than a dozen burger options from Lindy's.

Way, way too big.

Still, even with the fairly tight menu, we were new and just wanted some staples: A couple of street tacos, mini-chimichangas and some ceviche along with the requisite chips and salsa.

They gave us a number, we took a seat next to a window and we waited while nibbling on their crunchy chips and really flavorful salsas under star shaped lights next to a large family that seemed quite happy to be there.

Hopefully, we would be too.

Big tacos, little flavor

For the tacos we got the carne asada, chicken adobada and the chili verde.

These things were big. And if by "street taco" you must mean a 10 lane Los Angeles highway because most street tacos we have come across are lil' bites of savory perfection, ones that easily fit in your hand so you can be on your way without that rumbly in your tumbly.

These, unfortunately, just didn't really do anything for us.

The carne asada was fine but was a bit over cooked and really didn't have any seasoning. The chicken adobada, which is normally a spicy red BBQ sauce, was nice but did not deliver any heat or much flavor. And the chili verde, slow roasted pork in a green sauce of jalapenos, garlic and tomatillos, was just kind of drippy and bland.

Crap.

I mean, it was late in the afternoon, well after the lunch rush, so maybe they were understaffed and weren't really paying attention to what they were doing as preparation for dinner was the focus at that time.

Still.

Okay, well we also had some mini chimis to contend with and a big bowl of ceviche waiting for us.

Let's hope these work out for the better.

Mini chimis that were not so mini

Just like the street tacos, the "mini" chimichangas were anything but. More like small-ish deep fried burritos or extra large Mexican eggrolls.

These things we liked, mainly because they were simple and paired well with a selection from the salsa bar. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the fry on the tortillas was crispy and golden. They came equipped with some decent guacamole and we were happy that these guys hit the mark and hit the spot as well.

Sadly, the salsa and the chimis would prove to be the highlight.

Thanks to so many online suggestions on ordering their ceviche, we were really bummed that this dish sank on so many levels.

The fish was chewy and flabby, the broth lacked citrus and spice - it just sort of sat there surrounding the tilapia, tomatoes and onion with no real rhyme or reason. This sucked. Man, we hate to come down on places but unfortunately our experience at Calle Tepa was anything but awesome.

And it helps to be awesome in this current culinary climate here in Tucson. Because we can get tacos, chimis and ceviche almost anywhere, most likely better quality too. There was just nothing about Calle Tepa to make us go "Wow, we seriously need to go back there."

We went. We ate. Eh.

If you guys have eaten there and think we are daft for not loving them then send us a message imploring to give them a second chance. Otherwise there are the other 999+ Mexican food stops here that we need to try and want to come back to.

Also, if we can be honest here for a moment: We're not huge fans of the Guadalajara restaurants.

Just saying.

Sorry about it...

About the ceviche...you see...um...well...

Typing, Camera and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
A Bit Past St. Patrick's Day, 2017

Metal Influence:

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES

"You Can't Bring Me Down"

More Than Just Quesadillas...

We are about two weeks away from the first day of spring and already it is beginning to feel like summer out there.

The short time we had with "winter", a few nights that dipped in the 30s and days where you had to bring a hoodie just in case, is pretty much all but gone. And I like the cold. I'm from northern California where temps huddle around the 50 degree mark for most of the seasons. In fact, summer has always been the foggiest due to the inland getting so toasty and bringing the dense moisture towards it. I wont quote Mark/Sam Twain/Clemens right now but I'm sure you are familiar with his saying of the coldest winter he ever spent.

Yeah.

See? Tacos, tortas, more stuff like that

It was one of those unseasonably warm days that we lit out in search of some entertainment and shade (aka, the movies, we saw "Logan" and, wow, yeah...wow) but beforehand we needed some vittles and refreshment.

Being in the area of Grant and Craycroft we were lucky to find a hidden away food hut nestled between a convenience store and a crappy cell phone retailer just off that busy corner. It may have been a bit rough getting there and the parking wasn't great but once we stepped foot inside we knew that things were about to get a whole lot better.

The house namesake...so good

The Quesadillas is not that new by any standard. Opening up with little to no fanfare in late December of 2015, it has been the online reviewers and social media sharers over the past year that has gotten this cozy grub shed some respect and notoriety, and rightfully so.

