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Taco Time – Exploring the World of Flavor in Every Bite
If you’re sick of the same old lunch, bring the fiesta to your office with Best Tacos Houston catering! You can have a variety of meat, including the smoky richness of asada, the spicy kick of pastor, and the classic simplicity of chicken.
Authentic Mexican Flavors
The flavor profile of authentic Mexican food is rich in savory spices and herbs, unique ingredients like hominy and queso fresco, and a variety of fresh, citrusy flavors that enhance the overall taste experience. In addition to being incredibly delicious, many traditional Mexican dishes offer a balance of healthy ingredients that can help diners feel energized and satisfied after their meal. Beans and other legumes are a source of protein and fiber, while avocados and olive oil provide heart-healthy fats.
For example, in a classic Mexican soup dish known as birria, chicken, red beans, and hominy are all staples of this nourishing meal. A typical authentic birria recipe also includes chiles, which are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. These ingredients are not only full of flavor, but they also contain a variety of essential vitamins and minerals to keep your body in top shape.
As a result, authentic Mexican cuisine is ideal for those who are looking to stay lean and live healthfully. In fact, one of the reasons why so many people enjoy Mexican food is because it offers a great selection of nutritious ingredients.
When you visit Taco Time, you can rest assured that your favorite foods are prepared with a blend of the finest ingredients to create a truly authentic experience. The menu is full of the beloved staples like tacos, burritos, nachos, and salads that are sure to satisfy everyone in your group, but it also features a few innovative items such as Mexi-Fries(r), which are a reinvention of the classic tater tots, and Crisp Burritos, which are hand-rolled fried tacos that come in four varieties.
Taco Time’s founder, World War II Navy veteran Ron Fraedrick, founded the restaurant with a vision of offering high-quality Mexican food at an affordable price that was easy to prepare and fast to serve. He built the brand on this ideal, and today, the chain is owned by global franchisee Kahala Brands and operates in more than 70 locations across the country. The owners at each location still make a point of using the finest ingredients and sticking to recipes that are lovingly created in Mexico itself.
Fresh Ingredients
Located in the Pacific Northwest, Taco Time takes great pride in using fresh ingredients. Rather than stocking frozen or canned products, the franchise aims to keep everything from its condiments and meats to its sauces and toppings in its own stores. This helps ensure that each location has an ample supply of quality ingredients for its dishes. This is also one of the ways that the chain manages to offer a wide variety of tasty taco and burrito options, even in locations that might otherwise have limited menu items.
The cohosts of the Dear Elite Reviewer podcast — Amy Faulkner, James Lim and Melissa Miranda — vehemently disagree about their feelings toward Taco Time. Lim and Faulkner hail from New York, while Miranda is the chef behind Seattle’s Musang restaurant. The (mostly) joking contention quickly became an episode’s theme, and a regular benchmark for the show.
When the hosts sit down to record each episode, they gather in Pelton’s minimalist living room, wearing hats and hoodies bearing local logos like UW and Pagliacci Pizza. They riff on each other with the kind of acerbic wit that could only be honed in the city of their birth.
That sense of place is a core element of the show’s humor, and it is rooted in a love for their home town. It also happens to be the city where Taco Time first went national.
Taco Time has a separate brand for its restaurants outside of Western Washington, which it calls Taco Time International. This other menu reflects the different cultural influences in that part of the state. Cote, for instance, is an ardent critic of the Taco Time International menu. He maintains that he can’t understand the “bizarro-verse” menu, which he describes as being written in a dialect of Taco Time Northwest.
This dislike of the Taco Time International menu spurred Cote to embark on a mission that he calls his “quest” to visit all 77 Taco Time locations in Western Washington. He keeps a meticulous spreadsheet and follows strict rules like eating in the dining room, not the drive-thru, and only counting official visits that have been tracked through the app.
Made-to-Order Burritos & Tacos
A crispy, flavor-packed flour tortilla rolled with beef or chicken and a blend of low-fat white cheese. Served with choice of side.
When Kristine Hepburn, a longtime employee at Taco Time’s Rose Hill location, rolls up each day’s batch of Crisp Burritos, she’s doing the sort of kitchen prep you don’t expect in fast food. She dices fresh tomatoes for the pico de gallo, mixes salsa (both corn and mild red), and makes the day’s hot sauce in a commercial steam kettle. She and her fellow morning shift employees spend about three hours doing the sort of actual cooking you don’t usually see in restaurants like this.
