Yes, I’ve lived in Lincoln Park for the last 30 years. I’m not saying they are a fad or a craze or anything like that, but they are definitely popular, and there is a subculture worthy of following. I don’t expect everyone to be following it. Food culture in Chicago is definitely like the Blind Men and the Elephant. You see what interests you.
Shrimp & Grits Taco—I like the sound of that!
I got off on the wrong foot with grits shortly after moving south many years ago. I ordered them as a breakfast side-dish at a greasy spoon and was completely underwhelmed by the experience. They were greasy, overcooked and quite bland in flavor. As a transplanted Yankee, I had no clue how to eat them. So I mixed the mush with grape jelly (it was a condiment on the table; I figured it was for the grits) and ate it with my eggs, bacon and cat-head biscuit. Blech!
Since that time I’ve seen Shrimp & Grits on many local eatery menus. But, due to my acquired gritsaphobia, I never ordered it.
…until just recently.
The Shrimp & Grits menu listing at Pussers Grille (now, there’s a restaurant name that piques your appetite, eh?) intrigued me a couple months ago. I said to myself (I do that sometimes…resperidone helps, but doesn’t cure), “what the hell, you’ve tried just about every thing else on this menu and liked it; surely, this can’t be too bad.” So, I ordered it. The waitress was flabbergasted I’d never eaten S&Gs before. She set the bowl before me with a flourish and said, *“you’re gonna love this!” *
After one mouthful, I felt like kicking myself.
Why on earth did I wait so many years before ordering this Southern food of the gods? Sweet jumbo shrimp, cheddar cheese, bacon!, cream sauce; what’s not to like about this dish! In fact, grits, properly prepared with good cheese, is pretty damned fine. It was one of the most enjoyable meals of my life. I had to fight off my table-mates with knife and fork to defend my meal. I could not imagine Shrimp & Grits prepared any better.
…until the following week, when I made the dish at home.
Now, I’m not one prone to bragging (…ok, maybe just a little), but after tasting my version of S&Gs, I was half expecting the Michelin folks to burst through the door and pin 3 stars on my chest.
I used thisrecipe as a template, with variation to make it my own. One thing I recommend if you make it yourself: not only pour chicken broth into the sauce, use it to boil the grits in, too.
Shrimp & Grits: a chickeny, cheddery, bacony, sausagy, shrimpy delight. Try it, you’ll like it.
I figure something that tastes that good in a bowl has got taste at least that good wrapped in a soft flour tortilla, with perhaps Japanese shrimp sauce to dip it in. Thanks for the idea, Monstro. I’m off to the market to buy some fresh shrimp.
You eat grits with bacon, sausage, butter, pepper, and cheese, not jelly.
But the most important function of grits is to help you sop up egg yolks. mmmmm.
You’ll know when fish tacos have jumped the shark when somebody starts offering “chum tacos”.
Oh, sure. Tacos are popular. They’ve just always seemed popular to me. Like I said above, the trends that I seem to notice are the BBQ ones and the craftbrewing ones. And even craft distillation. I mean, those joints have just exploded around here over the last 5 years or so and I can’t keep track of all of them. There also seems to have been an uptick in burgers after Kuma’s success. Just a bunch of new businesses opening up specifically for burgers. I don’t notice that with tacos. I just notice perhaps more interest in discovering the ethnic food that’s been here in the city for decades. And not just tacos.
One thing we’re seeing a lot of on The Left Coast, and this is especially true of Food Truck Faire, is fusion tacos. Particularly of the Mexican-Asian type. Tacos that blend Mexican ingredients with Korean (esp in LA), Chinese (more in SF) or even Filipino are showing up all over the place. And the same goes for burritos, too, of course. Given our large Hispanic and Asian populations, it’s a natural. And it’s great tasting, too!!
Try to find a hot dog in Seattle. You can get Japanese fusion hot dogs, Korean fusion hot dogs, ‘gourmet’ dogs of all kinds. But there were only two places near where our office used to be in Belltown where I could get an old-fashioned chili-cheese dog. One was at a bar on 2nd, and they were about convenience-store quality. The other was at Westlake Center, and was very good.
Not to worry. If hotdogs have gone extinct there, hipsters will be chowing them down in short order. 
Sort of like how hipsters drink PBR. 
I think tacos are just following as a mini version of The burrito/wrap explosion of the last 25 years as people realize those giant things often have 1200-1500 calories.
At least 27%, given that’s the population of TX, CA, and FL compared to the total US population. And I bet the percentage is even higher (I didn’t add the 9 million living in AZ and NM, ignored large cities such as Chicago, NYC, Denver, Atlanta, Minneapolis, DC, etc etc etc.)
I bet the percentage is greater than 50% of the country living in a “market that has hundreds of taco restaurants within driving distance”*.
*I am taking this number as a metaphor for “a lot” as there aren’t really many places that have “hundreds of <specialty food> restaurants within driving distance.” Not hamburgers, not pizzas, not sandwiches, etc.
I don’t understand the argument here—Because there’s no visible trend in Los Angeles, there’s no trend anywhere?
Even better-Shark tacos!
A taco place opened up in the little restaurant building at the edge of my Very White Suburban Ohio Town early this year. Previously the space had been a donut shop, an Italian place and BBQ place.
People here do love Mexican food. The owners of this new place used to be part owners of another full sized Mexican place that closed down when the developer sold the lot. The tiny new taco place is always busy and they have already expanded to go from like 8 tables to 20.
They actually don’t have any exciting tacos, no fusion. Just 3 or 4 meats, soft or hard, flour or corn, Mexican or American toppings.
If tacos are “big” here now they are indeed big all over 
How long has it been since I’ve had an Italian BBQ doughnut?
I once went to a donut and Chinese shop. They made donuts in the morning, and fried Chinese food in the afternoon. The donuts tasted like egg rolls.
Tito’s Tacos was (is?) like that. Always a line (or two). Good luck finding a place to park. Fortunately I’d more often than not ride my motorcycle. TBH, the tacos aren’t the Greatest In The World; but they’re very tasty. The shells are just the right combination of crunch and pliable. The chili (just beef and red sauce) is great for eating on its own, dipping chips in, or in their beef burrito. Good refried beans. I got into the habit of going up to Van Nuys to fly a helicopter on a weekend morning, and then going to Culver City to pick up two tacos and a cup of beans (and the chips, of course), and going back to my apartment across the street from Culver City to eat tacos and drink a beer.
Many, I miss those days!
Was there cinnamon in the Wonton Soup? 
There’s actually a place in the next town over that is donuts in the morning and Indian food in the evening no idea if there is any taste carry-over