tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29534289252860471652024-03-13T21:50:58.001-07:00The Taco Maven: A Guide to Eating and Cooking TacosTaco Lover, Vlogger, Philosopher, Cook.Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-59261571772027762532021-05-23T14:02:00.008-07:002022-05-23T18:41:24.734-07:00Bee Taqueria and Taquero Alex Carrasco in Los Angeles<p>I fell in love in February 2021. Just as dawn was breaking over the landscape of the Pandemic horror. A writers group I'm in (contains a number of chefs and discerning palettes) kept recommending a taco place. Being the know-it-all Taco Maven that I am, I thought they were saying Bea's Tacos. Of course I know Bea's! <a href="http://alandbeas.com/">Al and Bea's</a>? Is it an offshoot of the best bean and cheese burrito place EVER?</p><p>Nope not that Bea's. BEES, as in bumble, buzzing, honey bees. Turns out to be an amazing metaphor for a taquero-chef who has a rad bee tattoo on his calf <i>and </i>a whole hive of bees inhabiting the space he chose for his first L.A. Taco venture. The bees bring the magic, make the honey, pollinate the flowers; and so does Alex.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0vvuBCmjkY/YKq0lsFWftI/AAAAAAAAB20/asAT6WNUD-sWk3QY6z_X2Ar8oTKV_TsUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Churros%2BBee.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0vvuBCmjkY/YKq0lsFWftI/AAAAAAAAB20/asAT6WNUD-sWk3QY6z_X2Ar8oTKV_TsUQCLcBGAsYHQ/w184-h245/Churros%2BBee.jpg" width="184" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3H4eY1qwBqw/YKq0loN8o6I/AAAAAAAAB24/Csg72-lEjOQeR0Eqbsb4lUuJoKBCVYk5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Chef%2BAlex%2BBee.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3H4eY1qwBqw/YKq0loN8o6I/AAAAAAAAB24/Csg72-lEjOQeR0Eqbsb4lUuJoKBCVYk5ACLcBGAsYHQ/w184-h245/Chef%2BAlex%2BBee.jpg" width="184" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hii7r4LPl8c/YKq2usGiP2I/AAAAAAAAB3g/o1G_jSBJzts9aU9QnTJ6ooZcpGrw6Gt-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Squash%2BBlossom%2BTaco%2BBee.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hii7r4LPl8c/YKq2usGiP2I/AAAAAAAAB3g/o1G_jSBJzts9aU9QnTJ6ooZcpGrw6Gt-wCLcBGAsYHQ/w183-h245/Squash%2BBlossom%2BTaco%2BBee.jpg" width="183" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZ5ACSgIC_s/YKq93kVDWYI/AAAAAAAAB4A/m5te_VKLr_gWeSD189n8ko7JEUojQVkzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Crab%2BAmuse%2BBouche%2BBee.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="246" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZ5ACSgIC_s/YKq93kVDWYI/AAAAAAAAB4A/m5te_VKLr_gWeSD189n8ko7JEUojQVkzgCLcBGAsYHQ/w184-h246/Crab%2BAmuse%2BBouche%2BBee.jpg" width="184" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xhW3YnlVq7c/YKq0mAdyEdI/AAAAAAAAB3A/AN1ut4TGmusRaCeP6BFqbfg9qcHY7gxkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Fish%2BTaco%2BBee.jpg" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="246" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xhW3YnlVq7c/YKq0mAdyEdI/AAAAAAAAB3A/AN1ut4TGmusRaCeP6BFqbfg9qcHY7gxkgCLcBGAsYHQ/w185-h246/Fish%2BTaco%2BBee.jpg" width="185" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span>Alex Carrasco is one of a kind:</span><span> He's funny, friendly, charming, highly skilled, dedicated, spiritual and tireless. When he was invited to attend an <i>Omakase </i>seminar via Zoom last year with a number of famous chefs including </span><a href="http://www.josiahcitrin.com">Josiah Citrin</a><span> of Me</span><span>lisse renown, he was humbled to be included. He had to laugh when his virtual background was a graffitied wall and a tiny kitchen inside what looks like a trailer against the stainless steel, fancy kitchens of many of the other participants.</span></div><p>I was excited to try Bee's, especially when my friend Adam said, "He must be a serious chef, his tacos are just too good to be random." Oh he's serious alright. Alex shared part of his journey with us on my first visit to Bee Taqueria. It was a rainy Wednesday. I didn't care. I was going. A few others were able to hop on to the Bee Train. Once I decide I need to try a taco, nothing will stop me, even in a Pandemic. Thank God his place is outdoors.</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvVOydp2eAA/YKq0mn-YSbI/AAAAAAAAB3I/WgugR6LQ61UDiEQ5o75IWRTfFtJDyiH7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Patio%2BBee.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="227" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HvVOydp2eAA/YKq0mn-YSbI/AAAAAAAAB3I/WgugR6LQ61UDiEQ5o75IWRTfFtJDyiH7ACLcBGAsYHQ/w302-h227/Patio%2BBee.jpg" width="302" /></a></p><p>Chef Alex is from Mexico City. He has graced many a venerable L.A. kitchen as a line cook including <a href="https://la.osteriamozza.com/">Osteria Mozza</a>. He was living and working in Vegas when he was offered a chance to helm his own place. What he quickly realized is that he wanted to keep it real, reach the most amount of people at a fair price, and not be in debt up to his ears for the next 5 years. Alex is a guy who follows his heart and his instincts and opening at the end of 2019, before a global crisis struck, made it even smarter that he chose to start small.</p><p>He took over an old BBQ joint at the corner of W. Adams and Slauson. It took a bit of work to modernize the kitchen and update the property. Part of that required having a bee whisperer come out to decide what to do about the hive living in a rusted out flagpole, next to the kitchen. Alex decided to ask the bees nicely not to bother his customers and then he planted a bunch of lavender for them and that's how the restaurant got its name! More or less!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Y2ni89FJkE/YKq8j9zKCMI/AAAAAAAAB3w/ASHqc8R3MMcI89c5dSaSCwfDq7ebbG-NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Bee%2BPole.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Y2ni89FJkE/YKq8j9zKCMI/AAAAAAAAB3w/ASHqc8R3MMcI89c5dSaSCwfDq7ebbG-NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Bee%2BPole.jpg" /></a></div><p>Seriously, I know... enough stories and move on to the tacos already! I will! But part of the <i>taco</i> magic comes from the magic of Alex. It really does. The tacos are great. Try them all! Vegan, non-vegan, try every damn thing and go often. Seriously. That's my review. Even the churros are a work of art. Dreamy, delicious, skinny, crispy, and fresh with innovations like a drizzle of green tea creme anglaise, wrapped in a <i>shisho</i> leaf with a fresh pansy for garnish?! Yeah, Alex is not effing around. His bright yellow business card says "chingon" on one side and "El Padre de los Tacos" on the other. I'm thinking of framing it. I want to bee a badass like Alex.</p><p>In my "taco" opinion, he's right up there with <a href="http://www.tacomaria.com">Taco Maria</a> for innovation and flavor.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAwfSQDsZVs/YKq8xGCL7GI/AAAAAAAAB30/3uJmDILmcEk-MH_tQOTySw_5PnpXq4XMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Bee%2Bcrispy%2Bshrimp.