Having only been there once before it was time to check back in and see if the food was still as good as the first time.

No.

It was better.

Movin' on down the line

The place was packed this day. The other time we were here we were the only ones in the place. But a late lunch crowd had crammed into the tight space, a line almost out the door, but luckily we found a table under the TV that was happily showing an episode of "The Chew".

We love that show. Hi Carla!

If the name of your place is The Quesadillas then, well, we better order up some quesadillas. So we got a selection: the carne asada, pollo asado, the championes (mushrooms) and a plain bean and cheese variety. The smiling girl at the counter rung us up and the two guys manning the kitchen were a fury of haste and preparation. Even with a full house our food came out quite expeditiously so we wasted no time and dove in.

Such simple splendor

A place such as The Quesadillas isn't going to change the world (well, it might...) but quality food made with quality ingredients by qualified folk could change your outlook on things.

It was stuffy in the place but we didn't mind. The meat was mesquite grilled and seasoned with care, the cheese had a really good pull and smoothness to it and above all the salsas were tangy, tart and well crafted. Every bite was a treat and every variation of a quesadilla was a simple masterpiece. The last time we were here we tried their ribeye tacos and, man, those lil' cajolery folded bits of madness enticed and delighted. All of it, so most awesome.

You don't need much more than this. Plus with prices barely breaking the $5 mark, you can see why they were jammed on a rather hot day an hour or so past the prime lunch rush.

No wonder we had such a rough time finding parking, everyone in the immediate area had the same idea as us. Huh.

Smart people.

Go ahead, pile it on

It may not look like much from the outside and, sure, it can be a bit of a hassle to find it, get there and then if you're lucky nab a table, but if you can muster up the courage to brave a slight hindrance you will be well rewarded by delicious food cooked and served by talented and kind people.

Oh, and be sure to try their flan, some of the best we have ever had...and we're not big on desserts. It looks more like a cake but tastes more like a spongy sweet custard loaf, one that was mixed and baked in some angelic blessed gilded kiln. Although Anita does a pretty good job as it is.

We think that was her name.

Owning and operating a Mexican restaurant here in Tucson is a risky endeavor; so so much competition. But a place like The Quesadillas will do fine because they only have a few things on the menu and the few things they do have on the menu are uncomplicated yet so complex. You need to get there and try at least one of each.

That's what we plan on doing.

You ready?

Let's do it!

Flan you very much

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
A Perfect Afternoon in March, 2017

Metal Influence:

SLAYER

"Kill Again"

Spinning Meat, Bring The Heat!

Officially trompo means "spinning top", you know like what kids play with. But in the case of Polo's Taqueria (918 W. Prince RD) it means a rotating meat girth of awesome.

The owner, the restaurant's namesake (and no it's not pronounced pollo like 'chicken' but Polo, like the game, or clothing line or Marco's last name), is from Mexico City where this style of cooking meat is totally normal. We are used to seeing beef and such cooked on a slowly rotating spit in Mediterranean or Greek restaurants, but here the flavored goodness that gets sliced up nice and thin right from the dripping tower of carne gets put on tortillas instead of pita. And believe us, this is the real deal.

So ready to get down with this mess.

A fresh slab gearing to get tasty

It's a pretty inconspicuous place, in fact when we drove by it we, well...almost drove right by it. Located in a shopping strip, Polo's rests next to a laundry facility and if it wasn't for the big yellow banner out front with the words "HOT DOGS" written on it we probably would have kept on driving.

Once inside you are treated to an extremely casual environment with a tight menu over the register area and festive music playing to get you in the chow down mood. Polo's has all kinds of yummy offerings such as burritos, tacos, sopes, tortas, caldos and even a hamburger...like all good taquerias do and should. To the left you get to witness to the slow spinning beef mash that is topped with a half pineapple with an onion base. El Trompo!

We almost got down on our knees to worship at the altar of revolving splendor.

Almost.

It was that glorious.

Al pastor tacos in all of their glory

The prices are what you would expect, like almost 2 bucks for a taco, but it is the care and quality that you are paying for and these looked like they are fawned over with loving grace. Plus our orders came out fairly quick, so that was good, because we were plenty hungry and ready to dive into the al pastor that was cut fresh right in front of us.

So stoked.

