Talking tacos and staff shortages
With COVID-19 vaccine options wide open, business has been beyond brisk at local restaurants in the past month, and it’s exposed a staffing problem the food-service industry already was facing in the leadup to the coroanvirus pandemic.
“It’s been tough,” chef Kurt Fleischfresser of Western Concepts and Vast said only three days after chef Ryan Parrott of Humankind Hospitality said, “It’s great having the uptick in business, but I’ve never seen a staff shortage like this.”
Within 24 hours, I’d heard from a half-dozen local operators with the same story.
Turns out staffing is not only a food-service issue. Most businesses selling in-person experiences are having a hard time finding employees. Colleague Steve Lackmeyer and I are working on a story to explain where the employees have gone and what might be next.
In the meantime, if you’re dining out, be aware that the stress, strain and existential threat to our neighbors in the food-service industry isn’t over. There are hope and better days ahead, but with supply lines still kinked by issues created by the pandemic and a former cargo ship’s captain on top of the labor shortage, patience caps for the whole family are advised for your next dine-out experience.
And don’t forget to wear your mask and get vaccinated as quick as possible.
I celebrated my second vaccine shot Friday with an old-time gringo taco from Taco Casa in Mustang. I hesitate to admit it’s because I’ve got a taco addiction that dates back to teething, so instead I choose to believe it was inspiration from a recent spate of positive taco experiences.
Yo! Pablo comes from Rogers Concepts. It’s popped up in two locations since the pandemic began. One at 6728 N. Olie Ave. and the other in the Rockwell Plaza shopping center at NW 122 St. and Rockwell Ave.
Like many new restaurants fueled by tacos, Yo! Pablo specializes in the quesabirria. When Ted’s Tacos and Cantina opened, the taco-quesadilla love-child was a specialty on its menu, too. It’s also been a consistent special at Big Truck Tacos.
Quesabirria appears to be a Tijuana creation, fusing traditional birria, which is made with braised goat or beef, with Anglo-friendly quesadillas. Because birria is a braise, it leaves a lot of consomme in its wake. That’s served in a bowl for dunking. Yo! Pablo does a terrific version. Also enjoyed their take the braised pork belly and sweet chile shrimp.
Don’t sleep on the chips and salsa, Yo! Pablo’s roasty-toasty take on salsa was a pleasant surprise.
Fellow food-writer Greg Horton and I drove out to Del City to check out Taqueria La Fondita, 1709 S. Sunnylane Road. This tidy little traditional taqueria opened about six months ago, and boasts the kind of menu that would play in Tijuana, including lengua, pastor, asada, and carnitas to name a few.
An expansion of a local food truck, La Fondita serves a bottled house-made avocado-rich salsa verde that goes good on everything, including your tongue but I’m afraid public health concerns will never allow it. The red salsa also was a great addition to the tacos and nachos we tried.
The pastor also goes by “adobado” on this menu. By either name, it’s a rich red-chile tinged pork taco with sweet notes. The lengua was expertly prepared, excellent knife work and attention to detail are the first line of offense when turning a cow tongue into a culinary ecstasy. La Fondita showed plenty of both. The carnitas arrived with the crusty edges called for and plenty of porky delight.
Nachos are usually reserved for ballgames, but I wanted to see how a true Mexican restaurant would handle famously Tex-Mex nachos and was delighted at the result. No cheese goo, only melty cheddar, sour cream and guacamole with shredded chicken and frijoles. Salsa roja and verde made fine toppings for each chip.
La Fondita is open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Yo! Pablo locations open at 11 a.m. and keep bar hours in the evening.
I’ve got more dining news stowed to share next week once I get through whatever side effects Friday’s shot yields.
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