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAwfSQDsZVs/YKq8xGCL7GI/AAAAAAAAB30/3uJmDILmcEk-MH_tQOTySw_5PnpXq4XMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Bee%2Bcrispy%2Bshrimp.jpg" /></a></div><p>I was all ready to do my blog post back in late February, but then I learned that Alex does a 7-8? course Taco <i>Omakase</i> dinner (by reservation and cash only) for $95 per person. Insanely underpriced for the amount of food, the quality of the food, and the fun conversations you get to have with him. All this while he's serving you plate after plate of astounding seafood and other inspired taco combinations. It really can't be described... I mean... it <i>could</i> be, but better if you go and have the experience. You get to sit at a rustic wooden table next to the kitchen and BYOB. It's MAGIC, <i>puramente mágico! </i>Like wtf, if I didn't take pictures I would maybe think it never happened. Truly. Unlike <a href="https://fathersoffice.com/">Father's Office </a>(no burger modifications for 20+ years) Alex will take a few of your limitations into consideration. Just a few, don't go driving him crazy though with a bunch of "Harry met Sally" nonsense! Do you promise?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XqQBxSghOFM/YKq3ATL4SdI/AAAAAAAAB3o/p6peu87DtyYQbWh7Tqe5iGrp4HhAWws8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Churros%2BMenu%2BBee.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XqQBxSghOFM/YKq3ATL4SdI/AAAAAAAAB3o/p6peu87DtyYQbWh7Tqe5iGrp4HhAWws8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Churros%2BMenu%2BBee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Jonathan Gold (RIP) would have loved Alex and his tacos and would have been championing him via his review outlets. Read this great article by L.A. Taco who wrote about Alex in <a href="https://www.lataco.com/bee-taqueria-taco-omakase/">August of 2019</a>. They give a lot more food detail than I do! Honestly, it's all about Alex. Just trust him. Eat what he says, leave a big tip and go often.</p><p>Alex also does private parties for the <i>Omakase</i>. So you can have him come to your house and work his magic in your backyard. It does mean that sometimes he has to close the restaurant while away for one of these events, but hopefully with the pandemic lifting he will have more customers, more help and can really find his bee wings and fly high in the sky over L.A. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZHzMewKrTU/YKrBxRrIwOI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/Iu3VVNHPSCoeTIIzK93AESAGWJzpEwX0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Graffiti%2BBee.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZHzMewKrTU/YKrBxRrIwOI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/Iu3VVNHPSCoeTIIzK93AESAGWJzpEwX0gCLcBGAsYHQ/w150-h200/Graffiti%2BBee.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bee Taqueria</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">5754 W. Adams Los Angeles 90016<br /></span></i><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Instagram: @beetaqueria</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #484848; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">323 452 9575</span></i></div>Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-60565029575489439772021-05-23T12:02:00.001-07:002021-05-23T12:03:29.489-07:00Holbox Tacos at Mercado La Paloma Downtown, Los Angeles<p>These fine folks have been working hard since around 2016 I believe, making incredible fish tacos, cocteles and ceviche. I'm not sure how I missed them! (Insert finger wagging here). Maybe because the name doesn't have taco in it? Maybe because I'd just moved back from Mexico and was busy eating tacos in Pasadena? There's no excuse really.</p><p>I was waiting to try to coordinate with friends but last night the moment was nigh and I ordered over the phone and drove 8 miles or so down Jefferson Blvd. to Grand (from Culver City) to have my experience.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFm5padekfU/YKqgFOQXZkI/AAAAAAAAB2U/X_RwNonHKBAaVL8JauwmmPgJEafQvholgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/to%2Bgo%2Bholbox.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFm5padekfU/YKqgFOQXZkI/AAAAAAAAB2U/X_RwNonHKBAaVL8JauwmmPgJEafQvholgCLcBGAsYHQ/w240-h320/to%2Bgo%2Bholbox.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>I had never heard of the <a href="http://www.mercadolapaloma.com/" target="_blank">MERCADO LA PALOMA</a> either. A very cool neighborhood revitalization project that houses <a href="https://www.chichenitzarestaurant.com/" target="_blank">CHICHEN ITZA</a> along with a Vegan Ethiopian restaurant and other tacos; 9 Restaurants total plus a few shops. I recommend getting on their mailing list, which you can do on their website.</p><p>HOW WERE THE TACOS? <i>Muy excelente</i>! The scallop taco was my favorite. The scallops were seared and juicy, really fresh and flavorful. I was given several salsas and crema, 4 in total for my array of tacos but I gotta say, the scallop taco needed nothing. It was friggin' perfect. It did have some mild chiles included. Seriously? PERFECT.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNyAS2CHvCU/YKqlCr6jmqI/AAAAAAAAB2s/SodQdFeeeDEBmaxVBA_8e6UxMWSWrlDIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/scallop%2Bholbox.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNyAS2CHvCU/YKqlCr6jmqI/AAAAAAAAB2s/SodQdFeeeDEBmaxVBA_8e6UxMWSWrlDIgCLcBGAsYHQ/w240-h320/scallop%2Bholbox.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>A word about their corn tortillas. Nutty, chewy yet thin enough that they don't dominate the taco in a way where you feel carbed out, if you get the kernel of what I'm sayin'. Not soggy either, no breakage. A nice bend but so thin I didn't feel overly stuffed after eating 3 tacos in total. The Taco Maven is 5'.1" and on a wee bit of a diet (lost 10+ lbs on Noom since January). It's hard being an aging Taco Maven but staying slim. Holbox tacos, especially the ones that aren't fried, are very friendly in this arena.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tz-uda681vA/YKqkvmgaytI/AAAAAAAAB2k/hMbJ5Jnjb3QSt0nrSwYhQWQ2SsI1eeg1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Mercado%2BLa%2BPaloma.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tz-uda681vA/YKqkvmgaytI/AAAAAAAAB2k/hMbJ5Jnjb3QSt0nrSwYhQWQ2SsI1eeg1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Mercado%2BLa%2BPaloma.jpg" /></a></div><p>I tried both the battered shrimp and fish tacos. They were a little oily because THEY'RE FRIED. I knew that. The batter was light. Somewhere between tempura and a heavier wheat-based batter. Lots of flavor, light golden brown, artful. Not down and dirty or extra dark and crispy but still good! I would probably stick with non-fried items on subsequent visits and get my fried taco fix at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mariscosjalisco/">Marisco Jalisco</a> or the <a href="http://rickyfishtacos.juisyfood.com/">Ricky's Fish Taco</a> Truck.</p><p>But for top notch seafood, sophisticated yet classic, fresh and flavorful modern fare, support these Taco Artisans and get your booty down to Grand Ave. for some HOLBOX. The dove will set you free.</p><p><i>P.S. Why is it called that? Perhaps named for the island in Mexico off of the Yucatan Peninsula where the fish must be very fresh and delicious. It also means "black hole" perhaps your stomach when you're hungry or their tiny square setup. It's pronounced Hole-bosh in Mayan.</i></p><div style="text-align: left;">Holbox at Mercado La Paloma </div><div style="text-align: left;">3655 S. Grand Ave (Figueroa Corridor)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Space #C9</div><div style="text-align: left;">11:30AM - 8PM (Closed MONDAY)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>www.holboxla.com</b></div>Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-74680199488237277632021-01-13T13:30:00.001-08:002021-01-13T13:30:48.701-08:00Chuy's Tacos Dorados, Los Angeles<p> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cYH1pVGHLQU/X_9jq6y95FI/AAAAAAAABzI/MNXxXcgh23sBgIexg5mk1_AFTX9fHRGYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s903/chuys.