Martha’s Pick:

Las Gorditas | Tia Blanca
72nd and Dodge
Fare: Mexican | Argentinian
Cost: $22 for three items at Las Gorditas | $16 for three items at Tia Blanca
Reservations: They’re food trucks. So, nope!

Greetings, Eaters and Readers!

With August quickly disappearing, I picked Jaclyn up last week and said, “There’s a gathering of food trucks at 72^nd and Dodge – shall we investigate?” She said ‘heck yes’ and mentioned she always sees food trucks there and wondered if they were worth checking out. We then spent some time swapping social anxiety anecdotes and confessing how vulnerable it feels to stand in line for a food truck.

I’ll get to the window and they’ll be out of food.
I’ll get there and they’ll say, “Ew, not you, NEXT” like some Seinfeld soup-Nazi nightmare.
It’s a pretend food truck and the jokes on me and there’s a livestream somewhere like, “Look at this chump waiting in line for NOTHING.”
Or God forbid someone I know drives by and now they know I want to eat food.

Anyways.

Earlier in the day, one food truck in particular had caught my eye – Benny Bachi. The owner had posted in Omaha Food Lovers that he would be at the Petco at 72^nd/Dodge. Much to my sadness (but not to Jaclyn’s as Benny uses Cajun to describe their flavor profile) – the Benny Bachi truck was nowhere to be found. Luckily, as I previously noted, a number of trucks were spread out in the Petco parking lot.

We took a cruise by each truck to peek at the menu, see how many people were standing in each line, and make sure the food trucks were you know … real. Of the four trucks there, three were Mexican/South American and one was gluten-free focused. Jaclyn and I decided to each visit one truck and meet back in the car to eat and enjoy. We should have talked the plan out loud a little more – because one of us thought we were ordering to share and the other thought we were ordering for ourselves. So you’ll get Jaclyn’s thoughts on her truck/food and you’ll get my thoughts on my truck/food. And you’ll just have to trust each of us, okay? Or, better yet, go visit the trucks yourselves and tell us about your experience. For now – here’s our takes:

Las Gorditas Birria Gorditas ($6 each) — Slow-cooked beef in rich consommé.
Las Gorditas Carnitas Quesadilla ($10) — Not pictured (sorry about that!)

Stepping up to look at the menu – the first thing I realized was there were menu items I didn’t recognize (that screams authentic though, right?) and I didn’t want to be the obvious white girl Googling words. So I stuck with the words I DID know and tried my best to trill my Rs the way Mrs. Hoch taught me. I ordered two birria gorditas and a carnitas quesadilla. I’ll be honest – I did not know I was getting a gordita until my order was ready. The menu said Gorditas/Huaraches and if he asked me which one I wanted … I missed it. But man – was I pleased with the gordita.

Way better than any Taco Bell concoction you’re envisioning: this thing was fresh, flavorful, pocket sized, easy to eat, loaded with the delicious birria meat, with (not too much) cilantro and the right amount of creamy cheese. I want more of these in my future. And knowing I’ll pass by this truck anytime I visit Jaclyn? It’ll happen.

My quesadilla was also very hot and fresh – I had to tear the lid off and let it cool down while I worked on the gordita. I wish I had opted for my usual go-to – pollo. Nevertheless, this item had good flavor, moisture – and a generous serving size! Given that we were eating in my car and didn’t get or bring any utensils – this large (not really handheld-able) quesadilla was kind of hard to eat. And it was SO HOT (that’s a good thing usually!) that I could hardly stand to keep my fingers on it. Despite its quality, I think I’ll focus on the gorditas on my next few visits.

Top: Tia Blanca Ground Beef Pastelito ($3.99) — Ground beef in fried wheat flour turnover.
Bottom: Tia Blanca Medley Empanada ($4.99) — Shredded beef, plantains, black beans and cheese in a fried corn flour turnover

Jac walked up to Tia Blanca, an Argentinian truck. She didn’t spend much time looking at the menu — it was small enough not to be overwhelming and the first things her eyes landed on were what sounded best.

She enjoyed both of these little meat pockets. And like Martha’s, they were PIPING hot. The ground beef inside the pastelito was well seasoned (she wants it on a taco next time!). The dough seemed a little on the dry side for her liking, but she continued eating it anyway.

All the flavors in the medley empanada really, really complimented each other. She especially liked the bites with plantain, which added that bit of sweet in an otherwise savory meal. And she doesn’t know what cheese they used, but it stood out in the best way.

Jaclyn is delighted to know such deliciousness is but a mile down the street!

Tia Blanca Churros ($6.99) — Custard filled and cinnamon dusted served with chocolate sauce

These churros were pretty legit. They were still toasty warm by the time we ate them. Their texture was perfect: crunchy, chewy, cinnamon-y. Neither of us had the chocolate sauce, but the churros didn’t need it. The creamy custard was all the extra flavor we wanted! Since she no longer lives near her other favorite churros at The Churro Spot, Jaclyn is delighted to know that these are a hop, skip and jump away from her.

Final Bites

Both Jaclyn and I used this food truck adventure to convince ourselves to be brave in the future where food trucks are concerned. We didn’t get rejected and food trucks are real – and most often: they’re real good, too. From what we can tell, Omaha has a solid, burgeoning food truck community and our assessment is and they deserve your attention. Las Gorditas and Tia Blanca were no exception. If you’re looking for your next culinary discovery – keep an eye on the Petco parking lot on 72^nd and Dodge. Their food truck rotation offers something for every palette.

Cheers!
The Good Bite Gals

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