Round Table Gordo Taqueria La Tortilla
During the summer Vida signed up for a reading contest at our library. She had to read for six hours altogether but received a small prize for every two hours of reading. It was the first year that I made her do her own reading. Even though Vida is a good reader it’s like pulling teeth to get her to read recreationally. Her teachers insist that she reads at school—even the chapter books she is loath to look at when she is at home. I’ve been waiting not very patiently for her to suddenly ask if she could read my Little House on the Prairie. I don’t think it’s going to ever happen—Vida favors non-fiction and more current children’s books like the Magic Treehouse series. I’m out of luck unless by some miracle Victor wants my yellowed children’s books. At the end of the summer we received a gift certificate for a free “personal pizza” at Round Table. I waited until an evening when I was good and desperate to go eat at a Round Table in the Mission.
I felt delirious as I was ordering but I am certain that I ordered a plain cheese pizza for Vida and a pepperoni one for myself from the hard working young person behind the counter. I also decided to brave the salad bar. I figured a few stale croutons and garbanzo beans covered in ranch wouldn’t hurt. I stood at the counter waiting for my official salad bar plate feeling lame and then lamer when I had to remind the girl behind the counter that I had bought and paid for my salad bar experience and needed a plate to complete the transaction. Vida’s pizza came up but mine was nowhere to be seen. I went back to the counter to enquire about the other pizza and the young order taker looked at me like I had lost my mind. I suddenly realized that I was old enough in contrast to the pizza employee to be practically invisible—she just figured lips moving blah blah blah salad bar and never even heard the part where I ordered a pizza. I figured that it was probably all for the best that I didn’t get the pizza and instead ate my fill of salad.
Another evening after a soccer practice we were out in the Avenues and drove past Gordo Taqueria. There isn’t much happening in taquerias out there but this one at least had longevity in its favor. There is very little seating beyond a couple of stools so this was definitely going to be a “to-go” experience. As usual I was looking for something different to get besides my usual rice and bean burrito but one look at the carne marinating in its own burnt and watery cooking juices was enough to turn my stomach. Its only because I don’t think one is likely to get poisoned by rice and beans and my desperately hungry girl that I even ordered at all. Rice and bean burritos all around! We didn’t die but I won’t look twice when I drive by Gordo.
As crazy as things are with Vida and baby Victor, I am grateful even for the fast food pizza and mediocre burrito. Some nights it feels like I’ve won the lottery when I manage to feed Vida and myself before one of us has a nervous breakdown. B and R are very handy in these situations. One evening when I just couldn’t handle Taqueria Zapata again they went to La Tortilla on Castro and brought us back burritos. Its one of those places that is always there but never seems interesting or convenient enough to go to. I thought maybe it was own by the Chevy’s chain—while looking it up online I unfortunately ran into its health department inspection—one of the worst in the entire neighborhood. One more burrito place we never have to go again . . .
Restaurant Total: 242
