Canciónes

Live: Mariachi Band
El Taco Mexicano Restaurant,
La Mirada, Orange County, California

Forget everything I said about there not being an omnipotent creator. It’s obvious to me now that there must be a god. Otherwise how do you explain the existence of Mexican food?

For my friend Ethel and I, a Mexican combinación is about as close to a spiritual experience as we are going to get, and tonight we had a religious conversion at La Mirada’s excellent El Taco Mexicano restaurant.

Ok, maybe they got yer hi-tech burritos and yer designer tacos in San Francisco, but you gots ta get yer butt down to Southern Cali for the real deal, dude.

I was immediately envious when Ethel ordered the carnitas with rice and beans. But then I plumped for the one-two killer punch of chili relleno and tamales washed down with a margarita or two. (OK, you got me. I actually put away four of them suckers.)

Carnitas, Chili Relleno, Tamales. Does life get any better than this?

And if Mexican food is miraculous, what about the music? I discovered to my delight that on Friday nights El Taco Mexicano features an excellent mariachi band, and they serenaded fellow diners and ourselves with a heartwarming selection of romantic canciónes. They played beautifully, and in their silver studded charro outfits they were a dashing sight.

Not only that, they were an amiable bunch of fellows who blushed humbly when I expressed appreciation for their musicianship and continuance of a valuable Mexican tradition. We left El Taco Mexicano with mariachi ringing in our ears, stuffed silly and utterly intoxicated by a heady brew of Mexican delights.

Watch: Marvelous Mariachi