Despite a good start with a wicked spicy Michelada (a traditional Mexican mixture of beer and lime juice – pumped up a notch at El Rayo with a dash of Tabasco) there were things about this popular taqueria that didn’t set my foodie heart aflutter.

Adam grooving on the cob at El Rayo

The tortillas should have been pan-crisped (or a least warmed). The meat in the pork taco was a tad dry (although the fish taco was moist perfection). And, the tops of the stools were so tiny it was like sitting on a pin (even for Adam’s teeny, tiny tushie).

But all was forgiven when I bit into the corn on the cob. Oh. My. God.

Grilled and coated with chipotle mayonnaise and cotija cheese, this was not my mama’s Midwestern side dish. Savory, sweet and oozing with cheesiness, I powered through the cob in a heartbeat. Called “edible crack” by El Rayo regulars, this corn sticks in your mind even more than it does on your teeth.

Case in point: when I spied it on plates at the 20 Mile Meal, I made a beeline for the long line snaking out from El Rayo’s table. I didn’t want to get too full on other things before I’d had my cob.

It’s that good.