Friday, August 22, 2008

Great Day: Tacos, Shopping, Morton's

Wednesday was a spectacular Stamford Talk day. The weather was beautiful, and no one acted psychotic while driving. I went to the gym, then to El Charrito taco truck for lunch. It was delicious and really fun to see who was lining up for tacos and other Mexican food. The owners, a married couple, are so friendly and dedicated to their business, as you know if you read the recent Advocate article about them. El Charrito is located right outside Beamer's Cafe. That location might seem odd--Beamer's is a strip club--, but local restos complain when the truck parks anywhere near them. Parking is easy, so drive on up East Main to Jackie Robinson Park and check it out. Only problem: there's just one bench in the park to sit on, so consider takeout.

After that, I went to the Stamford Mall to shop for the husband's birthday. I shopped so efficiently that I had time to try on clothes for myself. A stranger asked me for advice in the dressing room at Macy's. It was thrilling to be spoken to by a stranger- that's rare in Stamford but it makes life in the 'burbs so much more interesting. I also popped into the (insanely busy) Apple store and bought a new orange case for my iPhone.

I got a pretty but way too rich "Opera" cake at Beldotti Bakery on Newfield. I assumed it was chocolate, but it's more like a dry Tira Misu. I said "no" to a young, healthy-looking adult male in the parking lot who asked me for an "extra dollar for the bus." All I had were $20s, plus, stop walking around the parking lot asking for money, and start using your perfectly capable legs to hike to your destination!

We had dinner at Morton's for the husband's birthday. Food was the usual- good, but not exciting- steak and mashed potatoes and crab meat. I do think Morton's chopped salad is one of the best salads in Stamford. At 11 bucks, it's not a bad deal for a pricey place, and it has lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese, hearts of palm, eggs, and a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. I absolutely inhaled it.

Something else remarkable about Wednesday was that I saw, in my rearview mirror, a truck with a Confederate flag for its front license plate. What??? A Confederate flag in Stamford CT? I almost pulled over so I could motion for the driver to pull up beside me and ask what in God's name he was thinking what the connection was. However, I thought there was a good chance the person would be crazy, and my husband always warns me not to do reckless things like talk to strangers.

Whereas Wednesday was great for Stamford Talk, Thursday was a drag. I woke up way too early (3:30), and the nap I took later on in the day was one of those terrible ones you can't recover from. I had to skip two fun events I had planned that night, and my husband had to suffer with my grumpy, post-nap self. I went to bed at 10, and woke up at 3:58 am today. I usually only need 7 hours of sleep, but this is getting ridiculous.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's your take on the tacos? As a native Californian, I have a pretty extensive history with Taco Trucks. I only went to those guys once (when Casa Villa was still closed after the accident) and wasn't all that thrilled. I think part of the problem is that Casa Villa has some of the best al pastor tacos I've had..and believe me, I really have to swallow my West Coat Pride to say that.

–CP

patty said...

We're big fans of the taco truck, too. I've got to get over to Casa Villa, but rumor on chowhound is that it's uneven.

Hope Friday is better than Thursday, Talk!

Manager Mom said...

Aw. you missed the meetup? wonder if anyone went.

Anonymous said...

BOTH of you missed the meetup?

So did I - for the exact same reason as Kristine - an afternoon nap I could not recover from.

I actually managed to drag myself out of bed and drive to Monster B's, no parking and it seemed like a big turnout for the blogger meetup, but I decided I wasn't up for it and took a driving tour of New Canaan.

It seems like as soon as we got our big story in the Advocate we lost our blogging powers.

BTW here is my review of the taco truck:

http://www.stationstops.com/2008/05/30/el-charrito-taco-truck-review/

irenesbooks said...

I had noticed traffic was light the last couple of days. I guess it's late August family vacations before school starts.

OTOH, on Tuesday I went to the Verizon store on High Ridge to renew my contract and pick up a free cell phone. I had to wait only about 5 minutes before I got a salesman, but by the time I left, the store was packed with parents cum children.

Anonymous said...

"my husband always warns me not to do reckless things like talk to strangers...." Yet earlier, you said how you did talk to a stranger in the mall...so maybe you can't talk to TWO strangers?

Spike and Roxy said...

Bravo.

Food talk & reviews > The Trump Parc controversy.

Stamford Talk said...

I hear ya, Scott. Thanks for the reality check. :)

I liked what I got- it was the huarache (kind of like an open-faced taco) that was mentioned in the Advocate article. Good quality chicken, lettuce, nice salsa.

Oh, and the first stranger was a nice lady at Macy's, and the second was a guy in a truck with a Confederate flag. I chose to answer the first and not stop in the middle of the road to accost the second! Talking about strangers is all about judgment!

262mom said...

Mexican food in Stamford hmmm? In-ta-resting. I remain open-minded and will put it on my list for when I visit. Let me google "stamford marathons". You must pay a premium for fresh guac... mariska hargitay...

Anonymous said...

I am officially having my Mexican food brought in from New York City now. My wife brings home burritos from Chiptole on the train.

Y U M.