"The Ketchup Song"

Like Zukofsky, only catchier. (Yes, I know they're not Mexican.)

Bad start to my food week. My foil-baked snapper turned out bland, while my attempt at the whole roasted garlic that looks so appetising at the Cheese Board (though I've never had it) was barely edible. And today I went to La Burrita, a place I've avoided for a while and hope to avoid in the future. Their veggie tostada was the worst meal I've had since, well, the concentrated tomato soup I had on Sunday. (No, there's no excuse.) To make things worse, Hurricane Higgins forced his remaining chips on me, as his contribution to my Weight Gain Project -- long story, another time.

Why is there no really good Mexican food in Berkeley? I don't mean authentic (and what does that mean anyway etc. etc.), I just want all the bits that go into a taco to be tasty, like at Tacos Moreno in Santa Cruz. Admittedly, Berkeley has plenty of reasonably good places. My fave is Mario's La Fiesta on Telegraph, but you have to know what to order (the MENUDO~! , the huge burritos) and what not to order (enchiladas, tacos). As you recall, the tamale I had at Tacubaya was promising but overpriced, and that goes double for everything I've had at Picante. On my block, Gordo's and La Cascada are good efforts, though not good enough to displace House of Curries as my can't-be-bothered-cooking joint. But they kill La Burrita, which somehow won the Daily Cal's Best of Berkeley award (I don't have many good things to say about Cancun, the runner-up, but it would be a zillion times more deserving), proving once again that students have no taste.

Apparently Mexican food is much better in Boulder. And that's just wrong. Oh well, at least this weekend I'll finally hopefully get to make my taco trek to the Mission. That's provided the UCPD don't nab me tomorrow for having molasses poured on me.

Coming: Clearing out my fridge in anticipation of my arrest and deportation.