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 0em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cYH1pVGHLQU/X_9jq6y95FI/AAAAAAAABzI/MNXxXcgh23sBgIexg5mk1_AFTX9fHRGYgCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h320/chuys.jpg" title="Chuy's 10 Pack" width="266" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Hello Taco World,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It's been a minute. More like a year and a half! What the... While I'm grateful I kept eating tacos in 2020 and haven't gotten Covid yet, I wasn't able to blog. But I learned, as I think we all did, that it's the little things that bring the most joy. Little crunchy things in my case... salt & vinegar potato chips, any kind of chip really, and CRISPY TACOS.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">2020 was the year I discovered <a href="https://chuystacosdorados.com/" target="_blank">Chuy's Tacos Dorados </a>one of the best potato tacos I have eaten, ever. Seriously, EVER. It helped me and many of my local friends get through the darkest days of the pandemic and it's still helping. Over Xmas, we met in the parking lot of the Van Nuys Chuy's, ordered our tacos and stood outside our cars, 6 feet apart and ate and talked with masks on.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I started eating weekly at the one in Van Nuys before the 'shutdown' in March. Everything inside is white; the tiles, the floor, the countertop and it's one of the cleanest restaurants I've been in. Seriously, like sparkling with stars everywhere. The staff is delightfully cheerful and proud to be serving these amazing tacos. Also polite, always efficient, always clean, always wearing gloves and masks.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6N3Ih4ffm7w/X_9jq7BLR5I/AAAAAAAABzE/CAFZK_herMMDC3x7-3bSZaSd6ZU9wwtnACLcBGAsYHQ/s731/chuys%2Bdtla.jpg" style="margin-left: margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="730" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6N3Ih4ffm7w/X_9jq7BLR5I/AAAAAAAABzE/CAFZK_herMMDC3x7-3bSZaSd6ZU9wwtnACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/chuys%2Bdtla.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>DTLA Location</b></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><p>After the shutdown I discovered that Chuy's is actually a DRIVE-THRU. WHAT? Yes! A drive-thru for bitchen-ass crispy tacos people. Are you hearing me? 'Welcome to Chuy's, can I take your order?" You sure can! I favor the potato tacos but the shredded beef are good too. A friend that I hipped to Chuy's is a fan of their burritos and quesadillas. Yum-Yum. It's ALL good. Even the rice, which I think my old sidekick 'Side 'o Rice' would appreciate.</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">The best part about the potato taco is the warm, red salsa. Sort of like a tomato broth and a tradition for crispy potato tacos but one that few people bother to follow. It's not spicy, just crazy flavorful in some mad addictive way. Is it the oregano? It's almost like a dipping sauce. Buy extra. Trust me! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">They've started doing this wonderful desert which isn't on their online menu. It's a variation of a Flan but it's less jiggly. It's regional. They make it in Jalisco and Guadalajara. It's called <a href="https://www.food.com/recipe/jalisco-jericalla-384951" target="_blank">JERICALLA</a>. It's a cross between flan and creme brulee. Chuy's makes it in a lovely JAR you get to take home and keep! Big enough for 2. Yes! It's very smooth and tasty, not too eggy like a lot of flans can be. Definitely give it a try. You won't be sorry, just a little full.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">2020 was a very difficult year for the food service industry. As a former restaurant owner, caterer, kitchen witch, etc. I tried to support local spots in any way I could. Chuy's made it easy! They're <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chuystacosla/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> feed is the best kind of food porn and their photos are magical. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Thank you Chuy's for kicking ass and taking names and making my favorite kind of taco, AND making it really easy and safe for me to buy one and eat it! </span><i style="font-family: trebuchet;">Te amo muchisimo</i><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">!</span></p>Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-59299718648679914672019-07-07T17:24:00.002-07:002021-01-13T13:37:01.536-08:00Carne Asada Grilled Steak Tacos Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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It's been too long. A whole year, plus. I just broke my own record for not blogging about tacos. But I'm still eating tacos on a weekly basis, thinking about tacos and talking about tacos, this I assure you.<br />
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I've tried a few new places, but none of them floored me enough to create a blog post. I find that the cream of the crop places from two years ago are still on top. For me that is <a href="http://www.guerrillatacos.com/">Guerilla Tacos </a>- gourmet, fusion tacos, now in a brick and mortar space in the Arts District (DTLA) and <a href="http://www.sonoratown.com/">Sonoratown</a> for sublime steak tacos, also in DTLA. As my favorite crispy shrimp tacos, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mariscosjalisco/">Mariscos Jalisco </a>, are also in DTLA - it's a bit of a trifecta. You can't do much better than that, especially if you are a visiting taco lover.<br />
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I also enjoy cooking, as you know from my catalog of awesome recipes, right there in the right margin. I recently feel I've perfected the <i>carne asada</i> taco, including the marinade, maybe the most important part.<br />
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I do think that 'smoke matters' but I'll leave the bbq tricks up to the griller and talk mostly about the cut of meat and the marinade.<br />
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After living in Mexico (Baja, California Sur) for 6 years, I'm back in L.A. in the exact same guest house I lived in 7 years ago. The best part about sweating it out in the Valley is that I live near <b>Carniceria Don Juan! </b>Located at 14103 Victory Blvd. in Van Nuys, in a Mini Mall on the corner of Victory and Hazeltine. 818 901 8971.<br />
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It's a taco shop and a mini <i>tienda </i>market and a meat market. They sell the thinly sliced 'asada' meat which is traditionally made from sirloin butt aka '<b>flap meat</b>.' It's not Hangar steak or Flank steak in Mexico. That might be the way an upscale, gourmet restaurant does it, but this is a cheap cut of meat, maybe $5 a pound.<br />
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They also sell good tortillas - especially <a href="http://www.dianas.net/">Diana's</a> street taco-sized corn. Hard to find in a 'regular' supermarket. Last time I made my own flour tortillas because I haven't found a boutique place making really high quality, translucent not tough, flour tortillas. I wish Sonoratown would open a tortilleria but I know they have to drive all the way to Sonora to get their flour and it's hard enough keeping up with their taco success let alone selling tortillas to the 'stay at home' chefs.<br />