Full salsa bar at your disposal

Polo's has the requisite toppings and salsa bar and the lady running the front counter even came out and suggested how we festoon each item. That was really cool even though her English was almost as bad as our Spanish, but we got the gist.

Not too sure if they were having refrigeration issues that day but the salsas and lettuce were way too cold and were a bit wilty. That is our only critique. Better that than being too warm and going all gush and limp. Whatever. We are survivors.

After we got all of the tacos, burros and sopes in check it was time to sit down and go for it.

The sopes were kind of the best thing ever

The al pastor was amazing. Really juicy and thanks to the fruit and onion infusion it took on a citrusy and savory whimsy. Everything was fresh and all of it, the chicken, the carne, the cabeza, the frijoles, etc, was delicious.

Our favorite though had to be the sopes, which are basically mini taco salads made with a thick tortilla and filled with all sorts of wonder. These things ruled. Maybe its because you can get a good taco or burro almost anywhere here in Tucson but a tasty sope is a bit of a treasure hunt. We struck gold here folks. Best thing is they are kind of heavy so when you eat one, or twelve, you know you are going to get filled up. We did not leave there hungry.

Next time we visit Polo's we are definitely going to try the Cubano torta and a caldo which is a hearty soup filled with thick veggies and rustic cuts of meat. Can't wait.

Now you know kids. Just keep your eyes open because you don't wanna miss the Mexico City radness of this place even though you need to kind of look for it. And everyone was friendly too. That is always a plus and seems to make things even tastier.

Cheers!

Thank you Polo's Taqueria!

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
The First Time In Almost A Month, 2017

Metal Influence:

MAD BUTCHER

"Burn It Down"

Salvation Came In The Form Of A Food Stand

"The day after Thanksgiving and all you can think about is eating more food?"

Um...yes.

Duh.

Ordering up the Maico goodness

You see, Thanksgiving is full of American tradition, as far as the spread is concerned.

There's the the turkey, usually, the stuffing/dressing, cranberry sauce (typically in the cylindrical form of the can is spawned from, with ridges still in the gelatinous glop), some potatoes, some green bean casserole, some drinks, some vaguely racist comment from your weird uncle, more drinks, more debates on who won the election, even more drinks, the dog gets into the pecan pie, you loudly slur to your mom and ask her why she never loved you, quick run to the booze store for more alcohol, grandma wont stop farting and the football team you bet on to win just lost. But there's gravy!

This is America. This is what most of us do on the third Thursday in November. It's a very bizarre right of passage but we do it anyway. Why?

Yeah we don't know either.

But the next day when you wake up devastated from the holiday's overdose of gluttony and grandpa's strangely dirty jokes, you need a serious pick me up. We know we did.

So on the third Friday in November, we drove over to a little food shed on 22nd Street to regroup and above all, recoup.

And we were glad we did.

Sort of like nachos but...not really

Maico Mexican Food is a funky little stand on 22nd between Park and South Tyndall Avenue. We have been meaning to come here for quite some time and after the debacle of the goings on the day previous we really needed some cold beer and good food.

Not that mom's cooking is bad it's just, well...she didn't make tacos did she?

Just a touch of citrus to the ceviche tostada

It was a really warm day. No, scratch that....it was pretty hot. Like high 80s/low 90s hot. Unseasonably toasty for being late November. You even tried to convince your conspiracy theory cousin of yours that global warming is in full effect and all they did was shrug it off and blame the current president. Whatever. It was time to order up and set our post Thanksgiving blues on the stoop and forget about it all for a while.

At that time, Maico was our only friend.

Why wasn't this mentioned on Food Wars?

At Maico you order at the window then take a seat in their picnic-esque area to the side. It's all outdoor seating, which is great, but we were burned out and the sun was really beating on us. Luckily we found a fairly shady spot and took solace in its brief shelter and ice cold sodas from Mexico.

No beer here, that was a bit of a let down, but the fizz and caffeine from the caramel colored drink did perk us up a bit. Something about cola from across the border; it has a different taste to it, less sweet, more depth. Not too sure. We just prefer the bottled sodas from Mexico.

And here is a secret: They are not listed on the menu. But if you ask they will provide.

Beer will have to wait till later.

And we desperately wanted one. Or two. 

