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José R. Ralat 🌶️

@tacotrail.bsky.social

3.8K followers 280 following 270 posts

Family man. Taco editor, Texas Monthly. Author, American Tacos. 2x James Beard Award winner. Taco Chronicles 3. Panzón. Highly opinionated. Opinions mine.

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Oct 25

The weekend is almost here & so is your tacoing itinerary.

The 50 Best Tacos in Texas

We traversed the state from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle to find the most superb tacos and taquerias. Along the way we found a new movement. Welcome to New Tejano.

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · 7d

Best State Fair of Texas tacos—ever. They also have a surprising history behind them. Read my latest for @texasmonthly.bsky.social.

These Tacos Are the Best Thing I’ve Ever Eaten at the State Fair of Texas

Yes, they’re deep-fried. But that’s not the most important part.

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · 13d

Do you know how to eat a tostada siberia? Permit me to help if you don’t. My latest for @texasmonthly.bsky.social

There’s a Simple Trick to Eating This Messy Tostada

The tostada Siberia comes with a handy tool: an extra tostada.

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · 23d

an elderly man is looking at a computer monitor and says hello

ALT: an elderly man is looking at a computer monitor and says hello

media.tenor.com

José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · 23d

First @lataco.bsky.social is surprised that NYC got a beef trompo before they did. Texas has had them for nearly ten years. Now they're annoyed we have an automated taco machine before them. I'm over here scratching my head over the fact that my LA Taco member login isn't working.

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · 24d

For my latest @texasmonthly.bsky.social story, I fulfilled a years-old wish of attending a @texastech.bsky.social home game to witness the legendary & nuanced tradition of the tortilla toss & all the nuances involved. Have you seen or partaken in the tortilla toss? texasmonthly.com/food/texas-t...

A Rule Change Threatened an Old Texas Tech Tradition, but the Tortilla Toss Persisted

Red Raiders fans said regulations be damned.

texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · 27d

Staying up so late for the Canelo fight was not worth the loss sleep. What a boring match!

José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Sep 11

Mexican Independence Day is next week. Find your chile en nogada, arguably the most patrotic Mexican dish. I haven't had one this season, so I best get me some too. www.texasmonthly.com/food/tex-mex...

Tex-Mexplainer: The History Behind Mexico's Most Patriotic Meal, Chile en Nogada

Plus, our recipe for the celebratory dish.

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Sep 10

Felicidades to New Tejano baker Mariela Camacho, owner of Comadre Panaderia, in Austin, for being named @foodandwine.com Best New Chef 2025. While I've quoted her for several stories over the hears, I finally wrote a profile last year. She is awesome! www.texasmonthly.com/food/comadre...

Comadre Panadería’s Riding the Wave of Popularity, One Concha at a Time

Mariela Camacho’s experimental Mexican pastries—like her candy corn conchas—inspire long lines, but keeping up with the ebb and flow of demand is a constant learning experience.

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Sep 10

Beautiful! @reinhart.bsky.social nails this: www.dmagazine.com/food-drink/2...

It’s Time for the *Dallas Morning News* to Review Restaurants Again

One of the largest newspapers in the country has not employed a restaurant critic, even freelance, in more than three years. Under new ownership, the Morning News should reconsider.

www.dmagazine.com

José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Sep 10

I wasn't able to get a reservation in June. Now I'll never get one. 😂https://www.nytimes.com/shared/v2/interactive/2025/dining/best-restaurants-america/mezcaleria-alma.html?smid=url-share&rsrc=deeplink

The Best Restaurants of 2025: Mezcaleria Alma

Here are the 50 best places in America right now.

www.nytimes.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Sep 9

Read my latest for @texasmonthly.bsky.social: Taqueria El Novillo is the definition of comida casera (homestyle cooking). Some customers aren't even given menus. The staff just knows. Babies are kissed! How's that for abuelita love?
www.texasmonthly.com/food/taqueri...

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Sep 7

Guacamole is personal. In the town of Comonfort, for example, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, guacamole is commonly punctuated with fruit, such as grapes, peaches, or pomegranates. So go nuts w/ your game-day guacamole. www.texasmonthly.com/food/all-abo...

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Sep 3

The 1980s saw the rise & cementing of Big Ag, transgenic corn & anxiety behind it in the U.S. It's visible in the horror flick Children of the Corn. At Hijos del Maiz in Midland, corn & its link to humanity is embraced. It's also so much better than the movie. www.texasmonthly.com/food/hijos-d...