The Taco Time menu is a reflection of Seattle’s broader food culture. The restaurant serves a wide variety of Mexican inspired dishes, but its most beloved menu item is the Crisp Beef Burrito. The burrito is a Seattle original, made with seasoned beef rolled in a crunchy flour tortilla and topped with cheddar cheese. The whole thing is then deep-fried to a delicious crunch.
It’s a dish that reflects the way Seattle used to be, a city that embraced its sports for a sense of identity and community. It’s a Seattle that grew up watching hydroplane races at Seafair, staying up late to watch Almost Live, and chowing down on Crisp Beef Burritos after the Mariners or Seahawks won.
But it’s also a Seattle that continues to evolve, and the newcomers who have recently moved here in record numbers experience the city on a different frequency. These transplants don’t grow up going to Taco Time after football practice or catching a cab to the stadium to get a fish taco on a rainy, windy night.
When podcaster James Lim and Dear Elite Review cohost Amy Faulkner started Talkin’ Taco Time, it wasn’t intended to be a show about Taco Time. But as the show grew, it became a platform for the hosts’ (mostly joking) contention about the place. It’s not that the hosts dislike Taco Time; they just have a very different view of it than the people who grew up here watching hydroplane races at Seafair and listening to the radio jingles of the old-school drive-thru chain.
Variety of Sides
In addition to tacos, burritos and nachos, you can also choose from the likes of hard or soft tortillas; a variety of salsas (both regular and spicy); guacamole (plain, tropical, sweet potato and bacon-and-corn versions are available), and agua frescas (freshly squeezed lime juice with ice and fruit). The restaurant’s signature soups and stews are also a staple, including a warming white chicken chili that can chase away a grey, wet Seattle day and a gut-busting enchilada platter.
Taco Time is a part of the fabric of the city’s culture, so much so that Cote began hosting a podcast called Talkin’ Taco Time in 2018 as a semi-joking spinoff of his regular Dear Elite Reviewer show. The podcast features local musicians and artists as guests, but they often mention their love of the chain, which Cote says serves as an unexpected entry point to discuss a wide range of topics.
The most recent episode focuses on the controversy over Taco Time’s decision to change the name of its top-selling snack, which had long been known as Mexi-Fries. The change came shortly after a year in which plenty of companies examined their blind spots and ways to be anti-racist. When Cote read of the impending rebrand, he thought it had to be an error.
But then he checked the Taco Time app, and sure enough, the company had changed its ordering system to rename the perfectly seasoned and top-selling tater tots as “Mexi Fries.” He and his fellow hosts weighed in with an emergency pod on the topic, and it turns out that changing the name of the menu item is a big deal to people who have been eating them all along.
For many of the podcast’s listeners, loving Taco Time is a badge of Seattle identity. It’s the kind of thing that people wear on tees and hoodies, alongside University of Washington hats, Pagliacci Pizza tees and Rainier Beer shirts. It’s an emblem of a city that once seemed sleepy and isolated but eventually exploded into the national zeitgeist with Frasier and Nirvana, MTV filming a season in town, and the Mariners and Sonics in their primes.
Choosing a Career As a Plumber
Plumber The Woodlands install, repair and maintain the piping and fixtures that provide water for use in homes and businesses. They also work on plumbing systems in large buildings such as schools, hospitals, and shopping centers.
Plumbers often work directly with customers to determine their needs and discuss plumbing solutions. They must have excellent customer service skills and be able to listen carefully to their customers’ concerns.
Choosing a career as a plumber is a challenging but rewarding choice. It requires an understanding of the science behind water flow, a strong grasp of plumbing codes and regulations, and excellent problem-solving skills. It is also important to be able to work well under pressure and have good physical strength.
Plumbers often work with customers directly, so customer service skills are important. They must be able to listen carefully to the customer’s needs and explain complex issues clearly. They also need to provide accurate cost estimates for their services. Plumbers may also need to collaborate with other professionals, such as construction teams or architects, to ensure that plumbing systems integrate seamlessly into building projects.
In residential settings, plumbers typically work in people’s homes or apartments. They install new plumbing systems, including piping, fixtures, and appliances. They may also repair existing systems. They also may need to work in confined spaces, such as crawl spaces or attics.