The Arizona burrito in all of its glory

We started off with just some chips and salsa. They were good. Not too sure if the chips are homemade but the salsa they have on the tables in red plastic ketchup squeezers was tangy and full of flavor. They come almost "nacho style", topped with cheese and a house pico de gallo, which helped get the stomach ball rolling as we knew some welcomed food sanctuary was about to be delivered.

The smiling and loud laughing guy that took our orders was also the one bringing the goods. As he plopped down our rather ambitious order all he could do was chuckle and say:

"All this stuff for just you three? I love it!"

You know what? We love him now.

The cabeza taco, so cheeky

At a place like Maico, if they offer a Sonoran hot dog, you get a Sonoran hot dog.

Kind of confused as to why theirs isn't in the competitive ring along with BK and El Guero Canelo, this sloppy meat log was divine. A good soft bun, the dog was cooked perfect and wrapped in thick bacon, with a smooth slather of various sauces, their version of that Tucson OG is right up there with some of the greats. Highly recommended.

The Arizona burrito was chock full of beef and potatoes and even after eating three different styles of potato at yesterday's dinner we were stoked to be trying Maico's version. Tender, full of vibrant life and heavy in the hand, their burritos made us forget that we were craving beer and made us food drunk instead.

All of the proteins, the chicken, pork and carne asada, were all cooked wonderfully and were seasoned correctly. Even if you have a not so decent cut of meat, it is always important to finesse what you got with skill and care. The guys at Maico did just that.

We also got their ceviche tostada, a specialty of the house apparently. Awesome. So bright and full of personality, the seafood was as un-fishy as you can get then finished with ripe avocados, we can see now why the dude at the window recommended it.

Thank you dude at the window.

We love you even more now.

The California burrito almost took us out...almost

Like most successful Mexican food stands Maico started out as a cart. Through time, test and tribulation, they finally got themselves a proper place right across the street from some tactical weapons outlet. So as you watch beefy dudes getting ready to pop off some rounds, you can chow down on some beefy tacos and burritos and leave the macho posturing to the guys not eating amazing food.

Maico is awesome and we will definitely be back for more. We highly suggest you try one of each because everything that we got was delicious and made us forget about the savage ravage aunt Myrtle gave to that turkey leg. It was quite violent and oddly erotic.

Thank you Maico Mexican Food! You now have the Tucson Homeskillet's badge of approval.

Wait...do we have such a badge? We don't. Oh...nevermind.

Then we're just going to have to give you a sincere Metal horns salute. That's about the same...right?

Cheers!

The lil' cart where it all began

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
The Last Friday in November, 2016

Metal Influence: 

TRANSMETAL

"Muerto En La Cruz"

Yes, We Finally Ate At Taco Giro. Yes, It Was Delicious.

Basically last week's post, the one about Pat's Drive In, should have been labeled as the "Barrio Hollywood Chronicles Part 1", because exploring all of the amazing food that area has to offer is on the top of our list. Not that we haven't been down there before, we have, many times, but not as frequently as we'd like. Why you may be asking yourself?

Because of the car.

Sorry....its our first time here

The old Impala has been giving us nothing but problems and a few hazardous moments here and there for the past couple of years and after a while just driving it more than a mile proved to be a tense situation.

It was totally worn out, a bit beat up and we ended spending more on the upkeep than what it was actually worth. One day the entire coolant system exploded, right around Xmas, and that set us back almost a grand. Happy holidays indeed. Another time, while simply running some errands, the car just stopped; died near an intersection. Turns out some major cable was worn so much that the connection was lost and it took a bunch of duct tape to hold it in place till we could get it into the shop. Fun huh? Yeah...no.

The best was the reason we ended up buying a new whip and eventually, thankfully, ditching the old. The car...it just wouldn't start. It sounded like it wanted to start, it would be all "chug chug chug" but then...nothing. And when our trusted mechanic of many years is there, stunned, scratching his bald head in total confusion, staring blankly at the engine, we finally threw up our hands and went "That's it! We give up! We're getting a new car tomorrow."

And we did.

Now that a safe and efficient ride has been restored, our faith in our culinary adventures has been reinvigorated as well.

So first up was a place we had been meaning to go to for quite some time. It's a local chain and is well known for its generous seafood platters among so many other fantastic bites.

