August | 2012 | The Taco Trail

Monthly Archives: August 2012

by Taco Trail Jose | August 7, 2012 · 8:45 am

Taquería Melis

Having fulfilled Mrs. Ralat’s wish to visit the new, jammed Trader Joe’s in Fort Worth, it was my turn for some wish fulfillment. That’s how we ended up at Taquería Melis, a taco joint carved out of a wood-and-corrugated house overlooking the Union Pacific Davidson rail yard and no indoor seating.

From the funhouse-leveled porch could be heard a telenovelas’ typical shouts and pleas. Two picnic tables were sheltered under corrugated metal. A third was near the Vickery Boulevard sidewalk. A stenciled menu on a wide wall and one next to the sliding-glass counter window made me confident we wouldn’t be leaving Taquería Melis hungry. (Hunger isn’t an option when a breakfast burrito is on offer.)

Leaving satisfied was another matter. Continue reading →

El Padrino Ordered to Vacate, Hopes to Remain in Bishop Arts

If you’ve developed a taste for the tacos at El Padrino Mexican Grill’s satellite stand, you should know they’ve fallen victim to development. In my Friday, Aug. 3, Dallas Voice profile of restaurant designer and Taco Republic owner Ron Guest, I reported that spot in the Bishop Arts District had received a three-month order to vacate the premises. It’s due to become part of Oak Cliff Mercantile, a dual concept from Sarah Lombardi, daughter of restaurateur Alberto Lombardi. The new tenant will use the eponymous building as its nucleus. The kiosk will anchor a beer garden.

“No one saw this coming,” says Juan Contreras, managing partner of El Padrino’s stand and the 22-year-old full-service original on Jefferson Boulevard—which is not closing. However, Contreras adds, it makes sense. The lease was altered to a month-to-month agreement 10 years ago. Now, it’s a matter of finding another Bishop Arts space. Continue reading →