The tamale cart guy might give you a discount if you went without the pants, you know.

::hands Jess "Will Flash For Goat Tacos" cardboard sign::

Maybe I'll just send Dylan. It's never too early to teach kids how to get their mom a mole tamale and goat taco.

What a great story that will be for his college entrance essays!

"When I was a child, my mother wouldn't wear pants and would send me out for mole tamale and goat tacos..."

The weird thing to realize is, when we were kids, my friend's mom would send her down to the local market to pick up cigarettes for her. When L. was maybe nine or ten (it was just a couple of blocks). And no one batted an eye.

I did that once for my mother at that age, and they wouldn't sell them to me. This surprised both my mother and me, since we both never considered that anyone might think I'd smoke - all I ever did was hassle my mother about quitting! (She eventually did.)

There is a Qdoba right outside the door of my office, and I am trying to break the habit of going there every other day, because I can never resist the rice, and frequently get the tortilla anyway. But I like the soup.

My husband and I often (jokingly) argue about what food is the essential essence of Taco Bell. I insist it's the bean burrito; for him it's the Mexi-melt. We each follow the rule of no matter what else you get, you have to get the [bean burrito or Mexi-melt].

I like Moe's food a lot, but that "Welcome to Moe's!" shouting business makes me crazy.

Man, I used to love the Mexi-Melt (without pico). I don't think I've had one in years, having switched over mostly to supreme tacos.

The Mexi-Melt was a late 80's addition to the Taco Bell menu, so I'd have a hard time saying that it's part of their essence. That would have to be one of the core items like the hard shell taco and the bean burrito.