Food truck review: Succumbing to the sweet release of Death by Taco — JLB
At the Death by Taco food truck, which roams Cape Coral and Fort Myers, stunning, scratch-crafted tacos gave our critic new life.
One bite into my Rockefeller taco, I wanted to weep.
The crunch of the cornmeal-battered oyster mushrooms, the tang of the pickled corn, the cool tartness of preserved-lemon aioli, the sweetly crisp finish of a shallot-fennel slaw.
It was layers of texture weaved with layers of flavor; a complex tapestry shrouded in a simple tortilla; a work of art I couldn't stop eating.
I didn't shed actual tears. Had I, they'd have been a mix of joy and longing, of what once was and what could be. That's a lot of emotion to thrust on Death by Taco, which is little more than a red food trailer led by Mexican-cuisine aficionado Skyler Denison. But this tiny truck is packed with complexities.
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Death by Taco is Denison's second restaurant venture. His first, Danger Danger in Cape Coral, launched in March 2019 and closed less than four months later. I loved Danger Danger. I raved about Danger Danger. When it shut down, I wanted to weep — for very different reasons. Sad ones. Dead ones.
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The beauty of Denison's first restaurant, which he ran in partnership with the owners of nearby Nice Guys and Nevermind, was it fit no mold. It was fascinating salads speckled with pomegranate seeds and fronds of dill. It was fried chicken and wild pizzas and stunning tacos, all made from scratch; I'm talking scratch-scratch, no topping or condiment left untouched.
When Danger Danger died, Denison and Nice Guys went their own way. The team bought this food trailer, equipped it with everything an ingredient-obsessed cook could need to make bomb tacos, and gave it a parking spot a few days a week outside Nice Guys' front doors.
In February, Death by Taco came to life.
"With Danger, we were trying to appease everybody," Denison told me. "This is more of a destination, our way of saying, 'This is what we do, and we don't stray far from it.'"
Nor should they.
Denison's obsession is our gain. These aren't mere tacos, they're masterpieces painted on wisps of masa dough. Peek around this itty-bitty trailer and you won't see cans or jars. You'll see tubs of vegetables pickling in vinegar and spices, lemons preserving, slaws marinating, meats braising, hand-whipped aiolis infusing.
At Death by Taco, there are no wrong answers. Blissful deliciousness is as certain as taxes — and death.
The "Thai Me Up Daddy" starts with shreds of braised chicken thighs layered with peanuts, pickled carrots, cilantro and Denison's salsa macha, which he crafts from dried chilies, oil, garlic and spices. It's a banh mi on holiday in Veracruz. It's crunchy and bold; the kind of good that makes your eyes roll up into your brain in a feeble attempt to tether it in place.
Denison has a way with potatoes, frying them till crisp on his "For Whom The Bell Tolls" taco, then slathering them in his salsa diablo, cotija, cabbage and a crema he infuses with smoky morita chilies. His "Funeral Potatoes" bypass the tortilla for a mound of queso-infused happiness.
Ask Denison about that queso and, like his dip, his answer won't be simple.
"It's a ton of cheese," he said, laughing. "It's got roasted tomatillos and jalapenos and a lot of beer, then some charred vegetables, chilies — cook it down for a while, hit it with the immersion blender. It's honestly like 10 pounds of cheese per batch, and a batch only lasts a day or two."
I get it.
I'd have gotten a batch to go, if I could have. Death by queso would a fine one.
Denison's slow-braised birria is his Mexican ode to a Chicago-style beef sandwich, complete with consomme dipping jus. His sikil p'ak, a creamy blend of pumpkin seeds finished with more of that oil-infused salsa macha, is heaven in a cup.
There are nachos and elotes and take-home taco kits, too. I've barely made a dent in Death by Taco's menu, and yet it's all I can think about some days. This little truck is of another level.
This isn't death. This is rebirth. It's a restaurant door closing and a new life opening. It's release. It's freedom. And it is so, so good.
Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Email JLB at jleboeuf@news-press.com; follow the critic at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.
Death by Taco food truck
Parks outside of Nice Guys in Cape Coral two to three days a week; travels to breweries throughout Lee County
Opened: February
Price: $
Web: deathbytaco239.square.site
Social: facebook.com/deathbytaco239 and instagram.com/deathbytaco239
Hours: Check schedule on Facebook and Instagram
Etc.: Truck offers soft drinks, weekly specials, vegan menu
Sample menu
Sides and starters
Elotes, $4
Funeral potatoes, $7
Sikil p'ak, $8
Tacos
Carnitas (2), $7
Saigon (2), $8
Al Bundy (2), $9
What the symbols mean
$ - Average dinner entree is under $10
$$ - $10-$15
$$$ - $15-$20
$$$$ - $20-$25
$$$$$ - $25 and up