As long as we were in the neighborhood…

We just finished our final (last daughter graduating elementary school) all school campout at El Capitan Canyon after 10 years of roughing it year after year.  That is, if you consider sleeping in cabins and having catered meals in the great outdoors roughing it!  So naturally the first thing my 10 year old asks as we are packing up the car is “Are we going to La Super Rica on the way home?”.  We haven’t passed it by ever since my dad turned us onto it about 8 years ago…

Isidoro Gonzales has greeted patrons with a smile ever since he opened this taqueria in 1980 and we are always happy to see him on the way home.  He gained instant credibility when Julia Child mentioned that it was her favorite mexican food restaurant and there’s been a line ever since.  You won’t see a big sign out front letting you know you’ve arrived.  Just look for the green awning and the line of people and you will know you’re there. 622 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara, CA; 805-963-4940

Isidoro Gonzales at the helm

I tend to order off the daily special menu, which today was shredded beef tacos with avocado cream sauce. It was a tough decision as he had the tamal verdura on the menu today which is a vegetarian tamale with a tasty cream sauce over the top.  My husband, Michael tends to order the house special, the #16- a roasted pasilla chile stuffed with cheese and marinated pork served over two freshly made corn tortillas.  I should also mention that is is no sit down affair, you order at one window with Isidoro and pick up at the other window with his son. Once the food arrives you will be sitting on plastic chairs at a too small table under the awning outdoors and getting your own salsa in plastic cups by the take-out window.

Once we were seated, we realized that there were quite a few other “campers” who had the same idea.  What a perfect way to end a great weekend and the end of an era for us…