The Summer of Taco: It's All Around You

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This summer, Chattarati is setting out to do something completely unheard of in the annals of Chattanooga history. Epic in its scope, eternal in its consequences, we call it The Summer of Taco™. Over the course of three months, we’ll dispatch hundreds of tortillas and Dos Equis, not to mention thousands of gratuitously awarded™ symbols, all in the service of a very noble cause, we think.

We want to find Chattanooga’s best taco, and we want you to help us.

The Summer of Taco™ starts on Cinco de Mayo and continues through August 1. We'll have meet-ups, ChattUps, and taco fests along the way, and you are invited for the long haul. There will be videos and t-shirts, and there's already a theme song by DJ k789. But first, a task this huge takes a little legwork, so we've produced a set of strict criteria for judging the merits of Chattanooga's tacos. Each staff member can award a maximum of 5 stars to each taco, based on their rating for each of these categories. We'll publish an aggregate score per person, as well as an average Chattarati staff score, per taco.

1. Presentation & Experience
How pretty is it? The ideal taco looks fresh and inviting, packed well if it’s pre-folded, colorful if it’s served open-face. Also in this category, what's it like actually eating the taco in its natural environs?

2. Construction
Subcategory: Portability
Subcategory: Quality of outer shell
How far will it travel? How much “forking” is required for the fallen filling?

3. Quality of Ingredients
Canned goods lose major points. Fresh and locally-sourced goodies gain ‘em. Imports are a possible exception: anyone who cares enough about tacos to have the finest authentic goods shipped into Chattanooga deserves recognition, no?

4. Flavor Balance
In formulating the judging rubric, we came up against a major wall. How do you compare a simple, elegant taco with a fancy fusion one? It just has to be good, folks. If the flavors are balanced, if you leave knowing you just ate a taco—regardless of its inspiration, motives, or home—it qualifies. If the remoulade overpowers the inherent goodness, or the lime juice and cilantro just don’t mesh, that’s the judge. Do it well, or don’t do it at all.

5. Creativity and Authenticity
We see both of these as major pluses, so we’ve grouped them together.

Join Us for The Summer of Taco
Since we started hinting around about #summeroftaco on Twitter, we've been blown away how quickly you've welcomed it into your hearts. And as much as we love tacos, this project won't be as much fun without you. So, come eat tacos with us. Tell your friends. Share your photos. And most of all, have fun. It is summer, after all.