Two years ago, I spent the spring and summer in another country. I played golf and became a regular at the world's best golf pub. It was, at times, something like heaven.
But I still missed home, which is to say I missed Texas and Mexican food.
So I had much sympathy for my friend Wade Mackey as he leaned over a plate of Taqueria El Crucero's enchiladas potosinas (Reader's note: these were not enchiladas in the usual sense, but rather five taco-like enchiladas stuffed with a chorizo and potato mix that's sauteed and served with queso fresco, tomato, jalapeños and lettuce). In a few days, Mackey will head for Lincoln, Nebraska, where he will pitch for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association Baseball League this spring and summer.
I'm sure Mackey will miss his friends and family in Texas, but you can email or Tweet or Skype with your friends and family. You can't email a burrito. I suppose you could overnite a burrito. But would it be the same when it arrived? I sense a blog coming this summer.
A year ago, shortly after we launched WacoFork, Mackey promoted El Crucero to us as one of Waco's hidden gem Mexican joints. Now El Crucero is one of our most loyal partners and my favorite place in town to chow down on a burrito. While Mackey worked through his enchiladas potosinas, I tackled an Oso burrito with gusto.
My friend Tye Barrett chose a breakfast burrito covered with green sauce to resemble an Oso burrito. It made me envious and regretful, but only for a second until I remembered I had more than half of a delicious burrito of my own left on my plate. In all, five of us gathered for breakfast, choosing five different entrees and all of us walked away with satisfied smiles That's a pretty impressive statement to make about any restaurant.
I don't know the status of Mexican food in Lincoln, Nebraska. I can't imagine it measures up, but I hope for Mackey's sake that he can find something to placate him. He must have a better chance than I did in St Andrews, Scotland. I still kind of want to open up a taco stand in that wonderful town. Between golfers and university students, I think I could kill it.
So if the WacoFork blog suddenly goes very quite, you'll know why.