The place?

Taco Giro.

Salsa bar, second only to a real bar

Taco Giro was always on the list as a "must try" but we never got around to it. But when we sampled their bean and bacon soup at last years Bacon Fest we knew we had to put it a bit closer to the top. It was delicious. Savory, salty, spicy and one of the few free nibbles to actually feature "bacon" and not its other namesake and cured companion, pork belly, which most other dishes did that day. It was also one of the few places that we went back to for seconds, and thirds, because of the texture and flavor of the soup was so delicious.

So on a beautiful early autumn afternoon we got in the lovely new ride and headed down to St. Mary's to get our fill and to see if Taco Giro lives up to its reputation and reason for having five locations across Tucson.

Here's what went down.

Steak quesadilla was simple and simply amazing

We chose the St. Mary's/Grande Ave location because we really wanted to get back to the Barrio Hollywood stretch. We love this part of town but because of unreliable wheels it has been elusive the last few years. Whatever, it was time to see (and eat) what Taco Giro had to offer up.

First off, we were impressed that the parking lot was pretty full on a late afternoon Wednesday. It was pretty warm out, like high 80s, so only folks that could find shade on the inviting looking patio were out there. Once we got inside we were surprised to see that the actual space itself wasn't too slammed. In fact there were a bunch of tables available so we grabbed one and began scanning the rather wide breadth of the menu.

"Where are all of those people then?", we asked ourselves. Perhaps there is a secret back room that can't be seen from the normal confines of the main dining area. A quick look around and we came up empty; no additional eating area. Huh. In fact we almost wound up in the kitchen looking for this phantom chamber. Sorry about that.

A friendly server promptly arrived and got our drink order. She came back a minute or so later and asked if we were ready to order. We were not. For real, their menu isn't all Cheesecake Factory huge but it is seven pages of laminated items ranging from breakfast to dinner entrees. So, yeah, it took us a while.

Fish taco, shrimp taco and it didn't stop there

Eventually we decided to try some basic items and perhaps one or two "exotic" dishes. The soup that we fell in love with at the Bacon Festival was there, the carne es su jugo, but it was hot out and boasted a price of $12. Not that we're scared by elevated prices for quality items its just that, well...we kinda weren't in the mood. Next time Taco Giro...next time.

We settled on a steak quesadilla (how can you go wrong?), a collection of fish and shrimp tacos and the campechana tostada which is a mixed variety of seafood on a thick corn tortilla. Sounded rightfully enticing as we had heard about the quality and flavor of their fish for so long.

Taco Giro has a ton of amazing stuff on their menu and if the food we got this afternoon was to be any good we will definitely be back to try some of their other options.

They have a full breakfast menu, both Mexican and American, that includes a T-Bone steak, three eggs, huge helping of hash browns and toast for $14.99 or chiliquitas or huevos rancheros for $6.99 if a steak and some eggs for almost fifteen bucks doesn't sound tempting or financially feasible in the morning.

There are a bunch of lunch specials such as tostadas de ceviche de pescado and caldo de pollo starting at $5.99 and dinner specials ranging from $8.99 that includes pechuga de pollo, a carne asada plate and a grilled mojarra platter. All of it looks really, really tasty.

Things can get a bit on the pricier side of things, such as their fajita dinner and anything with a steak or ton of seafood attached to it (think $15 - $20) but the combination plates are in the $7 - $10 area and are really generous and really good.

Oh, look, our food arrived!

Seafood tostada was a bounty of awesome

We first dug into the steak quesadilla and, yeah...it was awesome. Juicy, perfectly grilled marinated steak in a huge handmade tortilla with just enough cheese to satiate our "American" palates on the traditional dish. Fresh guacamole came with it too, like a mound of the stuff. Tangy, rich and seasoned perfectly. Yum.

The fish tacos did not disappoint. Flaky grilled white fish under a sea (yes, we said sea) of crispy slaw and zesty crema. The shrimp was meaty and moist without a hint of fishiness, which is always impressive. Paired with the variety of hot sauces you get on your table, this was a serious lunch win on all fronts.

The jewel in the crown of our royally awesome food was the mixed seafood tostada. There was octopus, more shrimp, crab, more whitefish paired with citrus, cilantro, onion, tomatoes and then topped with market fresh avocado slices. Oh man, this sent us into an ocean of textures and flavors. Everything was so clean, so well seasoned and so composed we were stunned that it wasn't one of the more expensive items on the menu. So good.