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Back to the tacos! Sure, this recipe will work with grass-fed beef from Whole Foods. I tried, but they had trouble slicing the meat thin enough and it tasted tough. That is really the key. the thinness and the flavor, of course. At Don Juan's, you can get the beef seasoned or plain. For this recipe, buy plain but feel free to do a taste test between the two.<br />
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NOW for some <b>extra bling</b> (I have <a href="https://www.chefsfeed.com/experts/4041-esdras-ochoa">Esdras Ochoa </a>to thank for this tip) buy the cut they call <b>Diesmillo. </b>I don't know why they call it that... because it's worth 10x more? Because it tastes like a million bucks? No idea, just buy it. It's usually $2 more per pound. This is the cut that they call 'chuck' what they often use for hamburgers. The topmost part of the forequarter in case you're cutting up your own cow. :)<br />
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Best if that steak marinates overnight or at least start in the early morning the same day of the afternoon barbecue. <b>Minimum 6 hours. </b>Garnish with grilled scallions, chiles, avocado, and/or the delicious <b><a href="http://tacomaven.blogspot.com/2016/08/emmas-warm-tomato-jalapeno-salsa-suprema.html">Emma's Salsa</a> </b>- so easy to make!<br />
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<b>MARINADE INGREDIENTS</b> (for 2.5 lbs. of meat)<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar or malt vinegar – (no sulfates) I used Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/4 cup Water</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (Grapeseed) <b><u>not olive oil</u></b> for smoking factor at high heat! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2 Tbsp Lime Juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2 Tbsp Orange Juice (use tangerine if like me you find orange to be too acidic)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2 Tbsp Chopped </span><b style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Cilantro </b><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">(leave out if you have allergic friends - use parsley instead)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1 Tbsp Minced Garlic (or pure organic garlic powder with no crap or anti-caking agents)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3/4 Tbsp high quality <b>FINE</b> Sea Salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/2 Tbsp White Pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/2 Tbsp Cumin</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/2 Tbsp White Sesame Seeds (optional but also fun)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/2 Tbsp 'Mexican' Oregano which is actually Marjoram</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1/8 Tsp Ground Cloves (really just a pinch or a <i>pisca</i>, as I like to say)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1 Orange Sliced – Blood Orange? Anything but a dumb ole regular juice orange!!!!!! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">(I'm semi-allergic. I apologize for my disgruntled Orange aggression.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><br />COOKING INSTRUCTIONS</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Add
all the ingredients </span><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><u>(except the meat and orange slices</u></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">) to a medium size
bowl and stir until blended.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Add
the steak and use a fork to flip and coat each entire piece of meat evenly, both sides sloshing in the marinade.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Using a glass baking dish, lay those thinly sliced oranges down first and then lay the meat on top in one layer. Transfer any remaining liquid from your bowl to the baking dish.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Cover with plastic but use some kind of earth-friend bio-degradable cooking plastic. Or put vegetable bags from the supermarket over the glass dish and tie them off to make the whole shebang airtight.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Refrigerate (overnight or at least 6 hours) </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Before
grilling, remove from the refrigerator up to an hour in advance to allow the meat to come to room temperature.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pre-heat your grill to 'medium high'. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Place
meat directly on </span><b style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">greased</b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> grate
for 7-8 minutes. You don't want it to be dry and tough but you don't want it 'rare.' Just juicy, seared, grill-striped etc. Adjust to your grill and preference.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Flip
and grill for an additional 5-6 minutes. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Let
rest</b> for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">YUM.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">ox Taco Maven</span></div>
<br />Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-60205606258989819652018-05-17T09:34:00.000-07:002018-05-17T09:45:52.545-07:00Los Tres Potrillos for Tacos - Phoenix Oregon near Ashland<table 1em="" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" left="" margin-right:="" text-align:=""><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"> The Three Ponies Talking About Tacos</td></tr>
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While on a trip to Ashland in S. Oregon, to visit my mom for her 75th birthday, I had a serendipitous foodhist experience.<br />
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There are many Mexican food restaurants, cafes, etc. in the state of Oregon. Some of them famous, many of them authentic. Very different from the Cali-Mex or Gourmet-Mex of places like LA and San Francisco (still favoring Burritos! - forehead slap)<br />
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I've been excited to try a few new places on prior visits, but the Mother of the Mother of Tacos does not enjoy Mexican food! Her favorite food is salad. <i>Is</i> that a food? Well... sometimes there's lettuce on a taco, so.... To be fair, she's extremely healthy and peppy for her age!<br />
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Still, I felt the need to drag her to something 'hip' and so we found ourselves in a tiny, boutique, authentically DELICIOUS, Indonesian restaurant early on a Friday night. <a href="http://www.bluetoba.com/">Blue Toba </a>reminds me of my very own Bistro Magico because it's tiny and it's pretty much a one-man-band of a cool dude cooking up creative, clean, affordable food. The dude and a helper, that's it. 3 tables. I wonder if <a href="https://www.latimes.com/la-bio-jonathan-gold-staff.html">Jonathan Gold</a> has eaten here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastor Taco with Crudite Salsa</td></tr>
