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Nick Bowman Features Editor | 770-718-3426 | life@gainesvilletimes.com
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gainesvilletimes.com
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Best tacos in the universe?
El Carreton
Taqueria
Where: 608
Atlanta Highway,
Gainesville
Contact: 770-535-
2665
Hours: 9 a.m. to
1 a.m. Monday-
Wednesday and
Sunday and 9 a.m.
to 3 a.m. Thursday-
Saturday
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Photos by KELSEY RICHARDSON I The Times
El Carreton Taqueria has run on Atlanta Highway in Gainesville since 1994. The menu features authentic Mexican tacos and tortas filled with fresh veggies and strong spices.
El Carreton Taqueria wows customers with out of this world flavors
KELSEY RICHARDSON
krichardson@
gainesvilletimes.com
While many Mexican restaurants
boast the best food in Gainesville,
only one labels itself in bold blue let
ters for having the “best tacos and
tortas in the universe.”
Being a lover of Mexican street
food, I decided to investigate El Car
reton Taqueria’s confident claims.
Gems can be found in all shapes
and sizes. For the case of El Car
reton Taqueria, this gem takes the
form of a little, pink trailer attached
to a brick shack at 608 Atlanta
Highway.
When I walked up to the res
taurant I hesitantly looked at the
menu, which is mostly in Spanish,
but was then greeted by a smiling
Ileem Alonso. After telling her that
I wanted to try the best tacos and
torta on the menu, she suggested
ordering a steak taco, al pastor taco
and the Mexicana torta.
Two tacos on the menu cost $3.95
and tortas range from $5.95 -$7.25.
I went with Alonso’s advice and
awaited the scents of cilantro, fresh
corn tortillas and onions.
In the meantime I took in my
surroundings and chatted with two
regulars, Alex Martinez and Alberto
Lare, who were chowing down at
the place’s outdoor table.
I walked up to them, pointed at
their tacos and said, “Are those the
best tacos in the universe?”
The two smiled and said they
drove 30 minutes from Habersham
County to El Carreton Taqueria.
“Many Mexican restaurants are
not really authentic, they’re Ameri
canized,” Martinez said. “This is as
authentic as it gets. ”
Lare, cousin of Martinez, said
they have traveled to the taco joint
since they were kids.
“It’s just a place where you can
kick back and hang with friends,”
he said.
Hearing my number being called
from Alonso broke the conversa
tion, and I rushed up the counter to
try what could be the Holy Grail of
Mexican food in Gainesville.
From an outward impression of
the tacos, the filling was generously
piled into the center of the torti
llas, catching my attention with the
vibrant color contrast of the onions
and cilantro. Before taking a bite
into my first taco, I made sure not to
forget bathing the ingredients with
lime juice.
While the flavor of both tacos
proved delicious, I found myself
favoring the al pastor over the
steak. I’m sure every day is differ
ent, but the al pastor was juicer and
spicier.
The next stop on my ride to fla-
vortown on flavorplanet — in fla-
vorgalaxy in the deepest reaches
of flavoruniverse — was the Mexi
cana torta.
Piled with chorizo, avocado, jala-
penos and queso bianco, the sand
wich thrilled my tastebuds with
savoriness and heat.
Out of all of the chorizo tortas I’ve
tried, this one takes the cake.
As the lunch rush kicked into full
gear, and people began flooding
into the restaurant’s tiny parking
lot, I couldn’t help but feel a part of
a secret.
I had just tasted the best tacos
and tortas in the universe.
Were they actually the best tacos
and tortas in the universe? Possibly,
or at least until we hear back from
one of the Voyagers. Did I enjoy the
food and the ambiance? Absolutely.
Above: Best
tacos in the
universe? El
Carreton Taqueria,
a roadside taco
and torta shop on
Atlanta Highway,
boasts just that,
including these
tacos al pastor,
left, and steak
tacos, pictured
Tuesday, Dec. 18.
Left: From left,
cousins Alberto
Lare and Alex
Martinez drove
30 minutes from
Habersham
County to eat
tacos at El
Carreton Taqueria
on Tuesday,
Dec. 18.
Cooking for Christmas? Stay healthy with these food safety tips
A large crowd to cook for, a big
bird to roast, and too many cooks
in the kitchen can lead to food-
borne illness from holiday dining.
But handling and cooking a turkey
should not be an illness waiting to
happen.
Following basic recommenda
tions will help ensure safe food and
prevent foodborne illness for din
ers — not only during the holidays,
but year-round.
First, be sure to keep everything
clean! That includes your hands
and kitchen surfaces while you
are preparing holiday meals.
Wash hands and kitchen surfaces
often with hot soapy water. Also
wash cutting boards, dishes, and
utensils after preparing each food
item and before you start another
food item. Use paper toweling
for cleaning up kitchen surfaces.
Keep sponges out of the kitchen;
CARIN BOOTH
boothc@uga.edu
they are not food safe!
Next, always separate raw and
ready-to-eat foods. Cross-contam
ination is the scientific word for
how bacteria can be spread from
one food product to another. This
process begins at the grocery store
and continues to carry home bags
and your refrigerator. Use one cut
ting board for raw meat, poultry
and seafood and another cutting
board for ready-to-eat foods.
Never place cooked food on a plate
that previously held raw meat and
poultry unless the plate has been
thoroughly cleaned.
Cook food to the proper tem
perature. Use a food thermometer
to make sure meat and poultry
are cooked to a proper tempera
ture and keep a cooking internal
temperature chart handy. Whole
chicken and turkey should be
cooked to an internal temperature
of 165 degrees to be safe. Use a
calibrated food thermometer to
check the turkey. For reasons
of personal preference, it is still
best to cook turkey to higher tem
peratures such as 180 degrees to
remove pink appearance and rub
bery texture. Thoroughly reheat
leftovers to 165 degrees internal
temperature and be sure to bring
gravies, sauces and soups to a roll
ing boil.
Finally, chill everything
promptly! Refrigerate or freeze
leftovers within two hours by plac
ing them in shallow containers to
cool rapidly. Keep the refrigera
tor temperature at 40 degrees or
below and the freezer at zero
degrees. Monitor the temperature
with an appliance thermometer.
Always thaw food in the refrigera
tor, in a cold-water bath or in the
microwave, and marinate foods in
the refrigerator.
If you decide to serve foods
on a buffet line, maintaining the
proper temperature of foods is
crucial to food safety success.
Hot foods should be held at 140
degrees or above and cold foods
should be at 40 degrees or below.
The range of temperatures
between 40 degrees and 140
degrees is known as the “danger
zone” and is where harmful food-
borne bacteria grow most rapidly.
To keep foods hot, serve them
in chafing dishes, slow cookers, or
on the stove top. Cold foods can be
kept at safe temperatures by nest
ing their containers in bowls of ice.
If it is not possible to use these hot
or cold holding methods, serve the
food on small platters that will be
replaced frequently. Never mix
old food with new. Be sure to check
the internal temperature of the
food often with a calibrated food
thermometer. If the food stays in
the danger zone for more than two
hours, it should be discarded.
Carin Booth is the family and
consumer sciences agent at the
University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension Office in Hall County. She
can be reached at 770-535-8293 or
boothc@uga.edu. Her column runs
monthly.
