Perth Voice Interactive

AFTER six-and-a-half years in North Perth, it’s hasta la vista for Mexican eatery the Flying Taco.

Its spot on Angove Street is going great guns these days but after nearly seven years doing the same thing owner Anna Heifetz is feeling the need to move on.

“It’s bittersweet but as we get older we have fewer and fewer opportunities to jump off the cliff, to just leap and trust that whatever’s next will be amazing,” the ever-bubbly Ms Heifetz says.

“I’m going to miss a lot of it, and there are other bits I’m ready to move on from.”

“I want to say thank you to North Perth, the community, and everyone who’s supported us.”

When she arrived in Angove Street it was a very different place, with just one coffee shop, a pub, the bike shop and not too many other drawcards.

“The neighbourhood was real slow,” she says, “its changed a lot.” These days it’s pumping with trendy cafes, indy homeware stores and a dose of fashion joints.

“I want to say thank you to North Perth, the community, and everyone who’s supported us.”

Originally from California, Ms Heifetz stumbled upon the restaurant’s quirky name and logo in a tattoo.

“We just thought it was funny,” she says, peering at the cartoony winged taco emblazoned on her forearm.

Ms Heifetz originally wanted to open a food van (hence the “flying” part) but after seeing how tangled the legislation was she decided to settle for a stationary restaurant.

And while Perth today is swarming with places serving quesadillas and guacamole, there used to be a dearth of good Mexicans before Taco flew into town: “It’s crazy… 10 years ago in this country a lot of Australians didn’t have a clue what Mexican food was beyond an Old El Paso kit—not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

With Taco’s last day on May 31, Ms Heifetz isn’t sure what she’ll do next, beyond having a month off: “I think I’ll always have something to do with food. I love cooking and I love feeding people.”

by DAVID BELL