Though initially hesitant to do so, Prado added short rib birria, or braised meat stew, as a special to his menu after noticing that quesabirria became more popular during the pandemic. “This pushes me to add new things to the menu.” “I think the people we find at the lake and elsewhere are more the food-lover types,” he remarked. Shifting from a late night to a lunch and dinner crowd allowed Prado to connect more deeply with his diners and to pay closer attention to food trends. Tacos El Ultimo Baile parks at Temescal Brewing on Sundays. While he moves locations regularly, the truck parks every Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. For the past year, Prado parked the truck alongside other food trucks at the lake, but in April, he was forced to change locations after the city announced new vending regulations at Lake Merritt. After a couple of pop-ups and a slow day in downtown Oakland, Prado asked one of his employees to check out the scene at Lake Merritt. When the shelter-in-place ordinance took effect and the Legionnaire Saloon was forced to close, Prado had to think on his feet about how to keep his business alive. (The La Finca storefront on Foothill Boulevard butchers meat in addition to offering tortillas, chips and masa.) His corn tortillas are sourced from La Finca, as is his meat. His flour tortillas come from Tortillas de Harina Mamacuca, where the tortillas are mixed and pressed by a woman from Sonora. He has also been selective about where he procures his meat and his tortillas, sourcing both locally in Oakland from Mexican purveyors. “After that trip, I knew I couldn’t make carne asada any other way.” Instead of the traditional charcoal briquettes, Prado opts for mesquite and oak, which lend a unique smokiness to the grilled meats in his tacos. “Al carbon is typical of Northern Mexico, including Sonora and Baja California, as is the flour tortilla,” Prado explained. A key learning during his trip to Northern Mexico was grilling al carbon, or over coal. While his family traditions inspire his cooking style, he also draws heavily upon his time spent living in Mexico, as well as his travels across California and Tijuana, where he met with several taqueros to learn their stories. Prado grew up in Tipton, California, in his grandmother’s home, where he experienced a blend of New Mexican, Southwestern and Norteño (northern Mexican) cuisine. Dominic Prado named his business, which translates to “the last dance” in Spanish, in homage to his late grandmother, who loved to dance and taught him the importance of a home-cooked meal.
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