The Taco Truck: Mexican meals on wheels

By Peter J. Genovese
January 14, 2010, 4:25PM
The Star-Ledger





Even with a vendor permit, owner Jason Scott stiil feeds the parking meter outside The Taco Truck on Frank Sinatra Drive across from Pier A Park in Hoboken.

The Taco Truck

Hudson and York streets, Jersey City, or Sinatra Drive and First Street, Hoboken, (201) 577-4214. Location varies; check website each day. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays. www.thetacotruck.com

If it?s Tuesday, the Taco Truck must be in Hoboken. Unless founder/chief executive officer Jason Scott or chief operating officer Chris Viola learn, as they did earlier this week, that other trucks are operating at Exchange Place in Jersey City, and then the Taco Truck dashes to Jersey City.
When did lunch trucks go guerilla? And when did they acquire CEOs and COOs?

The Taco Truck opened for business in Jersey City in late September, but recently it and other trucks at Exchange Place were told by policemen to move after complaints from nearby storefront restaurants. So for the time being, the truck is more or less stationed in Hoboken. But those who follow the taco-mobile on Twitter and Facebook ? where else? ? can find out where it will be parked from day to day.

You think running a lunch truck is simply a matter of buying a truck and serving food? Scott and Viola take turns getting up at 6 a.m. to claim a parking spot in Hoboken ? and having a ton of coins on hand for the meter. The truck is a former cookie delivery truck last seen in Missouri; it cost $80,000 to outfit.

Scott, a 29-year-old Hoboken resident, had no restaurant experience, so he enlisted Roberto Santiba?ez ? who had done stints as a restaurateur, author, consultant and teacher in Mexico, Europe and the U.S. ? to be the Taco Truck?s "culinary partner." Santiba?ez is a Mexico City native, so if the truck?s tacos and tortas don?t seem authentic to you, good luck finding the real thing. The truck?s day-to-day cook is Paris Retana, a Culinary Institute of America grad whom Scott calls the "taco guru."

I brought back a shopping bag full of tacos, tortas and soup to the office, and it was dispatched quicker than you can say "sour cream." Which is one item you won?t find, thank goodness, at the Taco Truck. Burritos? Look elsewhere.
The Capital Chicken and Rice Soup ($4 small, $5 large) is a winning combination of diced chicken, rice, garbanzos, zucchini, carrots, cilantro, lime and chipotle. Get it spicy; it?ll jump-start your day.

A must-try is the barbacoa de costilla (braised shredded short ribs), available as either a taco or torta (a Mexican sandwich, here with white onions, picked jalape?os, avocado, crema and black bean spread).

The hongos tacos (mixed mushrooms, cured poblano peppers and onions, $4 for two) are a good vegetarian option. All taco orders include two tacos in soft corn tortillas with your choice of red, green, chipotle or habanero salsa.
All three tortas sampled were first-rate: the barbacoa de costilla ($6.50), the carnitas (slow-braised sweet pork with cilantro, $6) and the queso fresco (fresh cheese) with fresh tomatillo salsa ($6).

The Oaxaca frijoles negros (black beans cooked with avocado leaves and chiles and served with queso fresco, $2.50) are a tummy-pleasing treat, and the platanos fritos (fried sweet plantains with crema and sugar, $2.50) are simply irresistible.

PHOTO BY STEVE HOCKSTEIN/FORTHE STAR-LEDGERLa Unica salad (mixed greens, pasilla peppers, queso fresco, grape tomatoes, toasted pumpkin seeds and crispy tortillas with a pineapple olive vinaigrette, $6) is also recommended.
I didn?t care for the pescado (fish taco with Mexican slaw, pico de gallo, chipotle salsa and Mexican tartar sauce, $4.50). The fish looked, and tasted, like the marine version of chicken nuggets.

The Taco Truck?s CEO is thinking big ? a storefront restaurant, also called the Taco Truck, is scheduled to open in Hoboken this spring. Scott also hopes to add another truck to handle warm-weather and catered events, and go the franchise route.

Right now, though, he is focusing his attention on his one truck, which these days can be found in Hoboken. Unless, of course, it?s in Jersey City.

Where should Pete eat next? Call him at (973) 392-1765 or e-mail pgenovese@starledger.com.