Commercial plumbers work in a variety of settings, including retail and office buildings, hospitals, and schools. They install and repair large plumbing systems, including sewage and drainage pipes. These systems are more complex than residential plumbing systems, and they require specialized tools and equipment. In addition, commercial plumbers must be able to work with different types of materials, such as copper, steel, and plastic.
Some plumbers specialize in installation and repair of gas lines. These projects can be dangerous, and plumbers must follow strict safety guidelines to avoid leaking gases or fires. Other plumbers work on a contract basis, which gives them more flexibility in their schedules and the types of projects they can take on.
Other plumbers specialize in repairs. These specialists may need to use a wide range of tools and work in cramped spaces. They may also need to deal with hazardous materials, such as sewage and chemicals. They are also at risk of infection from microbes in human waste, which can cause cholera, typhoid fever, and other diseases. They can also be exposed to vapors from refrigerants and other chemicals. They should wear protective clothing and gloves when working with these substances.
Education requirements
As a plumber, you will be working with complex and intricate systems that require advanced knowledge and skills. In addition, you must be able to handle a variety of tools and equipment. This career can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. You can choose to work as an employee or to become a self-employed plumber. You can also choose to specialise in a particular area of plumbing, such as sanitation or air conditioning.
The education requirements for a plumber depend on the type of work you wish to do and the state in which you plan to work. Most plumbers receive training through an apprenticeship program, which combines classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training. This is typically sponsored by a union or trade organization and lasts from four to five years. You can also complete a vocational program at a community college or trade school. These programs can teach you about local codes, pipefitting, and blueprint reading. You should also check the licensing requirements for the state in which you intend to work.
To obtain a license as a plumber in New York, you must pass an exam and have a minimum of five years of experience under the supervision of a master plumber. You must also attend continuing education courses to keep up with the latest trends and technology in the industry. Depending on the type of work you want to do, you may need additional certifications, such as those for fire sprinkler systems or other specialty fields.
Getting the right training is critical to becoming a successful plumber. Many community colleges and vocational schools offer plumbing programs, which include hands-on laboratory work and classes in topics like code compliance and plumbing system design. These programs are ideal for students who want to gain the skills they need to start their own business someday.
Regardless of the route you take, gaining experience and demonstrating your competency is key to becoming a certified plumber. You can find apprenticeship opportunities by exploring job websites and contacting local companies. You can also enroll in a formal apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor. Apprenticeships through this department are nationally recognized, and the credentials you earn will be valid in any state.
Work environment
The work environment for a plumber can vary depending on the type of plumbing project. Some plumbers work directly in residential homes, while others may be called to work on commercial or industrial construction projects. Regardless of the type of plumbing work, plumbers need to adhere to strict safety protocols and regulations when working with dangerous materials or in elevated or confined spaces. Additionally, they must be able to use a variety of tools and equipment, including wrenches, soldering equipment, power tools, and diagnostic tools.
The daily activities of a plumber include inspecting pipes, testing water pressure levels, and locating leaks or blockages. They may also install new taps, toilets, and showers, and connect waste disposal systems to drainage lines. Plumbers must also have good communication skills, as they often interact with customers to explain their repair options and provide estimates for services.
Plumbers also install and maintain gas lines in homes, businesses, and industrial settings. They read blueprints and plans to ensure that all installations meet local and national codes and regulations. They must also be able to interpret these plans and make sure that all plumbing fixtures are installed properly.
Some plumbers choose to complete a formal education program, which can help them advance in their careers. However, most learn on the job through apprenticeships and gain experience by working with seasoned plumbers. Once they are fully licensed, they can work independently or become contractors.
This career involves a lot of hard work, so you should be physically strong and flexible to do the job well. Plumbers must frequently crawl into cramped spaces and hunch over to access and work on pipes and plumbing fixtures. Additionally, they often need to lift heavy equipment and work in inclement weather conditions.
When interviewing for a plumber position, be prepared to answer questions about your past experiences with plumbing. The interviewer will want to know how you worked as part of a team and how you handled changing situations on the job. This is a great question to ask because it can help you determine if you are the right candidate for the position.
