Imagine that the world was going to end tomorrow. What would you want to eat today? What is your favorite food? You can only pick one. It’s difficult, isn’t it? But after a little noodling, I’ve decided the one food I could eat all day, any day, on my last day, is tacos. Delicious, authentic, Mexican tacos. Simple but flavorful, and in my opinion, the ultimate comfort food.

As a taco aficionado I have been delighted with the recent emergence of some new, authentic Mexican restaurants in our area. And while having a breadth of items on a menu allows variety, I always say that I prefer a relatively small menu, especially when a restaurant is brand new. Such is the case with the small-but-mighty Streetside Tacos in Long Beach, Washington, the first brick-and-mortar restaurant of its kind on the peninsula to offer truly authentic Mexican cuisine.

Make no mistake: The place is small. Really small. You place an order at the counter, where you also sit, and the food is prepared right in front of you. It’s in a tiny house along the main thoroughfare, a spot that in the past was a clam chowder place and a wine shop. But what Streetside Tacos lacks in size it makes up for in flavor.

My first dish was chicken tinga, a wonderful, tasty Mexican dish. Chicken and onions are slow-cooked in a rich chipotle sauce, and the dish is often traditionally served with crunchy tostadas. When cooked slowly over a low temperature, the chicken becomes tender, flavorful and shreddable, and, in this case, is an excellent taco filling.

I thought the chicken tinga offered at Streetside Tacos was delicious, moist and tangy, and joined by cotija cheese, cilantro and a squeeze of lime, it was truly exceptional. I shudder to think of how many I could have consumed if given the opportunity.

I thought the carne asada a bit lackluster. Usually, carne asada is heavily marinated and seared at a high temperature, lending a heavy barbecue flavor and ensuring that the meat’s juices are locked inside, making for a very juicy, tender dish. Instead I found the carne asada more stew-like, lacking the heavily seared exterior I would expect. Although the dish was tender, it seemed more like marinated steak tips than carne asada, and overall I thought it seemed a bit bland and soupy.

My favorite dish of the day was a burrito with spicy pork. There was some inherent sweetness in the pork, made more noticeable by the spiciness. There seemed to be a fruity element to the pork — orange? Pineapple? I couldn’t be sure. Regardless, the burrito, stuffed full with rice, cheese and veggies, was more than could be eaten in a single sitting.

In the future I would suggest adding some vegetarian options to the menu. In the years I was a vegetarian I often filled tacos with grilled zucchini, for example. A southwestern-style salad would be a nice choice, too, as would perhaps a daily soup: pozole, maybe, or abondigas?

I found the food at Streetside Taco to be better-than-average, authentic Mexican food. While I munched, though, I considered the small size of the restaurant, from different angles, so to speak.

On the one hand, I worry that the restaurant’s tiny stature will not provide enough room for the hungry mouths that will undoubtedly want to patronize the business. I do suspect, though, that take-out business will be popular there, as the food is prepared in front of you while you wait.

On the other hand, I wonder if restaurants such as this aren’t the way of the future. While I relish the times my whole family and I can sit down for a meal with one another, and I think it’s an important part of life, in modern times with modern schedules, it’s not always feasible. How wonderful it is, then, to be able to rely on good, fresh foods, prepared quickly, that you can either pop in and eat or take with you if you’re in a hurry.

Streetside Tacos reminds me of something you’d see in Southern California, where authentic taco restaurants are plentiful. Quite often, the size of the space is small, but the heart and the flavor are big.

I believe Streetside Taco in Long Beach is just such a place, and I plan to frequent it often.