from the *political animal* blog:
TACO TRIVIA....Back from lunch. I had tacos. Which reminds of
something. Last week I was re-reading Youngblood Hawke, Herman Wouk's
great midcentury ode to supply-side economics (moral of the story:
high marginal tax rates on labor income can kill you!) and came across
the following conversation. Jeanne is a Southern Californian
transplanted to New York City; Gus the attorney is a Kentuckian
transplanted to New York City:
Soon the lawyer sat in the living room in his shirtsleeves at
Jeanne's insistence, his tie off, eating tacos from a tray. He needed
a shave, and his hair was unkempt. Hawke noticed that the bristles on
his face were reddish rather than blond. He looked more tired than
Hawke had ever seen him, but the food and the beer brought him to
quickly. "Why, these things are marvellous! What do you call them,
Jeanne, tacos? I've never eaten anything like this. Delicious! Is
there a restaurant in town where I can order these?"
She said, pleased, "Well, if you can find a lowbrow enough Mexican
joint they'll probably have tacos, but I wouldn't endorse the
contents, Gus. Better ask me, when you feel like having them again.
They're easy to make."
Really? In New York City, circa 1952, tacos were so uncommon as to be
practically unknown? Who knew?
—Kevin Drum, August 22, 2007
more at:
<http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2007_08/011922.php>
(at the u.r.l. above you will find many geezer comments about where
they first encountered tacos in various parts of the country, some
current taco hotspots and trash talk about how cruddy the tacos are in
*your* town as opposed to mine. i thought some folks here might find
it of interest. drum, i believe, lives in orange county, ca. as they
say in mexico, bon appétit!)
your pal,
blake