10 minute read
BACK OF THE HOUSE
BACK OF THE HOUSE tacos moreno
Celebrating 40 years of Mexican comfort food
Advertisement
BY LAURA SUTHERLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS SCHMAUCH
Maria Moreno and the salsa that put her family taquería on the map.
Women’s boxing pioneer Carina Moreno with her parents Maria and Esteban in front of their Water Street restaurant
Everyone has a story about the place, like the Manhattan-based fan who said, “My parents think I come to Santa Cruz to visit them, but I really come home to eat at Tacos Moreno.”
Or when Austin Swift left for college in Montana and his mother overnighted him three Tacos Moreno al pastor burritos so he wouldn’t get homesick—one for him and one for each roommate. Swift ate all three in ten minutes.
Nicole Baran’s dad introduced her to Tacos Moreno when she visited her grandparents in Santa Cruz as a child, and now when she
swings through town on her way to and from meetings in Santa Cruz and Monterey, she stops by the Water Street restaurant and settles into a seat to eat four corn quesadillas pre-meeting and four more post-meeting. Lines go out the door, looking like a cross section of life in Santa Cruz—lawyers in power suits taking a break from a trial, construction workers in yellow vests, mothers with babies in strollers, hungry high school kids, farm workers, surfers and office workers. The line goes fast, with some people taking orders to go, but hardcore regulars, like Baran, say, “The salsa is so good—you need to sit down with the squeeze bottle in front of you and put a splash of salsa on every single bite.” Exactly what goes into the salsa is top secret, “but there are tomatillos and some of the peppers are grilled,” says founder/ patriarch Esteban Moreno. “We make 30 gallons at a time.” “We also use chile Japones in the salsa…and oregano,” adds his wife Maria, who has all the recipes in her head, which makes it easy to keep them private. Maria immigrated to the “Al pastor is definitely the most US at age 17 from a small village in Michoacán, where popular flavor. We marinate our her family always had a pork for a minimum of a day and home garden. She met Esteban in Watsonville, and then grill it. The secret is in after he took her to a taco truck for dinner a few times, the marinade.” she told him, “We could do this.” Esteban bought a food truck and they started serving Maria’s version of the food she learned to make in Mexico. “During the day we’d go park at Plantronics,” at that time one of the biggest employers in the county, says Esteban, “and then we’d go to downtown Watsonville at night.” In 1982 they moved to the restaurant on Water Street in Santa Cruz—so 2022 marks their 40th anniversary.
Ask a Tacos Moreno fanatic what to order and most will say, “Get the al pastor—it’s a religious experience.”
“Al pastor is definitely the most popular flavor,” agrees Esteban. “We marinate our pork for a minimum of a day and then grill it. The secret is in the marinade,” but like the salsa, he won’t give out many details.
Retired Santa Cruz cabinetmaker Bruce Larsen figures he’s eaten well over 2,500 al pastor burritos over the past 40 years—and that number is still climbing. “My shop was a few minutes’ drive from Tacos Moreno, and I’ll bet I’ve had at least one or two burritos every week since they opened. In addition to the world’s best salsa, the burritos are unusual in that they don’t contain rice, only meat, perfectly cooked pinto beans, fresh cabbage, finely chopped onions and tomatoes.”
The flawless texture of the pillowy firm beans is regularly praised by devotees. “We cook an entire bag, 50 pounds, of pinto beans at a time,” says Esteban.
Mother Denim • Aviator Nation Michael Stars • TYSA • Johnny Was Citizens of Humanity • AGOLDE Baggu • Frank&Eileen • Wilt Eileen Fisher • PJ Salvage
Locally Owned Since 1972
Santa Cruz • 831-423-3349 • 1224 Pacific Ave Capitola • 831-476-6109 • 504C Bay Ave
JULIA’S
VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
Always an Experience
Come for the mushrooms Stay for the community
Open Daily For Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
1180 Forest Avenue, Suite F Pacific Grove, CA 93950 (831) 656-9533 JuliasVeg.com
PROUD TO PARTNER WITH:
You asked for more shrooms, so we delivered!
Maria’s beans even helped their daughter Carina win five women’s world boxing championships in three different weight classes. “When I wanted to drop a weight class, I’d cut out meat and get my protein from my mother’s beans,” she laughs. Today Carina is a member of the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame and runs her own boxing gym in Watsonville, “but I still help my mother cook at the restaurant when she asks.
Maria’s mole is a full-day affair. It contains guajillo chiles, cumin, cloves—and, of course, more ingredients that she won’t reveal. If you want to taste it, order something with chicken to experience its spicy, earthy, complex flavors.
Every year Tacos Moreno closes down for three weeks in December and most people think that Maria and Esteban leave to visit family in Mexico, but it’s not the case. “The first week we strip down the restaurant and clean it from top to bottom. The second week we take a break or maybe a vacation. The third week we put the restaurant back together. Then we’re back to our regular schedule, working seven days a week,” says Maria.
Other family members have opened restaurants, like sons Esteban, who runs the 41st Avenue Tacos Moreno, and Uriel, who operates one in Capitola Village. De La Hacienda Taquería in Santa Cruz is operated by Maria’s sister and brother-in-law, who use many Tacos Moreno recipes. Plenty of family members work or have worked in Tacos Moreno over the years, and patriarch Esteban has a new food truck that is used for parties and special events.
