Talkin’ Tacos: You’ll Never Know How Much You Miss Taco Bell Until It’s Gone

Published on February 9, 2009 by spencer   ·   No Comments

You never know how much you will miss something until you can’t have it anymore. Even the mundane vestiges of fast food eating, when stolen from your proximity, can leave a gaping hole in your life.

Despite a bevy of world-class taco trucks and restaurants in a five-mile circumference around us, I really, really, really, really miss the Taco Bell that was a mere block away from our office. Right now there’s an absence in my stomach the size of two cheesy bean & rice burritos (4 packets of fire sauce apiece). This has me reminiscing about the final days of our Taco  Bell, and meeting up with local graphic artist Aye Jay just hours before its doors closed. Read the full interview with Aye Jay after the jump.

Speakign of Taco Trucks and Aye Jay, his new “Taco Truck” print is available at his Janky Web site.

Talking Tacos
With Maurice Spencer Teilmann

Name: Aye Jay Moreno
Function: Artist / Rapper
Meal:  Double-Decker Taco Supreme, Soft Taco
Location: Taco Bell (450 Broadway Street)

It’s truly the end of an era for downtown eating. After 40 years of dedicated service, the Taco Bell across from the Park Plaza has closed its doors for good. Gone are the Walk-Up window and its seemingly random hours. O! Taco Bell, we hardly knew ye.
On its final day of business I met with Aye Jay, comic artist and member of rap group Dr. Becky Sagers PhD, to talk about his early memories of eating at this Taco Bell, as well as his Chico Legends prints, and the upcoming Chico Legends show.
This Friday, the day after Christmas, join the festivities at Duffy’s as they celebrate the 14th annual Chico Legends show, featuring Aubrey Debauchery & The Puke Boots, Fay Dog & G-Pek, Dr. Becky Sagers, PhD, and The Pub Scouts. This 21 and over show starts at 9 PM and costs $5.

They hooked me up with this 7-Layer Burrito, this is actually like…
Eight layers?

[laughs] Sizable. I wonder if they’re just cooking all the stuff that’s leftover and that’s when they close. They just don’t re-up.
It’s like “we’re done!”

“You want a soft taco, huh? Sorry.”
“Hard only.” How about an Enchirito or Mexican Pizza, because those are low-selling items?

They want out of here. They want to finish up that guacamole. If I wanted extra sour cream, they would have said “no problem.”
But fast-forward two hours you’re like, “Can I get a 7-Layer Burrito?” They’re like, “No, but we’ll give you a 5-Layer Burrito.”

So you’ve been coming here since you were five.
Probably earlier. That’s about where the memories kick in, about five, six, somewhere in there; being tiny and trying to climb the bell. Into my adult life, my wife’s a vegetarian so it’s one of the few quick eating options for a vegetarian, especially on the road. My wife told me that her mom used to come here when she was in school. I came here as a kid, now my kids come here…I don’t know if that reflects well on me, but they come here just like I came here. Where are the Norte(N~)os and Sure(N~)os going to write on tables? Will they find somewhere else to vandalize? I don’t know [laughs]. What about “Jonny luvs Suzy,” where will they express their forbidden love if not on the Taco Bell tables and walls and booths? I guess I still don’t understand why it’s closing.

Care to speculate?
Does the recession really affect Taco Bell? Like liquor and guns, [it's] pretty much recession-proof. On one hand I’m sad because I wanted my Talkin’ Tacos to be at a taco truck, and I know they all can’t be at El Paisa, but at the same time, and mainly as I want to plug the “Taco Truck” print, available now at Art Etc. across the street from Powell’s candy shop. They’ve been nice enough to sell all my stuff. There’s going to be a “Collier Hardware” and “Taco Truck” print out this week.

What inspired you to do these prints?
I’m a really big fan of Jake Early. I really like his work, and Michael Schwab, who was the inspiration for Jake Early. It’s a style that lends itself pretty well to just about anything, so Duffy’s came to mind first because it’s kind of the home bar. So “Duffy’s” first, then the “Thunderbird” is another Chico icon. They make really good last minute Christmas gifts.

Tell me about the Chico Legends show that’s coming up.
Originally it was not as tongue-in-cheek as it is now because Death Star played the first one. They’re Chico Legends, it was a reunion kind of thing. That was right around the time we started playing, so this will be like the 14th year that Jeremiah and I have been rapping, which is a lot longer than it should have been. It’s like our anniversary show. Duffy’s is our favorite place to play a show. Jeremiah noted that people make more of an effort to see us at Duffy’s than anywhere else. He thinks that people think we’re better when we play at Duffy’s. Maybe we are. I think Fay Dog is better because Fay clearly enjoys it more than anywhere else. So the day after Christmas, 9 PM show. That’s called Chico Legends, and the print series is called Chico Legends because it’s Chico Legends-type places, so it all ties in with itself. And Taco Bell is a Chico Legend. One could argue that, if it’s been here for 40 years, with all this indie do-it-yourself mentality, like someone should point out that Taco Bell’s been here for 40 years. There’s no outcry, there’s no outrage about Taco Bell closing, but I guarantee you that people are going to miss it. Where are you going to stop in for a quick 7-Layer Burrito?

