Thursday, August 11, 2011
Most of the Mexican street food you find around Tucson is Sonoran-style, says Hebert Perez, who is from Mexico City. He says he’s trying to represent his hometown flavor, while giving roadside diners as close to a gourmet experience as he can summon out of his tiny food trailer.
Here is how Perez treated me today. First he asked me if I wanted a hot dog or something more specific to Mexico City. After talking about the food for a bit, he told me to sit down and said he would be out in a moment with a fajita plate that was “not commercial, you know, authentic Mexico City food.”
He arrived a short time later with a plate of tender steak, ham, bacon, bell peppers, cheese and onions, all of which was topped with sprigs of fresh cilantro. Accompanying it was a flour tortilla and a small dish of plum-habanero salsa. He left, and came back a moment later with a tiny Serrano pepper stuffed with bacon and cheese.
"This fajita dish is called alambre, it's very authentic Mexico City food,” explains Perez. “I try to stay close to that, but I also want to give people gourmet food, something that they can really enjoy without having to go to a restaurant, you know?”
All of the ingredients were fresh and crisp, and the flavors played a delicious game of Twister with my tongue. One wonders what Perez will be up to next. I will definitely be back to find out.
Perez also serves hot dogs, but they are topped with mango relish and poblano-garlic-cilantro aioli and served with delicious hand-cut French fries. His green-chile hamburgers served on specially made buns and accompanied by a Bordelaise dipping sauce are expected to be available next week when the full menu is finalized.
The hours are a little iffy right now, but he opens around 11 a.m. every day. You can follow the truck on Facebook over here.
Tags: The Food Truck Diaries , Mexico City Kitchen , gourmet street food , Hebert Perez , food truck diaries , tucson food trucks