Taco Invasion

New Orleans has always been reputed to be on of the better food places in the U.S. In the eyes of food critics and people who have eaten here, only San Francisco or New York City could challenge the claim that our food is the best. It's the Cajun/Creole food we have and the tradition for being passionate about eating good food that has made New Orleans food a favorite. But since hurricane Katrina I see a new food influence has come into the city with zeal. It's the Mexican truck food wagon.
For better or worse we are getting a big Latin American, particularly Mexican, food migration here, often on the heels of the many thousands of illegal immigrants who have swarmed here after the hurricane either looking for rebuilding work or crime. They miss their native foods and Taco trucks are accommodating them everywhere in the New Orleans area. An not only are these taco trucks here, but some of the owners (the legal ones) are putting down roots in the area and opening real Mexican restaurants as well.
I have eaten at only one of the Taqueria trucks or the new restaurants (I do not care for the spicy Mexican food) but there are many of them even here in Kenner. (I had a taco, a enchilada, a burrito, and a Quesedilla the times I bought food there. All were very authentic and tasty). The Chinese, French, Cajun, Italian, Mid Eastern, Vietnamese.....whatever restaurant that was flooded and did not reopen is now being replaced by those taco wagons or by Mexican restaurants in the damaged buildings that housed the pre storm restaurants. On one street about 5 minutes from my home, 3 of the 5 new restaurants are Latin American restaurants that took over the buildings of non Latin restaurants that were there before the storm. Too, on the same street are a Mexican grocery store and a Mexican/Latin American sandwich shop.
The clientele is mostly the Latin American community and in particular, the legal and illegal immigrants from Mexico who have poured into the city. I think people always most like the food which they ate as children, so the patrons of those new food places fit that profile as well. I wonder how many of those Latin eating places will remain two years or so when we become saturated with them, and if they will change the food reputation here, for better or worse.
But people here have long complained that there was little cheap street food in general and authentic Mexican food in general. As the Latin population grows the demand for that kind of food will also, and it should be translated to the general population of the city. This is of interest to natives like me who have never seen much outside food survive in a market where people know and expect good food and a restaurant must be exceptionally good to survive.
Perhaps the huge influx of Latin population means that axiom won't matter, for the Mexican population will patronize those Latin places regardless of quality. Uh...but please don't call me Taco Jim just yet.