BY JOHN ANGIULO
I worked for Swell Taco during the beginning years when supplies constantly ran low, staff was a conglomerate of employees and friends helping out and the future was fairly unsure. Now, a few years later, its become a staple of the community. The place has expanded, Swell Taco Patchogue has just come alive as its own source of fun and food and the website is a decade (or two) ahead of where it was.
Now, there’s going to be a blog and I, apparently, am writing the first one. I was coerced into doing the initial blog post by my old employer and long time friend Brooke, as I was romancing a bottle of tequila and dancing around the Post Office Cafe, of all places. It seemed easy as could be at the time so I agreed. But then, soberly, I began to think, what would a swell taco blog really be like?
Would we blog about the newest and best tacos? Should we write about margarita recipes? Do we talk about the good old days, the brand new happenings, the boarding community that basically lives there, the towns that have welcomed Swell Taco into their lives or what? Do I do a sappy remembrance of my time in the beginning or interviews with the two owners who hate the spotlight?
Well, none of that seemed right and I needed to get something written. So after one particularly cold surf in January, when the waves were hollow and my face was frozen to the point of a perpetual sting, I went into Swell and searched for a muse.
“Four tacos, two beers and three margaritas later, I looked around Swell Taco Babylon with what I assume was a stupid grin and eyes that were a little squinty. I stared around and listened to the people around me. ”
A few guys were planning a surf trip down south. They said they were thinking of going down to Puerto Rico to support the economy after hurricane Maria hit them hard.
A mom and dad stared at their phones while their teenage son stared longingly at the snowboard video playing on one of the tv screens.
A couple held hands while looking each other in the eyes, nearly empty margarita glasses between them.
An old guy in a motor cycle jacket talking with a young man in a business suit, most likely fresh off the train from the city. They were talking about the new off shore oil drilling that has been approved and the conversation was getting a little heated. And that is when I realized what this blog is going to be about.
“It’s not about Swell Taco. Its about the varied interests and passions of the people who make Swell Taco.”
There’s surf and snowboard trips, skateboard contests, community building fundraisers, funny anecdotes, good times, bad times and nights with great food and drinks. This blog, just like the restaurant, is a place to check in, stay connected and get your fill.
