The Best Torta I've Ever Tasted

DIXON/SACRAMENTO, CA - I took a short road trip with Chris and Holly yesterday. The plan was to run out to Sacramento to Holly's storage unit there to see if her printer was locked up.

First things first, I had to run out to the bank for Dave to get some change.



Maybe I shouldn't be so openly hanging out with dead prez in the homeless capital of the U.S.

We left later than usual and got back much later than planned. It was great.

Chris spent a large part of the trip hanging his head out the window. He looked like such a happy dog.





I got to be DJ for the trip and really enjoyed sharing my music. The first part of the trip was all about hip hop. We spent this leg listening to Busdriver, Illogic, Fatlip, MC Lars, and Non-Prophets. I was feeling it. But the whole vibe changed once we hit Dixon.

Chris asked to stop so he could hit a bathroom and stretch his legs. We waited a couple exits and then hopped off, headed for a little gas station on the side of the road in Dixon. It looked like any other little town.

There was farmland all around and things were fairly flat here. Felt like being back in Illinois. The people were all so friendly. Chris started up conversation with the clerk at the gas station and she just chatted us up (and directed me toward a wonderful bag of salt and pepper kettle cooked chips). She gave us a history of the town and described the farming. Apparently a lot of California's alfalfa and asparagus is grown here.

We asked for a good place to eat and were directed to Bud's. It was just down the road. We stopped the car out front and strolled in. Unfortunately, the vibe and prices were just a bit much for us, so we went back out to what appeared to be the main Dixon drag to find other sources of nourishment.

A lot of places were closed or not serving food between the hours of 2 and 5. Holly was feeling cheap Chinese but I was open to anything. I was actually kind of hungry for some Mexican. We ended up walking past a small Mexican joint and almost kept cruising by, but I noticed the sign said "Open". It was dark inside but we grabbed the door. Sure enough, Taqueria Adelina was open for business.

While ordering at the counter, I was debating just what to get. I was planning on just having a snack. Had we been anywhere else, I would have grabbed an appetizer. But then I saw tortas on the menu. More food than I intended to eat but I haven't had one in such a long time. So I ordered one.

We waited patiently at our table. Then the food arrived. It looked great. This little establishment was deceiving. Good things come in small packages.



I dug right in... and was amazed. It was delicious. Carne asada, cheese, avocado, yellow tomato, onions, jalapeños, and sour cream. The bread was so fresh. the flavors came together just right. I had never had a torta so good. Usually, the bread and meat are kind of dry and light on toppings. Not at Taqueria Adelina though. And a nice cold bottle of Sidral Mundet was complementing the meal nicely.

Chris went to speak with Adelina herself. He felt it was necessary for me to get a picture with her, seeing as I was loving this sandwich so much. I couldn't stop talking about it while eating. She was hesitant at first but then decided it was cool. They wanted to get the blog address though so they could check it out later.



I had to have another. The thought of leaving and not enjoying this sandwich again was too much to handle. I'd like to think my deep love for this sandwich was inspiring for others. Both Chris and Holly ordered one as well this time around.

Let me tell you... just as good the second time around.



If you are ever in Dixon, CA, please, please, please stop at Taqueria Adelina and enjoy a fantastic meal. I'm asking nicely.

The rest of the trip was great as well. We finished the rest of the drive, feeling wonderfully full with delicious food. The storage unit was small and, perhaps in a food induced delirium, the decision was made to move everything out. With an empty car, this would have been no problem. But we had two extra people along.

And we both brought bags for some damn reason.

I wish people could apply for engineering jobs by showing videos of guerrilla moves rather than submitting resumes. I'd have a job in no time. Chris too. He was great. A real trooper. A true believer. I had my doubts at one point... Holly had a keyboard that proved to be a formidable foe. It had a massive case with it that didn't fold down well.

Chris made the sacrifice and decided he would sit in the back. I tried to convince him otherwise, but he insisted. He made himself a little pocket to sit in and settled down for a ride.

I did make a little friend during the move.



Lots of mellow music for the ride home. At one point, Holly was falling asleep, so we turned off the tunes and started talking about religion and social work. I thought Chris was asleep at this point, but I think he was just a little annoyed that the music was off and he was suffering in silence. We finally neared home, crossing the Bay Bridge, and Chris piped in that he was glad to see the bridge. We were back home within ten minutes and the adventure was over. Holly wouldn't accept any help in unloading, even after I offered several times.

The original plan was to make it an early night. I thought I would go to bed while the night was young.

Instead, the offer to watch The Big Lebowski came up and I ended up staying awake until after 1am. But... I was the second to last person to go to bed! For the third time ever in the hostel! A big day.