Salary
Plumbing is a highly rewarding career choice that offers above-average wages and real job security. It also offers opportunities for advancement and even the opportunity to become a master plumber. However, the best salary depends on a number of factors, including location, experience, and education level. Plumbers in the US can expect to make a median salary of about $63,000 per year. Those with specialized skills and extensive experience can earn up to $120,000.
Plumbers are in demand across the country. They are needed to install and repair pipes that supply water, gas, and waste to homes and businesses. They can also install fixtures like bathtubs, toilets, sinks, and appliances. They also inspect existing pipe work to test pressure levels, identify leaks, and repair any problems.
Moreover, plumbers are required to follow strict safety protocols when working with flammable materials and in elevated or confined spaces. Furthermore, they must be able to work under tight deadlines and meet stringent quality control standards. Plumbers also need to be able to deal with complex piping systems used in power plants, refineries, and other large facilities.
While the overall national average is above $75,000, it varies by state and region. Some areas have a higher demand for plumbers, while others are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers. Therefore, it is important to research the different markets before choosing a specific field.
A plumber’s salary depends on many factors, including their experience, location, and specialization. Plumbers with a master’s degree can earn up to $20,000 more than those without a license. They also tend to earn more if they specialize in residential or commercial plumbing. Additionally, those who join a union enjoy greater earning potential and may be able to negotiate higher salaries.
The average salary of a plumber is above the national average for other tradespeople, such as electricians and HVAC technicians. They are also more likely to have benefits than other workers, such as health insurance and retirement plans. Many employers provide tools and equipment, which helps reduce out-of-pocket expenses for plumbers. Some even offer paid vacation days and sick leave, allowing them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Who Killed Natalie Wood?
The mysterious death of Natalie Wood, star of West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause, has intrigued people for years. Fresh scrapes and bruises on her body and a conflicting version of events from the night she died have made it one of Hollywood’s biggest mysteries.
Now, 30 years after her death, a sheriff’s detective has reopened the investigation and the medical examiner changed the cause of death from accidental drowning to undetermined factors. Keep reading the article below to learn more about Who Killed Natalie Wood.
When Natalie Wood vanished from a yacht and her body washed up the next morning, it made front-page news. She was a leading Hollywood actress and her husband, Robert Wagner, and co-star Christopher Walken were on board. Wagner and Walken claimed she fell overboard accidentally, and they told the Los Angeles homicide detectives on the case to believe them.
But the bruises on her neck, arms, and legs, the absence of nail clippings from her hands, and a 2013 report that said her injuries seemed to indicate she was assaulted before she went into the water didn’t sit well with authorities. They reopened the investigation and named Wagner a person of interest, but no charges were ever filed in the case.
Natalie’s sister, Lana, never bought the official story. “None of the things that Wagner or Walken or Dennis Davern said at that time rang true to me,” she says. “Even when I talked to Dennis, he was telling me that she wouldn’t get in a dinghy by herself at night in a bathing suit with socks on and her down jacket.”
The expanding story of Splendour captain Dennis Davern, who admitted lying to investigators the day Wood’s body was found, 37 years later rings even more false for Lana. He says that Wagner was angry that she was flirting with Walken, and he kept Davern from turning on the search lights or notifying authorities when Wood disappeared. He also claims that he overheard an argument on the deck of the boat and saw wood struggling to climb into a dinghy.
In this podcast episode, we explore all of the evidence against Dennis Davern, including his aforementioned admissions of lying to investigators, as well as the striking contradictions he made in a February 2018 interview. But we also talk to the investigators who examined the case, and they tell us that they still don’t know what really happened on November 28, 1981.
The Night
Hollywood legend Natalie Wood died in 1981 off the coast of Catalina Island, and her mysterious death remains one of Tinsel Town’s most controversial unsolved mysteries. In this unique book, investigative reporter Sam Perroni brings together a wide array of new and original sources to produce the most far-reaching examination of the case that has been done to date. By combining official records and photographs, never-before-seen confidential documents, and dozens of interviews with witnesses and forensic experts, Perroni sheds light on the glossed-over investigation by local law enforcement and Hollywood insiders that helped suppress the truth for four decades.
The book begins by examining Wood’s tumultuous personal life. In the years leading up to her death, she struggled in a career that seemed to be going nowhere and her marriage was at an all-time low. Her husband, Robert Wagner, was a successful actor himself but seemed unable to support his wife’s stardom and her own insecurity made her doubt her ability to carry on. Ultimately, her professional and personal decline coincided with a downward spiral in her marriage that resulted in two suicide attempts, daily psychoanalysis, and a fear of being alone at night so primal it drove her to regress to childhood and become a child again.