Okay, okay...we get it. We are now fans of Taco Giro (which basically means 'taco turn' and features a chicken on their marquee...um, sure) and will be back to try out some of their other offerings. Twenty bucks or not, we are in too deep with the TG and now we have to seek out the other locations.

But we still have so much left to explore in the Barrio Hollywood neighborhood. Taco Giro is only the beginning. And it is surely not the end.

With a new ride and a new sense of Homeskillet pride, we press on.

You ready?

Let's do this!

Thanks for reading. See you next week...

Thank you Taco Giro!

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Yom Kippur, 2016

Metal Influence: 

GODFLESH

"Pure"

Can You Eat 28 Hot Dogs In 10 Minutes? A Local Teacher That Weighs Far Less Than You Can!

Yeah, alright, fine.

Other websites, blogs and such got a chance to hang with Michelle "Cardboard Shell" Lesco first, and long, before we ever did but...hey, the Tucson Homeskillet is still up and coming and barely a year old so we a bit slow on the take sometimes. Plus we've been busy with a full time job and other life bits. And so has she. We've been busy I tell you! So let's just get to it and have some fun shall we?

We shall.

Michelle Lesco, among other things, is a competitive eater, meaning she eats a lot of food in a short amount of time for glory, fame and, occasionally, some prize money. It's not the most glamorous sport, competitive eating, but it's the only one we really follow and are a fan of so getting a chance to meet and chat with her was a big deal on our end.

Originally from California, Michelle has been calling Tucson her home for many years and is the city where she began her rise to notoriety and power in the competitive eating circuit. Just a little over 100 lbs and barely in her 30's, Michelle is now ranked 7th in the world of competitive eating and came in 4th in her division at the renown Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition. How awesome is that?

So you can see why we were stoked to hang out and get to know this lady.

Tucson's own Major League Eater, Michelle "Cardboard Shell" Lesco

Michelle, having just gotten back from Las Vegas to compete in the Hooter's Hot Wing Eating Competition, sat down with us at one of her (and our!) favorite spots, Boca Tacos Y Tequila, to enjoy chef Maria's amazing creations while we discuss how she devours all that food in so little time, why she does it in the first place and what the meaning is behind her silly nickname, "Cardboard Shell".

It was a very warm (no, it was a crazy hot and muggy) afternoon when we met up and we were so ready to dive into some cold beers, delicious food and make a new friend while doing it.

Here's the snag though: This interview was like way longer than you are about to read because the lame voice recorder app on our phone cut out here and there making it splinter in conversation. Plus we didn't take a ton of photos because we were having too much fun just chatting and eating Boca Balls, Macho Tacos and the Wednesday "Exotic" feature which was lambs tongue served on, well...most things. 

So that said, here's (most of) the topics we discussed while eating and drinking and you will soon see why Michelle is now one of the best things about being a food fan, and food blogger, here in Tucson.

Check it out...

Yes, there is a federation for competitive eating...why wouldn't there be?

Metal Mark: So when did you realize that you could eat like this and go pro?

Cardboard Shell: I'd say it was around 2009 or so. It was back when "Man VS. Food" was really popular and the host came to Tucson to eat the Lindy's OMFG burger and two of my guy friends that were in a band and living in Phoenix kept saying 'We have to eat this burger!' when they came to town. Well when they did and we finally got to Lindy's they totally chickened out. I was like, 'What? That's the whole reason we're here! To eat this burger!' Eventually one of them looked at me and was all 'Why don't you eat it then?' And I said 'Fine I will.' So we ordered the burger and the second it gets dropped on the table I immediately start eating it. I thought that the 30 minutes or so you have to eat it began when its placed in front of you. My friends kept saying 'You should let it cool down first!' It was too late at that point. What sucks is that when the burger is that hot it continues to steam when its in your stomach. So what was really difficult was not only all that meat and all the stuff on it...it was the gas that was being created by the steam. But I finished it, of course I finished it, but it took me forever. After that my friends called me when there was any kind of food or eating challenge.

Eventually this lead to the Something Sweet food challenge, when that existed.

