30 Tacos, 30 Days

The question is not, `How could you eat tacos at 30 different places in one month?' The question is, `How could you limit yourself to 30?'

In our thriving tacopolis , at least seven places sell tacos on a half-mile stretch of East Seventh Street alone. But you have to start somewhere.

So on Sept. 1, I started with fried cauliflower at Papalote and ended on Sept. 30 with crispy Tex-Mex at Amaya's Taco Village. In between were 28 tacos with Southern-fried chicken, stir-fried cactus, tempura-fried avocado, grilled fish, scrambled eggs, chopped chorizo, wood-fired beef and pork that had been spit-roasted, pan-fried, citrus-marinated and hand-shredded.

Thirty tacos in 30 days? In Austin, we just call that September.

DAY 1: PAPALOTE

(2803 S. Lamar Blvd. 804-2474. )

The taco: Tortas de coliflor ($3.25). Blessed are they who fry cauliflower. A fragrant canvas for cabbage, avocado and queso fresco. Guajillo chile sauce gives it a neon orange glow and a unifying heat.

Salsa y mas: Hot pickled onions with oregano. Papalote is new in the Austinville 78704 block of shops, the little sister of Azul Tequila. Saturated vintage posters of Mexican movie idol are Cantinflas everywhere. If his face can't make you smile, you have no soul. Just try not to hum `Paparazzi.'

DAY 2: TACOS LA GÜERA

(2510 S. Congress Ave. 326-8226. )

The taco: Migas ($1.50). Corn tortilla strips add crunch and flavor to a mix of eggs, tomatoes, jalapeños and onions - every taco pan-fried to order, hot and fresh.

Salsa y mas: Simple red with medium heat. Karina and Alfredo Ballesteros have made the leap from trailer to brick-and-mortar shop, bringing their low trailer prices (nothing more than $2) and warm orange color scheme to the former home of Red Cap Chick. The trailer's still outside, if you're feeling nostalgic.

DAY 3: ONE TACO

(A van next to Little Woodrow's at 520 W. Sixth St. 539-7561, www.one-taco.com .)

The taco: The Gowalla ($3.50). Grilled steak, guacamole, chunks of queso fresco, a sprinkle of bacon. Your protein quotient for the day on two hot corn tortillas.

Salsa y mas: Smoky chipotle red, tangy tomatillo green. Axel Beverido worked for John Deere in Mexico before moving here for love - and tacos. The Austin-based Gowalla team gave his taco truck a jump-start by ordering 1,000 tacos for South by Southwest. For that, they get a taco with their name on it. It's good business; it's good food.

DAY 4: LA FAMILIA

(3601 W. William Cannon Drive, Suite 900. 892-1311, www.lafamiliaaustin.com .)

The taco: Carne guisada ($2.29). A blue-plate special's worth of fork-tender roast beef barely held back by the tortilla, stewed in thick red gravy. More about quantity than taste.

Salsa y mas: Red table sauce, medium heat. A strip-mall family place with low prices and friendly people. Carne-free alternative: an egg-and-veggie taco with sweet corn and zucchini ($1.79).

DAY 5: TWO HOT MAMAS GRILL

(2418 S. RM 620, Lakeway. 992-2136, site.twohotmamasgrill.com .)

The taco: Barbacoa ($5.50 for three). Once an indulgence only on the weekends, barbacoa is yours during breakfast hours weekdays from 7 to 11 a.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shredded beef is rich and tender, without the gamey undercurrent of some barbacoa, finished with cilantro and onion.

Salsa y mas: Genevieve Thompson started Two Hot Mamas salsas with a business partner, but the grill in Lakeway is her baby. The creamy chimichurri sauce with almond and mint is subtle and refreshing, and a `wild' chile verde will light up your barbacoa.

DAY 6: ZUZU

(6317 Bee Cave Road, No. 200. 732-2117, www.zuzuaustin.com .)

The taco: Mahi mahi ($2.75). My intent was positive taco reinforcement, but it's challenging with fish so aggressively fishy and overcooked.

Salsa y mas: Sauces go from the merely mild to Ambien-strength mild. On the plus side: nice people, kids' quesadilla with rice and beans for $1.95, walls like posters at a progressive middle school. Downside: Tacos like the cafeteria at a progressive middle school.