Del--icious?

Another taco place is opening up near me and suddenly it's 1979 again.

Taco Bell was a mostly unexplored food experience for me and my friends when word got out that they were constructing one on Merriman Road in Livonia, just north of Plymouth Road. We'd been, but always via car, somewhere else, and on precious few occasions.

But this new one would be only a nice, worth-it bike's ride away from our houses.

So it opens, and if we didn't go on the first day, it was pretty darn close to it.

My friends were amazed at how much Taco Bell I could consume.

Kind of like today, when my wife and daughter are amazed at how much Taco Bell I can consume. Still.

It's a great bang-for-the-buck, really. You gotta love any fast food place anymore that has items on its menu for under a dollar.

We wore out that new Taco Bell for a period of time, enamored with its newness and novelty status. And I typically ordered the most food. Back then, I could probably gorge myself for about three or four bucks.

So now it's 30 years later, roughly, and I have that same excitement coursing through my veins and pulmonary system.

Del Taco is here! Del Taco is here!

They just opened it, at 12 Mile and Dequindre, in front of the revamped Universal Shopping Center. The new Target is open now, too.

My wife and I first experienced Del Taco a couple years ago, happening upon it by accident because we were a little off the beaten path in a portion of Warren we rarely visited, searching for a particular type of dog food.

In front of the strip mall where we found the pooch's food, there was a Del Taco.

We took a flyer on it.

Pretty yummy.



Our daughter asked us yesterday, "Why was it so good?"

We can't remember!

But we DO know that we liked it, and we're eager to try it again, to see what all our fuss was about.

That's what getting older can do to you---it enables you to enjoy things for the first time, twice!

We're also excited about word that a new Sonic Drive-In will be opening near Oakland Mall soon. Those TV commercials have been driving us crazy for years. Everything looks so good. There's a Sonic on Groesbeck, I believe, but we passed it by when it wasn't convenient to check out.

You might get the impression that food rules our lives---beyond just that you need it to survive.

Well, my wife is half-Polish, half-Italian. And I have the appetite of a lion. So yeah, food is a big deal, at least to me. The ladies in my life appreciate it, too---if only because they're often bemused and amused by my attraction and reaction to it.

That's why something silly like a new Del Taco opening up gets me going.

I'll report back with my review of the place.

I can't wait to find out why we liked it so much.

Comments

  1. Hi Greg,

    I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and I have been reading your "Pearls of Wisdom" each day!

    With regard to Del Taco, in a desparate move to fend off the overwheliming starvation that I felt about a year ago, I stopped at the Del Taco on Gratiot near the Macomb Mall. In short, it was absolutely DELICIOUS!! And, yes, I now stop at a Del Taco every chance that I get a chance to do so!

    The portions are significant and the prices are moderate. I could eat there every single day and not be sorry for the experience.

    HOWEVER, I have a few Hispanic friends who chastise me each time that I eat at Del Taco or even mention the restaurant in conversation. Their view is that the name does not make sense in Spanish ("Of the Taco" or "From the Taco") and that the food is about as far away from real Mexican food as is White Castle.

    I would agree on both counts, but, WOW, the food is DELICIOUS (Oops, did I already mention that?)!!

    There is another locale On Telegraph and Ford, but we also need one Downriver!! Long live DEL TACO!!

    Keep up your terrific writing!

    PWR

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the compliment, and the readership! Usually it's the negative comments that get posted anonymously! :-)

    Thanks for sharing your Del Taco experience. Just got back from there, as a matter of fact

    ReplyDelete
  3. And ........ how was your Del Taco experience?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm tempted not to tell you until you reveal your identity!! LOL

    It was scrumptious; I like how the taco shells break up easily when you bite into them. Plus, their hot sauce is sufficiently hot!

    I ordered two "Macho Tacos" and they filled me up nicely.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh yes, the Macho Tacos are among their best offerings! Of course, I don't think that they have any bad offerings!

    Yes, real Spanish food or not, Del Taco is outstanding and highly fulfilling at all times of the day or night. I've had it for lunch, after church (sort of breakfast, lunch and part of dinner at the same time), and late at night -always delicious!

    One thing that I don't understand - why do they serve French Fries with their meals? Weird but great!

    By the way, I can reveal my identity to you in private, but I can't go public. Is there a way to reach you privately?

    PWR

    ReplyDelete

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