MM: Oh yeah, I miss that place. What was the challenge again?

CS: Four pieces of cheesecake, four big ol' brownies, four scoops of ice cream with chocolate and whipped cream and cherries on top. So I was driving home and my friend calls me saying they were at Something Sweet and they wanted me to do this challenge that, apparently, no one had finished. And I said 'So are you telling me you want me to go there and do it now?' I was going to go home and eat a salad, that was my plan that night.

MM: Man, the brain freeze must of sucked. From the dessert challenge I mean, not the salad.

CS: No. It wasn't that bad. You had, I think, 30 minutes to do it and I did it in like 15. After that I just started to do more and more eating challenges.

If you get interviewed by the Tucson Homeskillet, beers are usually involved

MM: So how do you train or prepare for a big eating competition?

CS: I don't really. When I was a kid I always tried to eat more and eat faster than my brothers. It was just a kind of competition between us. Like when we'd get fast food we always tried to see who could eat the burger in the fewest amount of bites...

MM: Kind of like John Belushi in Animal House?

CS: Exactly. I remember this slumber party we had which soon developed, or devolved, into a pizza eating competition. I was 8 and I remember eating this piece of pizza so fast that it got caught in my throat and I threw up all over the place. After that I just learned how to control my chewing and swallowing so that wouldn't happen again. It never really did. After that I just got really good at eating fast and eating a lot. Now I just do it on a bigger level.

Best part is I get to travel and eat free food. And the other competitive eaters are awesome. We're all good friends now.

Michelle dominating the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition (picture is from the internet, I did not take this)

MM: During high school I skateboarded a lot and when we would stop for a bite I had to kind of do the same thing, eat as much as possible and as fast as possible, so my friends wouldn't nab my vittles.

CS: You should think about going into competitive eating!

MM: Yeah, as if I'm not chubby enough.

CS: You should. It'd be fun.

MM: So what are your personal bests as far as eating records go?

CS: Let's see. I've eaten 135 marshmallow peeps in 5 minutes. 6 and a half pounds of pasta in 8 minutes. 170 gyoza in 10 minutes. 435 oysters in 8 minutes. Over a gallon of chili in 6 minutes. Almost 11 pounds of pie in 8 minutes. 59 tacos in 8 minutes. Over 150 wings in 10 minutes and, of course, 28.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

MM: Wow. And how do you feel after a competition?

CS: Fine. In fact after Nathan's I went on one of the big roller coasters with some of the other eaters.

MM: No full reversal?

CS: Nope. Never. Not since that slumber party.

Eating lambs tongue tacos and talking about, well...eating

MM: So how did the nickname 'Cardboard Shell' come about?

CS: According to Crazy Legs Conti, when I order takeout, all that is left is the cardboard shell. Funny thing is, it has been dubbed the worst nickname in competitive eating! Probably because it started unrelated to competitive eating. Sort of a spinoff of a Jack Handey quote.

MM: 'Deep Thoughts' Jack Handey?

CS: Yep. Something about he stepped on a snail and thought that he's like a snail because he builds a shell around himself, but it's made of foil and paper bags. Not cardboard.

MM: Ah. So you mentioned traveling earlier. Outside of Coney Island, where else are you traveling to this year?

CS: Well I just got back from Las Vegas for the Hooter's wing eating competition and I'll be traveling again, soon, to Northern Ireland to compete against the decade long world record holder of oysters, Colin "The Oyster King" Shirlow, for the Hillsborough International Festival World Oyster Eating Championship. Colin set the world record at 233 oysters in 3 minutes back in 2005. Last year I pushed him to a new record of 235, the first time in a decade, because he looked up and saw how fast I was going and he just had to 'speed up'. I ate 213. I stumbled and fumbled some oysters in the first 20 seconds before getting it together. In a 3 minute contest, where you are eating more that 1 per second...that makes a huge difference.

MM: Wow. And...how much do you weigh?

CS: I'm like, almost, 115 right now.

MM: I am, almost, two of you.

Macking hard on some ribs (again, I did not take this photo)

MM: I know you make a little money being a competitive eater, but unless you're Joey Chestnut who has like mass endorsements, I'm assuming you have a day job.