A Midland Restaurant Honors Ancient Mexican Corn Lore

Hijos del Maiz puts something different on the table.

www.texasmonthly.com

Reposted by José R. Ralat 🌶️

Paula Forbes @paulaforbes.bsky.social · Aug 27

(in my completely unbiased and unnarcissistic point of view) there's nothing better than the places where texas and wisconsin overlap. thanks for writing about this one @tacotrail.bsky.social!

In El Paso, an Unlikely Cheese Reigns Supreme

Originating in medieval Alsace, this semisoft, orange-rind cheese is commonly used in Mexican dishes in the modern border region.

www.texasmonthly.com

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Reposted by José R. Ralat 🌶️

Isaac Castillo @isaac-outcomes.bsky.social · Aug 27

One of my earliest memories as a kid growing up in EP is my grandmother taking slices off a giant block of Muenster to make me quesadillas. I left the borderland over 30 years ago, and I STILL buy Muenster for snacking.

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 26

Muenster is Mexican. Read how and why that came to be in my latest for @texasmonthly.bsky.social www.texasmonthly.com/food/muenste...

In El Paso, an Unlikely Cheese Reigns Supreme

Originating in medieval Alsace, this semisoft, orange-rind cheese is commonly used in Mexican dishes in the modern border region.

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 25

“Cooking Mexican food in Texas is a great responsibility that must blend tradition with fresh takes…” www.texasmonthly.com/food/senor-o...

A Dallas-Area Taco Joint Wants to Make Carnitas the Next Big Thing in Texas

Señor Oink, in Farmers Branch, gives its menu of carnitas tacos a tropical edge with fruity salsas, beachy drinks, and colorful decor.

www.texasmonthly.com

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Reposted by José R. Ralat 🌶️

anna walsh @annamccachren.bsky.social · Aug 20

psssttt…..a reminder that the application deadline for @texasmonthly.bsky.social’s research chief role is AUGUST 25, aka MONDAY! www.texasmonthly.com/about/jobs-a...

Jobs and Internships

Since 1973, Texas Monthly has chronicled life in contemporary Texas, reporting on vital issues such as politics, criminal justice, the environment,

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 23

My son is at his first quince. I laughed when he told me he’d be back by 10pm. That was at 6pm. The clock’s ticking & the window for curfew is closing. The stories I expect to hear when he gets home around midnight!

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 20

I shared the news of El Tiger’s closing on IG yesterday, but this report hits the mark for locals. “For a lot of us, that first bite felt like a turning point, proof that our city could not just hang with the state’s best, but lead the way.”

One Of The Top Ten Taco Spots In Texas And El Paso Is Closing

Taqueria El Tiger, famous for its acclaimed tripa y tembloroso tacos, has officially closed its food truck in Socorro, leaving a lasting impact on El Paso's culinary landscape.

kisselpaso.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 16

“To truly honor tacos means honoring the people behind them,” and your favorite taqueria is suffering right now. www.texasmonthly.com/food/texas-t...

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Reposted by José R. Ralat 🌶️

Alopex Fox @alopexfox.bsky.social · Aug 12

We were promised a taco truck on every corner.

But all we got was an ICE van on every corner.

José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 12

While LA is under siege by ICE & receiving the deserved national attention, ICE, DHS & other fed agencies are operating quietly in TX, w/o much statewide or national reporting. The fear is real. I chime in. It's my professional & personal responsibility. I hope you'll take time to read it.

The Taquerias Are Not Okay

As immigration actions continue across the state, owners of Mexican dining establishments point to employee fear and declines in customers.

www.texasmonthly.com

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 12

As one San Antonio taquero told me, “My family believes everyone deserves to be seen, respected, and given a real shot, no matter where they’re from.” And I agree wholeheartedly.

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 12

I share their terror. I too was born American but my hair and skin color might as well be a target. So now I carry my passport during all trips. One immigration lawyer I spoke with told me it was a reasonable action. I can't pass. However, I have advantages others don't. I must do what I can.

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José R. Ralat 🌶️ @tacotrail.bsky.social · Aug 12

Myriad business owners with whom I spoke were scared to go on the record. “My kids are more worried than me. They ask what are the next steps if they get arrested." Those children, I know, are American citizens."

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