"Del Taco with Alan Yang" is Episode 28 of Doughboys, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Del Taco with Alan Yang" was released on November 19, 2015.
Synopsis[]
A frequent topic of conversation on the podcast, west of the Mississippi Mexican fast food chain Del Taco gets its own episode, with foodie and TV writer Alan Yang (Master of None, Parks and Recreation). Plus, Alan reveals his Last Meal.
Nick's intro[]
the first Del Taco in Yermo, CA
Yermo, California: a secluded town near Barstow in the Mojave Desert, it has little to distinguish itself from the countless other scattered enclaves along Interstate 15, the highway that connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas, with one exception.
In 1964, Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson chose Yermo as the site of their Mexican fast-food restaurant, giving it a Spanish name that literally translated to "House Of The Taco." The duo dropped "Casa," and with the help of a kitchen-equipment industry professional named David Naugle, expanded their business across SoCal's Inland Empire and subsequently throughout the Golden State at large. The '80s saw expansion across the western United States and the decision to have locations to be open for 24 hours.
Over the decades, value-conscious consumers have benefited from the race to the bottom between this chain and its much larger rival, Taco Bell, as they attempt to provide Mexican-inspired menu items at the lowest price point possible. Yet this restaurant distinguishes itself from the global #1 by offering American items like burgers and fries, in addition to the tacos, burritos, and quesadillas that form the bulk of their menu.
Now with over fifty years of operation and over 500 locations, this frequent "scorcho"-ing hot topic here on the podcast is finally getting a full episode of its own.
This week on Doughboys: Del Taco.
Fork rating[]
| guest / host | ordered | rating |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger |
|
5 forks |
| Mike Mitchell |
|
4.5 forks |
| Alan Yang |
|
4 forks |
With these scores, Del Taco joins the Golden Plate Club.
(A few years later, Del Taco's Beyond Meat menu was reviewed and did not make the Golden Plate Club; the rest of the menu remains.)
The Leftovers Last Meal[]
Mitch did not follow through, and forgot to get food to keep in the refrigerator overnight for The Leftovers segment. So instead, the Doughboys play Last Meal: where Mitch comes up with a reason for the guest to be executed, who in turn gets to describe his choices for his last meal.
SNL studio audience
In the year 2037, Alan Yang attends a taping of Saturday Night Live and dares to laugh. In this dystopian future, Saturday Night Live is a serious drama, and one should not laugh at it, and since Lorne Michaels holds the power over life and death, Alan is sentenced to death by falling off a very tall ladder while pretending to decorate a Christmas tree. Before his execution, Alan must choose his last meal.
Alan's choices:
- the #5 burrito, extra crispy, from Cactus Taqueria
- his mother's fried rice
- his mother's pork, potato, breadcrumb dish
- medium fatty Toro sushi from Sushi Sawada in Tokyo
Quotes[]
| “ | No amount of diversity can make this show less white. | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
| “ | I'm pretty sure the Venn diagram for Juggalo Nation and Spoon Nation overlaps pretty heavily. | ” |
–Nick Wiger | ||
| “ | If you're out there maintaining the Doughboypedia, this is an important date to scroll, note this episode. | ” |
–we're on it, Nick (to note: Alan gave them hats) | ||
| “ | Big day for me: I got Dr. Scholl's inserts for my shoes. | ” |
–Mike Mitchell | ||
The Feedbag[]
| “ | You call yourself Doughboys, but we need more pizza talk! How do you guys feel about the regional pizzas of the good ol' US of A. Where's your favorite?
You've got greasy, big NYC slices to the gargantuan deep dishes of Chicago and your stupid veggie thin crust pizzas from who-knows-where. I'll also add, if anyone has had Detroit-style square pizza? I love the dough to sauce to cheese ratio. The pizza chains Jets and Little Caesars have a pretty good representation of the Motor City's signature pie. While we know pizza is a staple of the American diet, I wonder if the listeners come across the same conundrum I occasionally find myself in: the dreaded but often delicious "double dip". What's the double dip? It's the same food for two different meals. Pizza for lunch and dinner, cereal for breakfast and dinner, burritos all meals. I'd also like to hear your opinions on that also. |
” |
–Cameron Wilson | ||
| guest / host | favorite regional pizzas | eating the same thing for different meals |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Wiger | NYC and Chicago pizza | doesn't do it |
| Mike Mitchell | doesn't do it, unless it's leftover pizza | |
| Alan Yang | prefers pasta, fuck all pizza | doesn't do it |
Restaurants[]
| official visit | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Del Taco | Westwood, CA | Nick went to this location for the show |
| restaurants referenced | location | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitality Lane | San Bernardino, CA | Alan mentions this street near his hometown which is overloaded with chains |
| Benihana | Tokyo, Japan | Alan loves a Benihana experience, even going to one in Tokyo |
| Momofuku | New York, NY | Alan mentions this as his favorite nice restaurant in New York |
| Fuku | New York, NY | Alan mentions this as his favorite cheap restaurant in New York |
| Carbone / Santina / Dirty French | New York, NY | Alan mentions these three places (same owner) as faves in NYC |
| Mission Chinese Food | Brooklyn, NY | Alan mentions; Master of None filmed inside it |
| Marlow & Sons | Brooklyn, NY | Alan mentions; Master of None filmed inside it |
| The Smile | Manhattan, NY | Alan mentions; Master of None filmed inside it |
| Urasawa | Beverly Hills, CA | Alan mentions |
| Han Dynasty | New York, NY | another NYC notable chain picked by Alan |
| Al & Bea's Mexican Food | Boyle Heights, CA | Alan mentions for their legendary bean and cheese burritos |
| Ricky's Fish Tacos | Los Angeles, CA | Alan mentions this for having great fish tacos |
| Regina Pizzeria / Santarpio's Pizza | Boston, MA | Mitch's favorite pizza |
| Hollywood Pies | Los Angeles, CA | Mitch mentions this for having Chicago-style pizza in LA |
| Marta | New York, NY | Alan mentions this for it's Roman-style pizza |
| Pizzeria Mozza | Los Angeles, CA | |
| Mother Dough | Los Angeles, CA | Alan mentions their pizza and Mitch says it's pretty good |
Plugs[]
| movies / tv | notes |
|---|---|
| Parks and Recreation / Master of None (tv) | Alan Yang's credits/plugs |
Related Episodes[]
| Del Taco episodes |
|---|
|
Photos (via @doughboyspod)[]
