Beauty on the borderlands: At the corner of South Sixth and 22nd Street near the gateway to South Tucson is a white taco truck called Cocteleria La Palma. The owners, Esther and Mario Romero are from the coastal state of Sinaloa and run what one might consider your typical shrimp cocktail joint.
But they also make a thing so scandalous it should only be spoken of in hushed tones, a fantasy food they call the taco quesadilla. It is like it sounds: half battered shrimp taco, half quesadilla with mozzarella cheese. It is a monster of a thing with a loosely folded flour tortilla that crackles away with each bite, revealing fluffy balls of crispy shrimp and gooey cheese that spews out the side. There is also avocado and a lot of lettuce, and some light chipotle cream sauce somewhere in there. In short, it is a show.
You eat the thing under a tarp with a silver fan that spews out a thick, hazy mist into the air. Through it, you can see a tire shop, a hot dog cart and the historic Santa Cruz Catholic Church. It was truly a moving experience.
Weird fact: Their Seven Mares seafood soup is apparently "the cure" for hangovers. That's why they're open on Sundays.
Location: 1137 S. Sixth Ave.
Phone: 520-270-4067
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, closed Tuesdays
Payment: accepts debit and credit cards
