MANCHESTER, NH – TJ Burkush was standing in the industrial kitchen where he cooks for his fellow firefighters during every shift, about to explain what goes into Central Fire Station’s signature taco – the one they’ll be serving up during Thursday’s Intown Taco Tour – when the beep-beep-beep of a medical call alert interrupted his flow.
Burkush excused himself, and answered the call.
Such interruptions are just another day in the life of a Manchester firefighter when he’s also the designated head taco chef for the much-anticipated Intown Taco Tour. Fortunately, the medical call was quickly resolved, and Burkush was able to resume talking about what makes Central Fire Station’s Smoke Showing Taco worth seeking out on May 2, when the city becomes a giant open-air Taco Bell. The event is expected to draw thousands to the Queen City.
“A lot of us like to do barbecue at home as kind of a hobby, so what we do for the Smoke Showing taco is a smoked pork shoulder, and we make carnitas out of it,” Burkush says.
Ease of preparation is key. Slow-cooking makes taco prep practically effortless, says Burkush. They expect to cook 100 pounds of pork shoulder this year. Normally, they crank out about 500 tacos. This year, they’re looking to beat their own record and serve 700-750 tacos.
“That’s the goal,” Burkush says. Also, they’d love to place among the top-ranked tacos. “We tweak the recipe a little each year. And we make a special sauce, a cilantro-lime habanero sauce. We developed it in-house. The sauce is what gives it the zing, but it’s not super spicy, so there’s a lot of flavor in it, and the cilantro cuts down on the habanero kick.”
These firefighters know their hot stuff, and are one of only a few stops along the Taco Tour map that don’t normally specialize in feeding the public.
Speaking of the map, technically, they aren’t on it this year – lost in translation, as the tour changed hands, from the Hippo to Intown Manchester.
“We didn’t make the map this year,” Burkush said – an unfortunate oversight. He is optimistic taco tourists will find them anyway, just a short walk up Merrimack Street from Elm Street, across Chestnut, right to the fire truck bay doors. Just to be safe, Burkush says they are thinking of putting someone down the street with a sign, to direct people up to the fire station.
Below: We’ve added Central Fire Station to the Taco Tour Map! Pop it out, print it, pass it on!
Not being on the map isn’t a big deal. He is hoping it might actually get them some sympathy votes in this year’s quest for Best Taco as determined by the voting public.
Or at least an honorable mention.
“The taco tour is such a big undertaking, and so it’s understandable. But I started getting calls and emails when the map came out last week,” Burkush says.
“We kind of have it down to a science, after four years of participating. We know we need 100 pounds of meat and about a dozen guys, who all come in on their day off. We’re here from about 5:30 in the morning until we’re done, around 10 at night. Everyone does an awesome job on their day off,” he says.
They aren’t the only outliers. This year other stops outside of the business-district proper include Madear’s and Restoration Cafe, The Currier Museum and Two Share Brewing, Electric Avenue, The Foundry, Fisher Cats Stadium, the Hilton Garden Inn.
“We’ve talked to the chefs at Madear’s and we all have the same goal, to get people up from Elm Street and on the other side of Chestnut,” Burkush says.
An added component of the Taco Tour is that each stop on the tour map chooses a charity as its beneficiary. Manchester Fire partners with Muscular Dystrophy Association, and will have give-aways, music, hats, stickers and other kid-centric fun on site during the tour.
Burkush is looking forward to this year’s after-party at Fisher Cats Stadium and – he’s not going to lie – the fish tacos from Hooked and Ignite.
“I love their fish tacos. I usually ask my wife to go over and get me one,” he says.
In addition to the Fisher Cats after party, new this year is live music in Veterans Park, sponsored by Rock101; Trolley rides to locations with tacos that are off the beaten path, courtesy of Great Bay Limousine; and a Rock Climbing Wall from Vertical Entertainment.
Click here for more information about this year’s Intown Manchester Taco Tour 2019, which runs from 4-9 p.m. Elm Street will be closed to traffic from Central to Bridge streets, as will Hanover and Lowell streets, between Chestnut and Elm.
Outtake: Manchester Firefighter TJ Burkush almost gets to talk about 2019 Taco Tour from Carol Robidoux on Vimeo.