Exactly. As good as a taco truck or restaurant is, its proximity is, in the end, as important than the quality of its food.
Why did Daniel Taylor drink Starbuck’s all the time? Was it because he loved Starbucks? Probably not so much. Daniel Taylor is about close proximity. That’s the moral of the story. What’s Daniel Taylor all about? Daniel Taylor needs to write more about Daniel Taylor, I need to know more.

At least now there will be two columns in this issue talking about Daniel Taylor.
The paper’s great for that reason. We wrote a column about ourselves for years. Note to future writers: if you want to get your work out there, write about yourself. Synthesis will hook you up. From page one to Kozmic Kev, it’s all about the people; the people who make Chico Great; the people who eat at Taco Bell. Or who ate at Taco Bell.

Final thoughts?
I think that really the lesson that we can learn best from Taco Bell closing is that my Chico Legends prints are a really good last minute holiday gift buying option, and the Chico Legends show, there’s no better way to blow off steam than to come to Duffy’s the day after Christmas and even buy a “Duffy’s” print while you’re there. It’s a one-stop shop for my flights of fancy [laughs].

The Seven Layer burrito and the cheesy bean & rice burrito are the best thing ever.
My two are not, but I thought I had to get tacos. I thought that was a requirement. I didn’t realize that I had to pay for my food. I thought this was comped.

On my salary? You think I can afford to just buy you Taco Bell?
[laughs] $3.14. I think I’m going to write it off. That’s a tax write-off.

Sorry, didn’t mean to lead you on. Pay for your own Taco Bell, and there’s no movie later, either.
No, it’s good because ever since the weight loss surgery, instead of eating eight tacos I can only eat one and a half, so it’s all good. I’m a cheap date now. I want to spend more time plugging stuff than talking tacos, but I remember this Taco Bell when they had the actual bell in here and [the restaurant] was like a quarter of the size, all adobe style. You remember the old Taco Bells? They were supposed to look old-timey. That’s how this one was.

Then they re-designed it to match the Downtown Park Plaza, right?
Yeah. In the wake of “Chico’s Ground Zero,” as Daniel [Taylor] called it.

Personally I think having the soda machine so close to the door was their Achilles Heel.
The bums can just pop in. I think you could fit a 40 bottle under there. I think it’s because they sold out of the Creamy Style Frutista Freezes. I think that could have been what did it.

Even though the Walk-UP window was kind of a cool novelty…
It was a novelty, but just the other day {Matt} Loomis was pointing out how sporadic the Walk-Up Window’s hours were. Even in the sign was on it didn’t’ necessarily mean the Walk-Up Window was operational. We’ve all experienced the heartbreak of stumbling up to the walk-up window and being told to come inside.

So consistency was their falure. Not the food.
The first hallmark of fast food is consistency. You’re going to get the same Seven Layer burrito every time. As good as taco trucks are sometimes you get an off-burrito. I was told about this truck that had the best shrimp quesadilla in the world and I went and got it and was pretty underwhelmed by it. But expectations could do that too.

Speaking of expectations, how were your tacos today?
Well, I ordered tacos becaudes I thought I had to. Generally I’ma burrito person, because the Bean Burroit o Fresca is a pretty great burrito. I enjoued the Double-Decker more, but Ithink it was because of the inclusion fo the sour cream that di it. But I got the sof taco fresco, which is the pico do gallo rather than the red sauce. They were both what they were; they were tacos. I’m not the biggest fan of processed ground beef, so I was a little wary. I almost got them vegitarian, but decided to go old school with it. Thery were good. They didn’t’ quite make me misty about the closing of the shop, but at the same time, they definitely served theirpurpose and…now I guess I’m getting a little choked up now. I guess maybe the realization that I’m not going to be able to come here anymore, because e I came here as a kid, now my kids come here…I don’t’ know if that reflects well on me but they come here just like I came here and it’s good stuff, good times, but where are the Notenos and sorenos going to write on tables? Will they find a place?? Will they find somewhere else to vandalize? I don’t’ know. [laughs]. What about “Jonny luvs Suzy,” where will they express their forbidden love if not on the Taco Bell tables and walls and booths?

And where else can bums shoot up in the bathroom…
Besides everywhere? I’d like to say where else can Humpty Hump get busy, but that was the bathroom at Burger King. I’m sure that Humpty would mke an exception and go for Taco bell too, if possible.

Final thoughts?
I think that really the lesson that we can learn best from Taco Bell closing is that my Chico Legens prints are a really good last minute holiday gift buying optin and the Chico Legends show, wthere’s no better way ot blow off steam that to come to Duffy’s the day after Christmas and enjoy that and even buy a Duffy’s print while you’re there. It’s a onestop shop for my flights of fancy. [laughs]

Talkin' Tacos: You'll Never Know How Much You Miss Taco Bell Until It's Gone, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

Tags: aj, AJ Moreno, Aye Jay, Chico CA, closing, el paisa, la cocina economica, Taco Bell, talkign tacos, talkin tacos