Yesterday I had an amazing experience. I was invited to the media launch of the RubiosxBlais adventure-inspired street tacos.

I posted about this last week, and these tacos BLEW ME AWAY. This collaboration was 2 years in the making, and when you bite into these, you know this was a labor of love.

The three tacos are:

• Hula Hula Carnitas: Inspired by Chef Blais’ time in Hawaii, the Hula Hula Carnitas taco features pork marinated in a rich blend of gochujang, achiote, and garlic, wrapped in a banana leaf and slow-cooked, creating tender, juicy meat with an authentic Hawaiian Kalua flavor. It is served on a stone ground corn tortilla with mango salsa and garnished with black sesame seeds, cotija cheese and a slice of lime. The taste is a subtly sweet mash-up of authentic Hawaiian and Mexican flavors.
• Blaised & Glazed Crispy Chicken: Delivering a tangy, zesty taco twist on Buffalo chicken, the Blaised & Glazed taco starts with Rubio’s crispy chicken tossed in Frank’s RedHot sauce, the secret ingredient used in the original Buffalo wings created in Buffalo, NY in 1964. It is served on a warm flour tortilla with crisp shredded cabbage, homemade ranch sauce, and house-pickled celery and jalapeño, garnished with cotija cheese and celery seed.
• Ancho Po-Boy Shrimp: Named after New Orleans’ most famous sandwich, the Ancho Po-Boy Shrimp taco is a modern take on classic New Orleans street food. The taco features flash-fried ancho-lime shrimp with Cajun aioli, and is served on a warm flour tortilla with crisp shredded cabbage, salsa fresca and a slice of lime.

My favorite was the chicken taco, and here’s why. Details. It’s a taco, but at the same time, it’s all of the ingredients, the details that make it so tasty. The homemade ranch sauce (which has the texture of crema- it’s amazing), and the pickled celery. PICKLED CELERY you guys! Imagine the hot carrots and peppers from your local taco shop, with crunchy celery added. It gives the taco a bright, spicy crunch. And the celery seed on the top-it’s the icing on the cake!

Are you excited to try these tasty new tacos? You’ve got until October, but you aren’t going to wait.

I’m giving two of my readers a chance to experience the RubiosxBlais tasty taco collab (or anything on the Rubio’s Coastal Grill Menu, but you’ll want these tacos). Entering is quick and easy. To enter, click here. I will choose two winners on 5/26/2021. This giveaway is not sponsored or fulfilled by Rubio’s, Facebook, or Instagram.