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Wait... isn't this a taco review? It is! I promise. We enter Blue Toba at 5:30pm on a Friday, we are a party of 3. Two tables are taken and the third is for 2 people only. What to do. The two guys at the bigger table were very friendly, shared their table, their food and their taco tips! It turns out they are two actors from LA up in Ashland performing at the <a href="http://www.osfashland.org/">OSF</a> - the big theatrical attraction to this tiny town 12 miles N. of the California-Oregon border!<br />
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I could tell from talking with <a href="https://www.osfashland.org/en/artist-biographies/acting-company/christopher-salazar.aspx">Christopher Salazar</a> that he knew his tacos. Like me, he wasn't terribly impressed with the stuff near the theater, but he recommended Los Tres Potrillos which happened to be on the way to the airport in Medford. He explained that <i>potrillos</i> means ponies; a word I'd never come across in 5 years of studying Spanish and 5 years of living in Mexico and I'm a total horse lover and recently wrote a YA Novel about horses! What the heck. HAD to go and so I did.<br />
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It was raining on the way to the airport. The unassuming taco joint was on a very short main drag of the 99 that goes through Phoenix. It's on the corner, well-marked and plenty of parking! I got my food to go and could only order two items on the run but I loved what I had.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Undressed Pastor - Lots of tender meat</td></tr>
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The pastor wasn't your traditional LA/Baja trompo with pineapple affair which I truly adore. It was very tender, nicely grilled pork - it wasn't red, I'm not even sure there was any achiote present, but it was still so fresh and tasty. Tortillas, fresh and tasty. Price: $1.35. The revelation was the salsa bar. I actually saw a salsa I've never seen before! What? Yup. I'm calling it <i>Taco Salsa de Verduras</i> in Spanish and Crudites Salsa in French/English.<br />
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The salsa was a finely chopped mix of carrots, radishes, peeled cucumbers, tomato and cilantro. I'm pretty sure there was no onion... but you could add onions and chiles for a spicy version. It was fresh and crunchy but not marinated in that vinegar way at all - maybe some lemon, oil and salt. Delicious on carne asada as well. I'm working to perfect the recipe and when I do, you'll see it here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty Tostada of Carne Molida</td></tr>
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The second item I ordered was a comfort food indulgence - a ground beef tostada. Look mom! It's a salad. I was trying to create a crispy taco vibe - it got soggy pretty fast and the tortilla tasted a little funky and was probably too thin BUT the rest of the ingredients - very fresh.<br />
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Honestly - judge a place by it's tacos. Very clean and comfy inside. Extensive menu plus breakfast all day. Lots of people have blogged and written about this place but it's also a popular name for a taco spot so check to be sure which one you're reading about!<br />
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The day after we met the boys, my mom and her cousin saw the other actor at the table, <a href="https://www.osfashland.org/en/artist-biographies/acting-company/eduardo-enrikez.aspx">Eduardo Enrikez</a> in <i>Destiny of Desire.</i> He was so humble at dinner, he did not boast that he was one of the leads. Extra bonus, extremely cute AND had his shirt off for some of the show - making two 75-year-olds giggle and say 'We <i>know</i> him!!!!'<br />
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Wherever you may roam, follow the authentic food and/or the tacos! You will always have an adventure and meet wonderful people.<br />
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Los Tres Potrillos<br />
102 S. Main Street, Phoenix, Oregon 97535<br />
Open Everyday 8am - 9pm<br />
541-897-4373Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-46696434472409426872018-03-01T14:05:00.000-08:002018-03-01T14:16:21.398-08:00Taco Roundup # 6 - Todos Santos Tacos as of February 2018Todos Santos remains a plucky little town. Great taco places come and stay, and others come and go. I always love to try something new!<br />
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Three fun, new places I ate at on this last trip down to Baja in February were:<br />
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El Santo Chilote<br />
Patrick's Fish Market and Cafe<br />
La Palapa del Sabor<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Santo Chilote </span></b>is at the end of the same street as Hotel California. Walk downhill, away from La Paz, toward the Centro de Salud. You will see this cheery outdoor cafe right across from the beautiful fountain that marks the courtyard of the Hotel Hacienda - a lovely place to stay!<br />
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Chilote is sometimes used as a naughty word in Spanish for male private parts. The owner is a local musician named Pepe, who rocks the drums and is a great band leader. He has done a lot for the quality of entertainment in our town. He really has. And now he's bringing the tacos - and specifically a breaded coconut shrimp taco - which not too many people make. It's yum. Friendly staff too. Give it a go! Tacos come desnudo (naked) and you do the fixins yourself.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">La Palapa </span></b>is a delightful BLD spot (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) on the same side street as the Banorte bank and the Gabo Art Gallery. It's also right next to the Bahia Fish Market which is a long-time 'go-to' fish taco spot. Run by the lovely Cristina, formerly of Rancho Pescadero, La Palapa is very fresh and delicious. I've had great eggs and great enchiladas there.<br />
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This time I had simple shrimp tacos but they were so tasty and well-priced - on blue corn tortillas, no less. It's also a very clean establishment, which is an important consideration ALWAYS. I went light on the toppings, but YOU don't have to. :)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Patrick's Fish Market</span></b> and Cafe is the brain child of the amazing chef Patrick Mullen. For several seasons he was the man behind the sublime sushi at the Todos Santos Inn restaurant and his menu for them had many other fun items like sliders and garlic greenbeans. Trained in San Diego, Patrick knows fish! He also has a great palette. I've never had to add seasoning to anything he has ever cooked.<br />
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Stop by the market for amazing fresh fish cuts (you won't find elsewhere) and then grab a taco. Once a week, while it's in season, he does a sublime lobster taco. I was so lucky to have stopped by on the right day! It was incredible. The cafe menu also has delicious fish tacos and other daily specials and he too is making his own blue corn tortillas.<br />
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It's located in the area called 'el otro lado' which is toward La Esquina and the Las Brisas neighborhood. From the main part of town, turn left down Topete (near Ezra Katz' Gallery) and follow it down and then up, past La Esquina (on the left) and the little elementary school (on the right) to Los Pinos Market (also on the right.) Patrick is right next door.<br />