In her final days, Wood was spending the weekend on a yacht with her husband and their friend Christopher Walken, whom she had been co-starring with in the film Brainstorm. The two men reportedly got into an argument during which she was convinced Walken wanted to sleep with her. The next morning, she vanished from the yacht and was found in a rubber dinghy. The initial investigation determined she drowned, but her body bore a number of bruises that made police suspicious.
After her death, the shadow of suspicion fell squarely on Wagner, and it still hangs over his inner circle. His daughter Courtney and stepdaughter, actress Natasha Gregson Wagner, steadfastly believe in his innocence. But many others, including ship’s captain Dennis Davern and her sister Lena, claim he’s guilty. A never-before-heard autopsy report and a growing list of eyewitness accounts, along with the author’s own startling discoveries about some of the known facts in the case, confirm that the original investigators were correct to consider Wagner a person of interest.
The Bruises
In her lifetime, Natalie Wood starred in a mix of classics and lesser known movies. She was a beautiful woman with a reputation for sex and scandal. She played a number of strong, independent women and was always able to capture the audience’s attention. But real life was tougher for the actress than her glitzy movie roles. Wood’s death in 1981 was one of Hollywood’s biggest mysteries and it continues to fascinate fans today.
Wood was just 43 when she died after falling overboard on a boat. Her body was found the next day, floating a mile from her yacht and near a small dinghy that had been beached nearby. The cause of death was originally ruled to be drowning, but investigators later changed it to accidental homicide. The new autopsy found bruises on her arms and a face abrasion, along with traces of motion sickness medication and painkillers in her blood.
The bruises and abrasions were a clue that something had gone wrong during the night of her death, but it wasn’t enough to hold anyone accountable. Investigators questioned Wagner and Walken about the events of the night time and again, but their accounts never added up. The bruises were still fresh and they didn’t look like anything that could have been sustained by a fall off a boat.
The case was reopened in 2011 after Davern’s 2009 memoir alleged that he and Wagner had argued the night before she disappeared. Investigators re-examined the evidence, including 10 histology slides of the bruises, a review of witness statements and the fact that Wood had no history of suicide attempts. The coroner eventually changed the cause of death to homicide and designated Wagner as a person of interest in the case.
It’s unclear what really happened to Wood, but the fact that her body was discovered so close to the boat and a dinghy was located so quickly leads many to believe that the actor was murdered. But no charges have ever been filed, and the mystery surrounding her death continues to intrigue people.
The Death
The case of Natalie Wood’s mysterious death has long been an object of fascination. But after decades of speculation, it remains unsolved. Many of the theories that have been floated—from a “bad accident” to foul play—have failed to add up. Wagner and Walken have been questioned, time and again, but their accounts of what happened have conflicted and no one has ever been held accountable for her death.
The author begins his investigation of the death by introducing readers to Natalie Wood and her stormy relationship with husband Robert Wagner. He then dives into the events of the fateful weekend in November 1981 when she was found floating near the island of Catalina.
Using evidence that has never been disclosed before, the author shows how inconsistencies in witness testimony and holes in the investigation have left a void where the truth should be. He reveals how the dinghy in which she was found was found far from Wagner’s yacht, Splendour, and that she could not have operated the dinghy as she had no experience with boats and a profound fear of water due to a prophecy told to her superstitious Russian mother by a Gypsy fortune teller that her daughter would drown.
He exposes how Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the chief medical examiner at the time of Wood’s death, used his celebrity status to grab the spotlight with sensational press conferences and questionable forensic autopsy reporting. He reveals how Noguchi manipulated and cherry-picked evidence in the case of Marilyn Monroe, rock singer Janis Joplin, United States Senator Robert Kennedy, SLA leader Donald DeFreeze, and Natalie Wood.
The author also reveals, for the first time, a confidential memo from boating expert Paul Miller to Noguchi that contradicts Wagner’s decades-old claim that Wood got up in the middle of the night to retie the banging Zodiac dinghy and slipped into it where she drowned. And he sheds light on the controversial autopsy photos that remain under lock and key to this day. These new revelations help prove that Natalie Wood’s death was no accident. She was murdered.