Vuelta a Tacos (on Bike) - Sat, Sept 20

In honor of Mexican Independence Day and to celebrate the final days of summer, Dimitra and I are excited to announce the third LTH bike & eat event for 2008, following close on the heels of the Giro del gelato and the Tour de France LTH-style. We are proposing a Vuelta a Tacos--a tour of Chicagoland's best tacos--on Saturday, September 20th. We were thinking a ride through Pilsen/Little Village, maybe up and west toward Cicero, throw in a GNR or two...

Please post suggestions for stops in this thread, and we'll post the final itinerary in early September. Let us know if you'd like to join us!

A brilliant plan. Pending bump level (we have a little one due about 12 days after that), we / I may join you at one or more spots via car. Here are some current personal favorites, but some are far off the path, so please cull for logistic feasability.

Birria Reyes (goat)
Nuevo Leon (picadillo)
Taqueria San Jose (Pueblo griddled al pastor / chorizo)
Tio Luis (carne asada)
El Barco Mariscos (fish)
Leon / Caliente (DF rotisserie pastor)
Cemitas Puebla (arabes / orientales)
Xni-Pec (cochinita pibil)

I am leaving off Frontera, Cuatro, Adobo, Sol de Mexico, and Fonda del Mar, which have excellent tacos but are less bike parking / group / in-and-out friendly.

I'll come back and add links to threads later in the day.

Thanks, Matt--an excellent start to our map!

Santander wrote:Birria Reyes (goat)
Nuevo Leon (picadillo)
Taqueria San Jose (Pueblo griddled al pastor / chorizo)
Tio Luis (carne asada)
El Barco Mariscos (fish)
Leon / Caliente (DF rotisserie pastor)
Cemitas Puebla (arabes / orientales)
Xni-Pec (cochinita pibil)

I'm guessing this will include Mexican Coke and not margaritas?

Oh, my. You rock!

I love this idea and I'd also be glad to join in on this one too (of course I'll be driving/El'ing). I've spent my whole life eating nothing but your basic beef tacos. Time to live a little. I'll ask Pie Dude if he wants to join, this sounds like it's right up his alley. But for now put me down for 1 + variable x.

The North Shore Century Ride is the next day - and I'm not sure I'm up for a Century this year. Thanks for giving me an excuse to skip it. See you there!

nr706 wrote:The North Shore Century Ride is the next day - and I'm not sure I'm up for a Century this year. Thanks for giving me an excuse to skip it. See you there!

Ha--I read just the start of your post and was going to offer to ride the Century with you if you joined the Vuelta the day after. I haven't ridden the North Shore Century in years. I can put off the century until next summer.

I've mapped Santander's suggestions in the 2008 LTH Vuelta a Tacos map. The suggestions fall in a nice loop. Cicero to Cragin/Hermosa is do-able, no?

Keep the suggestions coming.

I was sorry to miss the gelato ride and I think I'll be out of town for the tour de france ride but I ought to be able to do this one. Also I might tackle the metric century route on the North Shore ride the next day if anyone is still considering doing that. call me tentative at this point 'cause who knows what might happen before September but I'm putting this on my calendar.

JimTheBeerGuy wrote:I was sorry to miss the gelato ride and I think I'll be out of town for the tour de france ride but I ought to be able to do this one. Also I might tackle the metric century route on the North Shore ride the next day if anyone is still considering doing that. call me tentative at this point 'cause who knows what might happen before September but I'm putting this on my calendar.

Glad you can join us, tentatively! I'll do the metric century with you. Are you going to ride a road bike or something else?

I mostly ride my hybrid these days (it's more toward the road end of the spectrum than the mountain bike end--aluminum frame, rigid fork, etc.) but I might have my road bike fixed up by then.

JimTheBeerGuy wrote:I mostly ride my hybrid these days (it's more toward the road end of the spectrum than the mountain bike end--aluminum frame, rigid fork, etc.) but I might have my road bike fixed up by then.

I can ride my hybrid, too, which is what I'll use for the Tour de France. It has a nice aluminum frame, on the lighter end.

Well, maybe I'll go for the Metric Century if you guys will be there ...

I've registered for the Metric Century. Are there any GNRs near the route?

I'm pretty sure there aren't, but I'm not a fan of doing a lot of cycling on a full stomach, anyway.

What a beautiful map; please discuss and quash some of my suggestions, though, since I didn't intend to be a principal architect (I have not a practical pedaling bone in my body). I neglected to include the obvious La Pasaditas and the La Oaxaquenas since I assumed there would (and still will be) be public clamor in that direction. There are many other excellent places out there along the Pilsen and North Avenue routes - I also didn't include carnitas places, nopales, cabeza al vapor (steamed beef head), eyeballs, brain and tongue specialists, etc., although many of the spots I mentioned will have at least one of these on the menu. JeffB and Hammond would be great consults for offal tacos.

Santander wrote:I neglected to include the obvious La Pasadita and the La Oaxaquenas since I assumed there would (and still will be) be public clamor in that direction.

I've added both of those GNRs to the map. I've visited La Pasadita more than any of the other places, so I think I took that one for granted. I would be very happy, though, if it made the final Vuelta list. I'll let others chime in on offal tacos. I'd eat some (granted, which is true for just about anything), but I could live without them for the Vuleta.

I wouldn't eat them myself, but I'd like to watch

I would love to go! Plus one again... I just realized I can't make the tour de France... so this is exciting!

Tacos... Bikes... what's not to love. I'm definitely in.

I'd be up for the metric (or full) century too if there's a group going for that (I'd be on a road bike).

-Dan

If you want to take the vuelta a little further north, here's a place I'd recommend without hesitation.

Is it too late to add another?

I am still not sure about Tour de France, but don't want to miss this one!

germuska wrote:Is it too late to add another?

I am still not sure about Tour de France, but don't want to miss this one!

No way too late. There's still room in both rides.

(Participant list moved downthread, so that I only have to update one list.)

Sounds like fun, plus I can have more tacos since I'm on the motorbike:)

This is pretty far in advance so I'll have to confirm closer to the date, what with work and all.

Kennyz wrote:If you want to take the vuelta a little further north, here's a place I'd recommend without hesitation.

BTW, thanks, Kenny, for this suggestion. It sounds good to me. It *might* be too far north, but we'll try and work it in.

Octarine wrote:Sounds like fun, plus I can have more tacos since I'm on the motorbike:)

This is pretty far in advance so I'll have to confirm closer to the date, what with work and all.

It'd be great, Mike, if you can join us for tacos!

Looks like some folks are a couple of steps ahead of us with the Tour De Donut. I think that calorie positive cycling must be a global meme who's time has come.

-Dan

I'll be a tentative peddler.

I would very much like to sign up for the Vuelta a Tacos. Is it possible that fish tacos will be a part of the menu? Thanks, Ryan

velosophie wrote:I would very much like to sign up for the Vuelta a Tacos. Is it possible that fish tacos will be a part of the menu? Thanks, Ryan

Welcome velosophie! I'll add you to the Vuelta participant list. Fish tacos are certainly a possibility. Do you have a place in mind?

I would be interested in joining this one....depending on weather.
Thanks for this.