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If you find yourself in this part of Mexico (and really you should, ASAP) please give these new places a try.<br />
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Taco Maven out<br />
:)Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-21544825302543238752017-06-22T18:16:00.001-07:002017-06-22T18:28:12.322-07:00Balam Mexican Kitchen, Lynwood CA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I finally made it to Balam today, after being reminded about their existence by the LA Taco 2017 March Madness contest. I tried to go two months ago, but a rare case of 'bad taco luck' delivered me on a Monday, the one day they are currently closed.<br />
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I thought about taking a mini posse with me, but it was very spur of the moment, during a heat wave, and I was in the mood for a quiet, observant, taco experience. Lynwood is 25 miles from Pasadena. It's also 20 miles from the heart of Hollywood. If you're lucky enough to still live on the Westside, it's only 20 miles from Westwood. This place is definitely worth the drive. Make it an outing!<br />
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I recommend going for lunch, when traffic is lighter all around. Their hours are 10am - 8pm (6pm on Sunday.)<br />
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They just celebrated one year in May, which means they missed last year's competition. Always good for a newcomer to score well, and they did, making it all the way to the quarterfinals. The contest was eventually won by <a href="http://tacomaven.blogspot.com/2017/05/sonoratown-downtown-los-angeles.html">Sonoratown's</a> perfect <i>carne asada </i>street taco.<br />
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So how is Balam? First of all, I love the name <i>and</i> the logo! Balam means Jaguar in Mayan. In Spanish, Jaguar is pronounced Ha-Guar. It's a very sexy word and so is Balam. It does sound slightly East Indian, but that's OK too as chef Manuel Bañuelos is definitely mixing his metaphors across a number of culinary ethnicities.<br />
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Okay, okay, the tacos! As I was alone, I could only pound down 3 on this first visit. But I believe I chose wisely <i>Obewan</i>. I was pretty much thinking about the coconut shrimp taco the whole way there. Why is that the greatest combo? Dunno, but it's a winner.<br />
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I have seen tacos served on a pliable, impossibly, thinly sliced, round of jicama for five years now. But alas, I can never find anyone doing it consistently. I will go and they'll be out or it's seasonal or no one seems interested in it. I haven't tried it at home because where do I get a jumbo mutant jicama and how do I slice it without a meat slicer?<br />
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I love it because it's so darn light and refreshing that it allows you to eat more tacos, <i>without</i> getting filled up on corn. Speaking of corn, they make their own tortillas at Balam. I learned from a brief chat with the chef (more on that later) that the masa they use is organic for both the white corn and the blue corn. Now that's impressive <i>and</i> delicious.<br />
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The taco features a <i>red</i> slice of jicama 'tortilla', causing many to think it's served on a giant radish. It's red because it's soaked in jamaica water, (<i>before</i> the sugar is added to make the <i>agua fresca</i>) presumably. Jicama, jamaica. Jicama, jamaica. Say that 5 times fast <i>before </i>you have your 2nd beer. They have an excellent beer selection and I overheard el Jefe chefe telling an associate he would like to have draft beer and plans to soon.<br />
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Is this the most A.D.D review you've ever read? It must be the heat. I chose to sit inside, for the lighting. Most of the customers were outside and I was there early. I was lucky to catch the boss chilling in a booth. But not for long. Once it got crowded he was up and greeting regulars.<br />
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I did overhear him say he really wanted to try Sonoratown. (The Taco Snoop strikes again!) As I'd just reviewed them last month, I had to shout out across the cafe, 'You must! You must! It's awesome.' And then we got to chatting about tacos.<br />
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So that magnificent shrimp taco was battered in a tempura-like substance. I see from earlier photos on Yelp that sometimes it's the more traditional shredded coconut and bread crumbs. It had a wonderful, mild, mango salsa and that delicious 'tortilla.' They provide 3 different salsas to add on. I didn't use it, but I'm pretty sure I saw some <i>habanero</i> go by in a mini squeeze bottle. It is the perfect summer snack!<br />
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At LA's Tacolandia in June (<a href="http://www.lamag.com/author/bill-esparza/">curated by Bill Esparza</a>) Balam won Best Taco Innovation for this fantastic shrimp taco. The trophy was proudly displayed on their counter, along with their LA Taco Madness medals.<br />
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I had to choose between the Chicken Tinga Masala taco and the Mole Almendrado. I went for the Mole. I really just wanted to say 'Almendrado' which rolled off the tongue in a way that made me hungry. It was delicious. The sauce was very thick and rich and it came with a scoop of yellow basmati rice on a blue corn tortilla, Full of flavor. I still got my East Indian on after all.<br />
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Between the beefs, it was choice of a Kogi Style taco or Barbacoa. I was getting pretty full by then. I went with the Barbacoa. It was flavorful and filling but I was wishing I had gone Kogi. I always fear the sauce will be too sweet on a Korean style taco, but I'll find out next time. The Barbacoa was a little chewy and a little heavy for such a hot day.<br />
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All in all, the selection was fabulous, service was efficient, the place is very clean. The chef appears to be very passionate about keeping this restaurant going strong into its Sophmore year. It's very hard work to keep a new place going, keep it creative, keep it consistent. It's exhausting work too. No one at Balam is complaining, but as someone who has done this at a professional level, I know how hard it is.<br />
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I applaud them for their skill and innovation and I can't think of one good reason why every Millennial 20 miles N. W. or S. of here shouldn't skedaddle their 30-year-old firm foodie arses down to this taco mecca. I'm serious. This place was delightful and I'll be back with a few hungry men in tow.<br />
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<span style="background: rgb(255 , 255 , 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "serif12" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Balam Mexican Kitchen</span><br />
<span style="background: rgb(255 , 255 , 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "serif12" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11700 Long Beach Blvd., Lynwood</span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "serif12" , serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;">(424) 338-6762 </span><span style="color: magenta;">@balamtaco</span></span></span><br />
