

Though it still cannot compete with the hole-in-the wall tacquerias in California, it was vastly superior to all of the mexican/tex-mex restaurants that are strangely popular in the DC area.
When I went home, I did a little research on this place I discovered was called Mi Tierra, translate: My Homeland. I highly recommend reading the linked WaPo article because it describes how Mi Tierra was a collaboration between the city and vendors who may have difficulty setting up full-fledged restaurants. In exchange for allowing these places a place to legally sell their food, the vendors take classes on accounting, food safety, and small business management. Seriously, such a cool idea.
While some people may argue that these street vendors hurt local businesses who actually do have to pay for all the licensing fees, I actually feel like these vendors bring in many people who would not normally come to the area. Moreover, the market also serves another purpose as there were tents set-up Spanish speakers to talk to people about health and legal issues.
The United States is definitely behind the rest of the world in terms of street food. This is especially a shame because we have the opportunity to showcase the many cultures represented in our melting pot, salad bowl, or whatever we are calling ourselves these days. So I am fully in support of any initiative to increase that, while providing the added bonus of helping immigrants and teaching them about business practices. Everyone wins.
Pictures and article info courtesy of "Home is Where the Tacos Are"
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