Guest Blog Post by James Michael Longton
Greetings Fellow Tacophiles!
I hope you are happy and eating tacos. I am living down in Mexico and can't always rush off to the nearest Taco Hotspot. But luckily I have friends who are willing to act as my taco spy.
My good friend James Longton, who lives in Hermosa Beach, alerted me to the opening of a new taco place that specializes in offbeat tacos including 3 varieties of breakfast tacos. The breakfast taco is something they really get into in Tejas (Texas) but not so much here.
These look worthy of a test drive. Even the Lox taco! Please see his review below.
When word got out that a new place had opened on the Hermosa Promenade called ‘Project Taco Gourmet Snack Shop,’ I was naturally intrigued.
Upon arrival, I was immediately taken by the eclectic diversity of their menu. With several interesting options available, I decided to start with something somewhat traditional, and ordered the chicken and avocado taco with pineapple habanero salsa.
Chicken Habanero Taco
After a couple bites, the first thing to grab my attention was the tortilla. “That’s a blend of white corn and whole wheat,” said owner and renowned local chef Nick Fontova.“It was important to me from the beginning to keep our tortillas healthy as well as tasty, and with these we don’t have to use any oil.”
I’m a big fan of Mexican cuisine, and it’s always fun to see what springs from the mind of a taco chef looking to think outside the box. So next I went with the Thai Peanut Chicken Taco. While it tends to be a favorite of mine, I’d never had Thai peanut in a tortilla.
Garnished with shredded carrot, cucumber, honey, and cilantro…it totally worked, with just enough of a spicy kick to be exciting without being overwhelming. The Blueberry Chicken Taco wasn't too sweet but rather tangy and had a nice crispy topping of a kale and apple coleslaw.
Blueberry BBQ Chicken Taco
“We’re having fun trying new things and seeing what people like,” continued Fontova. “For instance a lot of locals have taken to the Lox Taco,” he said as two young surfers were ordering another round. “We’re trying to create a lifestyle taco place and provide the community with some good healthy options. Something you could grab just before heading out to surf…”
They are also drawing a steady weekend crowd with the growing popularity of the breakfast taco, and still tending to the after hours clientele by keeping their doors open every night until 2am.
With tacos going for $3.50 to $4.00, their prices are reasonable, their ingredients are fresh, and the serving sizes are fair. Located at 34 Pier Ave., I found Project Taco to be well worth the visit.
It’s always good to see someone passionate about feeding the local folk.
www.projecttaco.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/project-taco-hermosa-beach
