Hello Friends!
Hope you’re well.
I took an unintentional break from writing. Maybe it’s exhaustion. Maybe it’s realizing people actually read this newsletter and I got a bit nervous about writing because a few people told me they enjoyed it and related to it. I don’t know, maybe I was just doing too many pop-ups and wasn’t mentally available for writing.
Anyway, we have some new subscribers, thank you for signing up. And thank you all for not unsubscribing during this brief hiatus.
We recently had a little mention in the San Francisco Chronicle, Cesar Hernandez interviewed me, along with a few other food makers about using fresh nixtamal and making our own masa.
My incredibly talented friend Christian Reynoso, wrote a recipe for the SF Chronicle that is worth making: BLT Tostadas with Salsa Macha Mayo. We chatted about making tostadas, I gave him a few pointers, and he made these incredible tostadas.
A hamburger taco
I wanted to briefly talk about a dish we’ve been making lately: The Cheeseburger/Hamburger Taco. We did not invent this dish, it’s actually been in the culinary lexicon for quite some time. It’s a version of a ground beef taco, typically with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and a creamy mayo sauce. Not in a hardshell, that’s a different taco.
The first time I had a cheeseburger taco was in Mexico City, at a taco stall known for their tacos de hamburguesa, Tacos de Hamburguesa Don Toño. It’s a distinct memory. It was September 2015, I was my first trip to Mexico City and I was stumbling out Arena Mexico after an intoxicating lucha libre match. I use the word “intoxicating” because chelas were consumed and the energy of being in that arena was overwhelming and overstimulating. Walking a few blocks from the arena, to catch a cab at a slightly less crowded intersection, I saw the word “Hamburguesa” painted on an unassuming taco cart. Little did I know that this stall had been making hamburger tacos since 1990.
Sometimes, during travels, I get a little homesick. For me, the cure to homesickness is a hamburger. Sometimes, that means ordering a cheeseburger at a McDonalds in Paris. Sometimes, it’s ordering room service in Bangkok and requesting extra ketchup to cover up the mediocre patty and bun. But, that day, after yelling at the top of my lungs, investing all my energy into wrestlers I had never heard of, I was overwhelmed and CDMX was feeling extra foreign. The word “Hamburguesa” looked comforting and it was just what I needed.
This is the part of the story when I would describe a transcendent experience. Describe a life changing taco. A taco so delicious it made all other tacos seem like Chipotle. But, the taco de hamburguesa was just okay. The tortillas were plain and greasy. The patty was dry and overcooked, probably sitting at room temperature. The salsas were fine. It’s was a filling and fine taco. The radishes were limp and waterlogged.
Yet, the hamburger taco is emblematic of what I want to do with Bolita. It’s a culture clash. It’s my upbringing, my love of “American” food informed and molded by my Mexican-ness. It’s my craving for fast food held warmly, and tightly by a tortilla made with heirloom maíz. It’s confusing. But, it makes sense. Food that is ni de aquí ni de allá. Purgatory food, existing between cultures and between tastes. Food informed by memory.
But, it’s just a hamburger taco that tastes like In-N-Out or a Big Mac, but with grass-fed beef, organic produce, heirloom maíz, and a sauce made with too many ingredients.
Here are some dates and information on where to get your masa things. We’re doing less pop-ups this month, so no more hamburger tacos until August.
This may be too much to ask, but keep supporting us weekly. As we grow our team and continue to build this project, we really need consistent support. Even if its a jar of salsa macha for a friend visiting town, telling your friend to try some fresh masa, or just making tortillas regularly. We appreciate you and we want to keep getting better, but we need consistent support. Thank you!!
THURSDAY 7/13 - Mission Mercado, 84 Bartlett St., SF 3:00-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 7/13 - Pre-Order Pickup, 2701 8th St., Berkeley 5:30-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
SATURDAY 7/15 - Pre-Order Pickup, 2701 8th St., Berkeley 10:00am-1:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 7/20 - Mission Mercado, 84 Bartlett St., SF 3:00-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 7/20 - Pre-Order Pickup, 2701 8th St., Berkeley 5:30-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
SATURDAY 7/22 - Pre-Order Pickup, 2701 8th St., Berkeley 10:00am-1:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 7/27 - Mission Mercado, 84 Bartlett St., SF 3:00-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 7/27 - Pre-Order Pickup, 2701 8th St., Berkeley 5:30-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
SATURDAY 7/29 - Pre-Order Pickup, 2701 8th St., Berkeley 10:00am-1:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
SUNDAY 7/30 - Pop-Up at Stagiare Wine, 995 9th Street, Treasure Island, SF 2:00-6:00pm
Come By! Stay tuned for more details.
Thank you for supporting Bolita! We hope to see you soon and can’t wait to feed you!