Phoenix' Nighttime Meals from Wheels

Strings of unfrosted bulbs, a few flimsy tables and chairs, and foods ranging from 'Sonoran-style' hot dogs to tacos, menudo and burritos are shibboleths of the impromptu restaurant boom that's emerged and been sustained in commercial parking lots and on corners, all over Phoenix.

The mobile fonditas seem to cater to Mexican palates, efficient little kitchens-on-wheels whose operators are themselves, Mexican-American (or Mexican?), and the number of these food-stands is staggering.

The Ramirez Brothers used to operate one helluva fine taco trailer along a side street in the 'Old Town' section east of thee Rio Cuale in Puerto Vallarta, and I enjoyed their fare countless times without hesitation or illness.

My friends--even licensed travel agent colleagues--know my love of Mexico, its beaches, sleepy coastal towns, warm and generous populace, a love I rationalize (in Spanish) as "In my heart, I'm really a Mexican" to the laughing agreement of my Mexican-national friends who tell me when I'm tan enough to resemble a native.

That said, it's a little unsettling to drive down the streets of Phoenix, Arizona, USA, and see that, at nighttime, it looks so much like the streets of 'old' Mexico, except that these patrons can enjoy their alfresco repast with relatively little fear of gunfire.

These eateries represent an emerging, local industry and have discovered a customer base that seems accustomed to eating regularly at these outlets, as I did in Vallarta, except that--unlike our Canadian and Michigan-Minnesota-Wiconsin snowbirds---the customer base won't be going anywhere anytime soon.