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Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-86778654318645852042017-05-07T09:22:00.002-07:002019-07-07T16:09:32.083-07:00Sonoratown, Downtown Los Angeles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Proud winners of the <a href="http://www.lataco.com/taco-madness-2017/">LA Taco Contest </a>for Best Taco in LA. Literally, the best single taco. Not the best taco <i>restaurant</i>, but the best <i>actual</i> taco.<br />
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Of course I was intrigued! Thank you LA Taco for continuing to highlight all the amazing taco places we have in Los Angeles!!!!<br />
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I have to say I fell in love with <a href="http://www.sonoratownla.com/about.html">Sonoratown</a> from the minute I walked into the teenie tiny box of a taco waiting room.<br />
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The adorable server was so friendly and delightful, completely unruffled by the line that formed behind me and out the door, like a magic trick.<br />
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She answered all my questions - even my disbelief that the best taco in LA was only $2!!!!! That's right, $2!!!!!!!! Wait, this little, simple, carne asada taco? This street taco? Really?<br />
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It was so good, I would eat it totally plain. Just meat and the fresh, soft and tasty homemade flour tortilla. The only corn tortillas they serve are fried (for the Tostada.) RIGHT ON!<br />
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I ordered several things. Everything was delicious. Fresh, flavorful, nice spice, simply, just, delicious.<br />
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It was a unanimous agreement in our group that the humble $2 taco was the best and most addictive thing on the menu. I'm thinking I can eat 6 next time, no problem. Not because they're small, just because they are so stimulating to the taste buds.<br />
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Similar to the style of <a href="http://mexicalitaco.com/">Mexicali Taco</a>, the grill magic hails from Sonora itself. Is it the spice? The wood? The smoke? The marinade? The cut of meat? All of that and it's<i> all that,</i> people.<br />
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Run, hop, skip, jump, <i>fly</i> to 208 E. 8th Street, between the hours of 11am-10pm, 5 days a week. They are closed Sunday and Monday.<br />
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Order at least 5 of those tacos. Just because.<br />
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*** update! 2 years later and Sonoratown is going strong and now open for <b>dinner</b>. They have burritos! They won the LA Taco contest AGAIN and they also won best tortilla in Los Angeles. They're still nice, they still work hard to please their taco fans and the tacos are still DELICIOUS.<br />
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<br />Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-41674130969227580732017-04-27T11:41:00.003-07:002019-07-07T17:55:15.508-07:00Taco Roundup #6 - California Central Coast Tacos SLO & Los Alamos 2017Is it already the end of April? Ayiyiyi. Where does the Taco Time go? Rest assured friends, I have not stopped eating tacos. Nor have I stopped taking pictures of those tacos to the annoyance of all my friends and fellow customers. Does that count as an apology?<br />
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I spent a few months this winter up in San Luis Obispo. A lovely town. Very creative, very clean, a very well organized Tourist Board and a fair amount of mid-level Mexican food in every direction. I tried just about everything on Yelp and did not find any inspiring winners in the crispy taco category.<br />
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My favorite authentic street taco in the area was from <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32746-d1111693-r405458361-Taco_De_Mexico-Morro_Bay_San_Luis_Obispo_County_California.html">Tacos de Mexico</a>. They have two locations, but I preferred the location in nearby Morro Bay. Serious flavor and no nonsense service. They have a beautiful mural in the parking lot. The Chile Colorado taco was #($*(@)*#)@. Seriously.<br />
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A better than decent crispy taco required a drive South to Grover Beach. Technically in Oceano, <a href="http://efrensmexicanrestaurant.com/">Efren's Deli</a> is a staple for those in the area and I enjoyed their tacos very much.</div>
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An honorary mention goes to <a href="http://www.newtimesslo.com/strokes-and-plugs/9867/taqueria-santa-cruz-takes-san-luis-obispo-by-storm/">Taqueria Santa Cruz</a>. Fast, efficient, tasty, full of people, reliable, and popular in San Luis with the Cal-Poly crowd.<br />
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The most orgasmic food item I ate in SLO was ironcially a donut. The gluten-free donut at <u><a href="https://www.blisscafeslo.com/">Bliss Cafe</a> </u>was a revelation. I tried multiple flavors (Hello Homer Simpson) and they were all so delicious, especially the Lavender. Their vegan food is great too. I didn't see any tacos on their menu but you never know. Hint, hint.<br />
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On the way back to LA, I stopped in Los Alamos. A mere 50 minutes S. of San Luis Obispo, Los Alamos has been growing for the last 3 years and is a delightful stop on any Central Coast foray.<br />
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Check out the list of the best local places at <a href="http://www.rememberthealamomotel.com/">The Alamo Motel.</a> Right down the street is <b>Charlie's Restaurant.</b> (They have a walk-up window.) The tacos are not necessarily the thang as they boast great burgers, but dang people, those crispy beef tacos were a tasty treat. Grab two of those and then stop at <b>Bob's Well Bread Bakery </b>for a Paris-worth almond croissant and you're good to go.<br />
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Fast becoming a weekend getaway for wine tasting from both SF and LA, I'm excited to see the Mexican food scene develop a little bit more in this scenic and relaxing part of California.<br />
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Taco Maven out.<br />
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<br />Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-90882946233745975572016-08-27T18:38:00.002-07:002021-01-13T12:16:42.080-08:00Tri-Tip Brisket Gourmet Taco Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Ah Brisket. That meat, boiled on the stove for hours, that always looked grey at family gatherings. That's right, I'm NOT from Texas! Since Carnitas is basically pan-fried pulled pork, its cousin pulled beef, AKA brisket (the lower chest of poor Mr. Vaca) has become a popular gourmet Amerimex taco.<br />
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I was recently in Mexico, tasked with cooking for a local taco night and I got a little ambitious. The brisket cut is nowhere to be found at Costco (the safest place to buy your meat in the Cabo area.) I just couldn't let it go and so I bought some Tri-Tip and hoped for the best.<br />
