Dining Out on the Taco Trail : Continued

1 . Each location must have a “ taqueria style ” menu board . Sit down restaurants with no menu board did not qualify .

2 . Crawlers eat one taco and drink one beer per location , using personal judgment or social pressure to moderate the beer consumption .

3 . Crawlers are encouraged to walk from spot to spot when possible , drive only when distance or safety is an issue , drink responsibly , and plan to use a designated driver if needed .

Besides the lessons , we learned about Justin and Andrea ’ s favorite tacos and local taquerias , and shared some laughs . Speaking of tacos , Deb and Karyn shared carnitas tacos with beans , Mike had an adobada taco ( marinated pork in a red sauce made with blended chiles , lime juice or vinegar , and spices ), and I had a beef taco dorado ( shredded beef , lettuce , cheese , and pico de gallo in crispy shell ). Andrea had pollo and asada street-style soft tacos with guacamole and pico de gallo , and Justin had a chimichanga the size of a bus ( a deep-fried beef , bean , and cheese burrito , crispy soft exterior flour tortilla , served topped with salsa , sour cream , and guacamole , with a side of Mexican rice ). The boys stayed true to tradition ; we all had a Modelo Especial to cleanse the palete . The food was incredible and received six thumbs up . Los Pericos has a full menu of lunch and dinner items , a kids menu , and traditional Mexican and American soft drinks and beers . Always great and worth the wait .

Loaded with intel and encouragement from the Gilroy Taco Crawl ’ s first couple , we said “ Adios y muchos gracias !” to our mentors , and headed back out on the trail .

Carne asada skewer and chorizo tacos at Tacos Del Guero

Night was upon us . Guided by the scant streetlights , the tallas-a-small-man downtown tree lights , and a few illuminated business signs , we headed south to Tacos Del Guero , located in the old Garcia ’ s Card Room at 40 Hornlein Court , off Monterey near 7th Street . Downtown was buzzing as we strolled past The Bartenders Union and Promised Land , and restaurants with people bustling in and out . At Tacos Del Guero , we had a few laughs with owner John Hernandez , spied on some carne asada getting sliced off the slab , and enjoyed some great tacos . I had been looking for a good chorizo street taco all day , and I found one here . Deb and Karyn also shared a chorizo taco , and Mike had a taco con pollo . Mike and the ladies shared a horchata ( a sweet cold drink made with rice , milk , vanilla , and cinnamon , served with ice ) and loved it . I paired my chorizo taco with a cold Modelo !

Next stop was Tacos Ameca on Tenth St . and Monterey . Crossing over to the West side of Monterey at 7th , we strolled past the thriving businesses between 7th and 8th streets on Monterey , including the Aloha Club , A1 Cuts , Alaska Ice Cream , other retail and apparel shops , hair stylists , tax preparers and notary services , a bustling Gilroy Valley Market grocery store , and ROM ’ s Auto Repair on 8th and Monterey . While most service-based businesses were closed , happy folks greeted us as they came and went into the open establishments as we strolled along .

Carne on the fire and Friday night fun at Tacos Ameca

Tacos Ameca was buzzing with a full barbeque grill loaded with meat , like they do most nights . A duo karaoke team entertained the outdoor diners , and happily sang most of the songs ! I tried to encourage Mike — who plays a mean guitar and loves music as much as I do — to go up and belt out a “ canto ,” but he was was too focused on the food and drink .

Everything at Tacos Ameca is outstanding . They load their plates with huge portions , do not skimp on the meat , add peppers , radishes , grilled onions , and a host of other goodies to make their tacos a full meal . They have a complete menu with ala carte items , combos and small plates . We ordered their most popular meat , Suadero — or brisket , for Mike and myself . Deb ordered cabeza , and Karyn ordered carnitas . Our tacos came with peppers and lime , and topped with cheese and avocado . Deb and Karyn shared a horchata , the hombres had Modelos . Nosotros estuvimos muy felices ! ( We were very happy !). We picked a great place to cap off the night .

We walked back up towards Fifth Street on Monterey Road from Tenth Street on a perfect night in Downtown Gilroy . Getting back to the car , still stuffed from a day of tacos , we realized that our plan had one fatal flaw — we were all in our Mini Cooper .

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