UPDATE: In sad salsa-related news, Paco's Tacos, the Eureka Mexican restaurant that briefly dazzled us with its array of salsas, has closed. When contacted by the Journal, the owners responded that the partnership "didn't work out," but they are hopeful that they'll be able to open elsewhere down the road.
PREVIOUSLY: The revolving door spot on Eureka’s Fifth Street Los Sinaloenses and its marvelous white menudo occupied has flipped again. Alfa Torres and her husband Bosacio Villagrana have opened their first restaurtant Paco’s Tacos Taqueria (1134 Fifth St., Eureka) in the spot, bringing big flavor in the form of its salsa bar. A Southern California standard, the array of self-serve salsas has thus far eluded us on the North Coast, and the couple weren’t finding the level of spice they wanted. “It’s something different in Humboldt; no one has it,” says Torres.
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Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
A rainbow of salsa options at Paco's Tacos Taqueria.
Salsa aficionados, your moment has arrived. Lift the stainless steel lid of the salsa bar and reveal a dozen options from dark and oily to bright and creamy. On a recent visit, they included: freshly made chipotle, verde, habanero, pico de gallo, chile de aceite, roja, chile de arbol and guacamole salsas, fresh lime and habanero slices, sliced pepperoncini and pickled jalapeño. Somewhere in that field is the tang and heat you have been looking for, the oily chile de aceite — spiked with chile japones and chile de arbol — and the habanero being closest to the top of the Scoville chart.
If molotes ($11) are hiding in the corners of other Humboldt menus, they’ve escaped our notice. There are meat options, but cheese is the move, warm and stretchy under a fried shell of corn and flour dough. “I used to eat them when I was little,” says Torres, who is originally from Guerrero, Mexico, but came to Humboldt at the age of 15. “I loved those since I was little … and I wanted to make it here.” The trio of ovals topped with shredded lettuce, crumbles of cotija cheese and crema come with a side of soupy refried bean dip, and makes for a more than substantial appetizer. They’re also fine foundation snacks with which to further explore that salsa bar.
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Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
Cheese-filled molotes at Paco's.
The costillitas ($16) are a stronger statement of flavor — pork rib chunks stewed in a deep red sauce worth scooping up with the accompanying soft, salty, broad corn tortillas. The color comes from dried chile California and the little bit of heat is from chile de arbol. The rice and mild, creamy refried beans are a fine accompaniment to the juicy pork that’s easily coaxed off the bone.
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Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
Stewed pork costillitas made with chile California.
And if you’ve been dreaming about the tacos you ate at a local wedding or quinceañera, good news: The restaurant’s namesake Paco Escobar, sought after caterer for parties around the county, is in the kitchen with Torres. And with all those salsa options, you're going to need more tacos.
Bio:
Jennifer Fumiko Cahill is the arts and features editor of the North Coast Journal. She won the Association of Alternative Newsmedia’s 2020 Best Food Writing Award and the 2019 California News Publisher's Association award for Best Writing.