When I asked Maria one last time what makes the salsa so extraordinary, nephew Steven Moreno happened to be passing by our table. He didn’t miss a beat when he shouted out, “Amor!” Santa Cruz native Dexter Simmons calls the salsa, “nectar of the gods” every time he liberally dowses a burrito with it. And yes—the salsa and everything it flavors are divinely delicious symbols of the kind of love that produces good food, a devoted fan club and a legacy that could easily last another 40 years.
The unpretentious taquería has won legions of local fans over the past four decades.
Tacos Moreno
1053 Water Street, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz-based writer Laura Sutherland covers culinary, craft beer, wine and family travel for numerous publications and websites. A packing light fanatic, she always keeps a pen and a fork (and a mini roll of duct tape) handy wherever she wanders. LauraSutherland.net, @WanderandTaste, @TalkBubblytoMe
For Organic Use • OMRI.org
Success Starts With Great Soil
G&B Organics Soils & Fertilizers are made from quality ingredients that build life in the soil for gardening success.
Available ONLY at Independent Garden Centers
Aptos Landscape Supply
5035 Freedom Blvd. Aptos, CA 95003 (831)688-6211 Drought Resistant Nursery
850 Park Ave. Monterey, CA 93940 (831)375-2120 Martins’ Irrigation
420 Olympia Ave. Seaside, CA 93955 (831)394-4106 Scarborough Gardens
Bokay Nursery
30 Hitchcock Road Salinas, CA 93908 (831)455-1868 Del Rey Oaks Gardens
899 Rosita Rd. Del Rey Oaks, CA 93940 (831)920-1231 Dig Gardens
420 Water St. Santa Cruz, Ca 95060 (831)466-3444 7765 Soquel Dr. #A Aptos, CA 95003 (831)688-7011 Far West Nursery
2669 Mattison Lane Santa Cruz, CA 95062 (831)476-8866 The Garden Company
10 W. Carmel Valley Rd. Carmel Valley, CA 93924 (831)659-2291 McShane’s Landscape Supply
115 Monterey Salinas Hwy Salinas, CA 93908 (831)455-1369 Mountain Feed & Farm
7945 Highway 9 Ben Lomond, CA 95005 (831)336-2212 San Lorenzo Garden Center
235 River St. Santa Cruz , CA 95060 (831)423-0223 33 El Pueblo Rd. Scotts Valley, CA 95066 (831)438-4106 Seaside Garden Center
1177 San Pablo Ave. Seaside, CA 93955 (831)393-0400 Sierra Azul NurseryGarden
2660 E. Lake Ave. Watsonville, CA 95076 (831)728-2532 Valley Hills Nursery
Mushroom Tacos al Mojo de Ajo with Chipotle Crema
Courtesy chef Antonio Vargas, Blue Zones Project—Monterey County
Throughout Monterey County, the Blue Zones Project works with local restaurants to add dishes like this one to their menus so diners have healthy choices. Blue Zones-inspired menu items are plant based, featuring vegetables and whole grains. They also include ingredients commonly used in the parts of the world where people live the longest, such as the limes, garlic, onions, avocados, mushrooms and olive oil featured in this recipe.
Chef Vargas’ vegan version of chipotle crema is made with tahini, or sesame seed paste, as the base. Sesame seeds and chiles are a traditional combination in Mexico, think salsa macha (a Veracruz salsa made with nuts, seeds, peppers and oil) and mole (made with nuts, seeds and dried peppers). The chef tames the natural bitterness of the tahini with the acidic lime juice and the smokiness from the chipotle to round out the flavors.
He explains that in Spanish mojo de ajo literally means moistened with garlic, and recommends getting fresh oyster mushrooms from Lake Family Forest Farms in Carmel Valley.
12 ounces oyster mushrooms Corn tortillas, for serving 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the chipotle crema ½ cup tahini ½ cup water 2 chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce Juice of 2 limes ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the mojo de ajo 4 cloves garlic, finely grated Juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce ¼ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon kosher salt For serving (optional) Sliced avocado, sliced radishes, thinly sliced white onion, cilantro leaves with tender stems and lime wedges
In a small blender make the chipotle crema by adding the tahini, water, chipotle peppers, lime juice and salt. Blend until smooth, set aside.
In a small bowl, make the mojo de ajo by mixing the garlic, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, cumin, paprika and salt.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat over medium-high. Once the oil is shimmering add the mushrooms. Press the mushrooms down flat with the back of a spatula to encourage browning. Flip the mushrooms once they have developed color, after about 1–2 minutes, and begin to spoon the mojo de ajo sauce over them. When the other side has also browned, flip again and add the rest of the mojo de ajo sauce, flipping back and forth in the sauce to fully coat the mushrooms and develop color.
Heat a separate pan over medium-high and warm the corn tortillas in a single layer, turning halfway through. Transfer to plates. Top the warm tortillas with the mushrooms al mojo de ajo and garnish with sliced avocado, radish, white onion and cilantro. Drizzle the tacos with chipotle crema and serve with lime wedges. Serves 3.
