Pica Taco - Columbia Heights 2/1/2011

Pica Taco
1406 Florida Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009

Pica Taco is a small taqueria tucked away on Florida Avenue, just a hop, skip, and drunken stumble away from the gentrification creep on 14th Street. The majority of the new development (the lux condos, the organic YES market, Busboys, etc.) is located on the eastern side of 14th while the western side contains the remains of what was once a skid row: dilapidated storefronts, carryouts, a food pantry, and of course, further down 14th near U, that monument to Marion Berry's Ozymadian ego, the DC Municipal Building. Pica Taco seems as if it sits squarely within this latter milieu, but considering the quality of the food inside, I feel it can certainly survive the wave of gentrification that's crashing upon the neighborhood.

The building is small, unassuming, and seems to be a former garage or carriage house. But for the small backlit sign and awning, it would be easy to miss. Primarily geared as a carryout, there are several small tables inside where you can sit down. After ordering, you can watch the kitchen staff prepare your food in the open kitchen and then watch as they bring it back to the counter, dress your dish with various sauces and toppings, and then place it in the pass for you to pick up. The friendly lady at the counter helpfully asked whether I wanted hot sauce, and after saying yes, she gave me a squeeze-bottle containing salsa verde (a spicy tomatillo sauce) that was clearly made in-house.

I ordered three tacos: a lengua (beef tongue), a barbacoa (braised, shredded beef), and a pastor (a shredded pork dish with spicy seasoning), wrapped in corn tortillas. Each was moist, tender, and flavorful. The barbacoa stole the show with its deep, savory, beefy flavor that only a well executed braise can pull off. While the lengua and pastor were both good, they tasted a little innocuous...not bland, but not quite as identifiably "porky" or "offalish" as I would like. But, they were still tasty and some might appreciate that they aren't too gamy in flavor. I was also slightly annoyed that I was given lemon, rather than lime, but that is just picking nits. I mainly used the salsa verde, anyway, which I actually wished was a little spicier and tangier, but it was still good and acted as a nice accompaniment to the tacos.

These reasonably priced tacos (about $2.25 each) are about as well prepared as any I have had in the DMV. Go. Now.

Super Tacos & Bakery - Adams Morgan 1/30/2011

Super Tacos & Bakery
1762 Columbia Road NW
Washington, DC 20009

Super Tacos & Bakery is across the street from the so-called "Spanish Safeway" located on Columbia Road. It is near several Hispanic grocery stores, a Peruvian chicken restaurant, and several other shops that appear to cater to a Hispanic clientele.

Inside, the store is bare bones with an exposed kitchen behind the counter where you order. The place is clearly meant to be a carryout, though there are some stools and another countertop where one can eat in.

The menu, which is posted on several large green signs that run across the perimeter of the entire store, has a large selection. Tortas, enchiladas, burritos, and many other Mexican staples were available, including selected dishes such as the "Gringo burrito," which is apparently the chicken burrito. It was quite entertaining to watch this one kid, fresh out of college and rocking an L.L. Bean fleece vest, stumble into the restaurant with his girlfriend, look at the menu slightly bewildered, and then guilelessly order, in a voice that sounded like it just started cracking last week, for a "gringo burrito" without the faintest hint of irony.

I ordered three tacos: the lengua, the carnitas, and the pastor. The lengua (beef tongue) taco was excellent. It was slightly gamy, but extremely tender and moist. The carnitas and the pastor (both shredded pork) were both less exciting. I found the texture to the carnitas to be a little mealy and mushy, and the flavor a little bland. The pastor had some chili seasoning on it to make it a little more flavorful, but it had the same textural issues as the carnitas. The tacos were also enormous...three were way too much for me (and I am 240 lbs. and 6'6"), and next time I will stick to two or fewer. Because of their size, the tacos were also a bit more expensive than other taco stores in DC (about $3 each).

There was a also a salsa bar that had a salsa roja, a salsa verde, and a pico de gallo. All three were fantastic. The salsa roja had an earthy, smoky spiciness while the salsa verde was all bright, tangy freshness. The pico de gallo was also incredibly fresh and flavorful. The tomatoes were ripe, which, considering the time of year, meant they were either from a greenhouse or Peru (or perhaps both), but it is a sign that the proprietors make an effort to get good product for their restaurant.

All in all, I thought it was a solid experience. The woman at the counter was incredibly sweet and the service alone made me want to patronize this store again. Next time, I'll try the tortas.