CS: Oh yeah. I work at Pantano High School as a math, physics and service learning teacher. It's a credit recovery alternative school for students that have fallen behind on credit hours and can't graduate on time at traditional schools. We provide additional support to help them graduate.

Every year I tie my training goals into fundraising goals and we've raised over $13,000 for various causes, mostly focused on impacting the global water crisis through charity water campaigns. Right now I'm hoping to help a local Tucson based nonprofit by a man who grew up in Ghana called Global Children's Fund reach their goal of $1000 to repair four water wells in a Ghana community where they are helping to improve education through a variety of means.

MM: That's awesome. I work in a library to support my food blogging habit.

CS: Cool. Yeah the principal of my school is very supportive and understanding of what I do. A lot of my students are big fans of mine and love that I do competitive eating. Even though some of them find it pretty gross.

MM: Well, if you think about it...it is kinda gross.

CS: Yeah. It is. But I love it.

MM: Me too. I listen to Metal so people gorging on meat products is just an album cover to me.

CS: And here we are eating balls and lambs tongue.

MM: So Metal.

Michelle doing what she does best...and locally too

MM: So do you have any advice for kids that may want to become a competitive eater?

CS: Um...don't! No, actually if you want to be in any kind of competitive sport, I suggest going into something that you can really fall back on. Think football or being a triathelete, because when you are training for these sports you will be taking in a ton of food calories. All that muscle build up and calorie burning will only make you a better eater down the line. Unless, of course, you're a force of nature like I am.

MM: It's true. Long gone are the days of tubby guys eating a pie or two. Ever since Kobayashi came around it's been little thin people taking the crown. It has to do with metabolism.

CS: It's sort of an art form isn't it?

MM: It is.

CS: And people always think that I am not a cheap date, like they have to order 12 steaks to fill me up. That's just not true. I love to eat just as much as the rest of us but I just happen to eat more because I am an athlete. A food athlete. Like we're sitting here eating these tacos, and they are delicious tacos, and I could easily eat more but at the same time I just want to enjoy the taste. When you are in competition, you don't taste the food. At all. In fact, you're just kind of drinking a lot of liquid to act as a sort of waterslide for the food you are taking in. Then your body just takes care of the rest.

MM: Before a competition do you eat any form of breakfast or anything?

CS: No. You don't need that. In fact that is just more food weight your stomach has to deal with. Like when I challenged this guy to eat the Navy SEAL burger at Trident he told me he ate a huge breakfast to stretch his stomach and he didn't even finish the thing. Really I just eat a lot of fruits and vegetables before a competition because it helps flush out all of the undigested stuff out of your system and you have more room to take in more food.

MM: I like fruits and vegetables.

CS: I seriously think you should try competitive eating.

MM: Well there is this 5 pound burrito challenge at this taqueria on 1st Avenue. I was always curious about doing that.

CS: You should! When?

MM: Probably when my wife is out of town and I have the next day free to just lay on the floor and wallow in regret.

CS: Well let me know when you want to do it and I'll be there.

MM: Do you want another taco?

CS: Absolutely.  

Tucson's champion eater! (nope, didn't take this pic either)

After about an hour or so of just talking about our weird food obsessions, why we love our bizarre hobbies and being proud to be living in Tucson, the first US city to be recognized as a gastronomy destination, it was time to pack it in and head back out.

This probably wont be the last time Michelle is going to be on the Tucson Homeskillet. If we do that burrito challenge, or anything else to keep Metal Mark from being "not slim", you know we'll dictate it all and throw it on the site.

But for now we were just glad to get to know this amazing woman, a true athlete in our eyes, and a kind heart for all she does in education and charity. That alone should be enough for all of the attention she has been getting lately.

That and the fact that she eventually took down the Lindy's OMFG burger in just over 2 minutes.

2 minutes.

It took Metal Mark almost 15 minutes to devour the OMFG's little brother, the Hooligan, and he did almost have a full reversal after. Almost.

Oh man. We have some training to do.

Thanks everyone for reading. And thank you Michelle for being a part of the Tucson Homeskillet. We'll let you know about that 5 lbs burrito thingy. But we may need a ride home after.

To the emergency ward.

Cheers!

Michelle is pumped up and ready for the next big food challenge

Camera, Typing and Some Uploads
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Late July 2016

Metal Influence:

SAILLE

"Eater of Worlds"