By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published May 30, 2023 at 12:03 PM

Join us for the 9th annual Milwaukee Taco Fest on the Henry Maier Festival Grounds. Get your tickets now - they are limited! 

Taqueria Orenda's Leticia Muñoz began working in the restaurant industry when she was 10 years old.

In August 2016, she took over Michael’s Family Restaurant, 2220 W. Wisconsin Ave., and three years later opened Orenda Cafe at 3514 W. National Ave., and added the Taqueria Orenda food truck in March 2021 when COVID shut her restaurants to dine-in service.

Even dedicated fans of the truck, which parks six days a week at the Menards in West Milwaukee, will find some special treats at Orenda during Milwaukee Taco Fest, Muñoz promises.

"I'm very excited," she says, "it will be the first time attending. I am working on special tacos for the event. Traditional tacos are great, but would like to offer something new to all taco lovers."

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Type of food: The food at Taqueria Orenda is traditional Mexican tacos and American sandwiches: Reuben, Philly cheesesteaks, cheeseburgers and chicken breast sandwich.

Most popular item: Our specialty are quesabirrias. (They) consist of two handmade tortilla (quesadillas) with melted mozarella cheese, our homemade beef birria (barbacoa), cilantro and onions.

Where can people find the truck this summer? Taqueria Orenda is parked inside Menards parking lot on 2101 Miller Pkwy.,  Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free options: All tacos on corn tortillas are gluten free. Quesabirrias, flautas, enchiladas. We’re still working on a vegan taco. For now thinking of a cactus (nopales), since is something traditional from Mexico.

If you could park your truck anywhere for one day where would it be? It's hard to think of another place in the world. (We're) happy where we are now.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.