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Tri-Tip is normally too nice a cut of meat to waste on a slow (2-3 hour simmer) but it actually came out great. It is the lower triangle of the bottom sirloin area. I tasted it at various phases and it was delicious at every phase!<br />
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This portion of meat (a solid 1lb) made about 12-15 tacos. I used a tomato flavored tortilla, special-ordered locally. I def. recommend flour over corn for this recipe. If you are feeling ambitious, make your own and ad some tomato paste to the mix for color and flavor.<br />
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<a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Flour-Tortillas">Homemade Flour Tortillas</a><br />
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<u>Taco Ingredients</u><br />
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1 lb of Tri-Tip<br />
2 White Onions - Thinly sliced<br />
1 can of Tomato Paste<br />
2 bottles of Bohemia Obscura (Dark Beer)<br />
1/2 cup of Olive Oil<br />
Tsp. of Cayenne Pepper<br />
Tsp. of Chile Powder<br />
Generous Sea Salt to Taste<br />
1 Tbl of Honey<br />
1 Tbl Dried Oregano<br />
1 Head of Cabbage<br />
Green Tomatillo Salsa (Herdez or your own!)<br />
Sour Cream<br />
1 Small Red Onion - Finely diced<br />
Cilantro - Finely diced<br />
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Use a good Dutch Oven or Heavy Covered Pot<br />
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Rub with a Tbl of Sea Salt and pan sear your piece of meat until brown on all sides (Use 1-2 Tbl of Grapeseed Oil to coat the pan)- Med heat here.<br />
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Add sliced onions stir them around until brown and wilted. Add your spices and let them get slightly browned/toasted.<br />
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Add your first bottle of beer - go ahead, take one sip but that's it! ;)<br />
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Turn the light down and add the Tomato Paste - dissolve it into the beer, turn the light to 'medium low' and simmer for 1 hour.<br />
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In an hour you should need more beer. Add it and cover and simmer another hour.<br />
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Now you should have a nice sauce but not too much liquid. Let it sit for a bit, maybe half an hour. You could do this part the night before, let it cool and then finish the next day.<br />
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To finish, simmer for another 20+ minutes. Cool slightly and taste your beef. It should be soft. If for some reason it's still resisting you, add another half bottle of beer, 1/4 cup of oil and continue to simmer.<br />
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Once it cools, you can shred with your hands... that's really the best way. Cut into chunks and shred each chunk. Reserve the sauce and use it over pasta the next day. Mmmmmmm.<br />
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For the garnish: I broiled a finely sliced head of green cabbage. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt and broil until brown. It's even OK if some pieces get a little charred for effect.<br />
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I like to use a green salsa with this. Any good gourmet store should have a decent <i>Tomatillo</i> Salsa. If you are feeling ambitious, <a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Salsa-de-Tomatillo-en-Molacajete">GO FOR IT. </a><br />
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A spoonful of salsa, a squiggle of sour cream (from a squeeze bottle best) and then dust with red onions and cilantro.<br />
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I see after typing this that it's not exactly an EZ recipe, but it's worth it. DELICIOUS. If you already know how to make Brisket, I would pan fry it with a little tomato paste and the above listed spices to get a similar effect and use beer in your water.<br />
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Deeelicous!<br />
<br />Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-85077422345760927592016-08-06T16:55:00.001-07:002021-05-23T12:04:26.592-07:00Emma's Salsa - Warm Tomato Jalapeño EZ Salsa Suprema<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Emma is someone I worked with in the fashion biz years ago.<br />
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Every day she brought her own lunch, and every week it was a fine selection of homemade Mexican food. Tacos, tamales, enchiladas, tortas. YUM. Emma was always a sharer. Thank you Emma.<br />
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One day, the smell at her lunch table was insane and I was drawn over to her like a Chuck Jones cartoon character floating over a white cloud of aroma in the shape of a finger.<br />
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She shared some with me and I nearly died. What. Is. In. There???? It must be like a mole, 20 plus ingredients.<br />
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It was just chiles, onions, tomatoes, garlic. The usual suspects. But it was the ratio and the frying of the salsa after it was blended that made it so special. Oh and just the right amount of salt.<br />
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This was <i>before</i> I was the Taco Maven. The Herdez Salsa Casera has always been my fave. As much as I love Trader Joes, I don't like a single salsa that I have tried. All close to flavorless. And the supermarket <i>Pico de Gallos</i> are ridiculous. The minute you chop that stuff up it starts to spoil.<br />
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Currently, the two places I would drive just to get some salsa to-go, and then go back home and put that salsa on my own taco are: 1) Viva Fresh in Westchester on Sepulveda Blvd. 2) Tinga Taqueria on La Brea. Their house salsa is a REVELATION. Bottle that shite please. Sell it at Trader Joe's.<br />
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This recipe probably serves 6-8 but for 2 I would halve it and make it fresh each time...<br />
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She also gave me another tip and said if you cut jalapenos face down once you have cut them in half, your fingers will be saved.<br />
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<b>5 Tomatoes (med sized... romas or round) chopped</b><br />
<b>1/2 med white onion (finely diced)</b><br />
<b>1 or 2 med cloves of garlic (finely diced)</b><br />
<b>8 Jalapeno chiles (finely diced - <u>seeds included</u>)</b><br />
<b>1/2 tsp salt or to taste</b><br />
<b>2-4 Tbl. olive oil (heated)</b><br />
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*** She did not add cilantro - lots of people don't like it anyway, but if you feel like it, add some! I've also made this without the garlic and it's still delicious!<br />
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If you are great with the Cuisinart then go 'machine' all over yourself. You want a rough blend, not a soup. You want to see bits of everything and you want it to have some body. But you also want it to be smooth.<br />
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Finely chop everything, except the tomatoes (more chunky) and then give it about 3, 4 second bursts with one of those hand-immersion-blender wands (with blade in not the whipper)<br />
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When you have your nicely blended, but rough, mixture, you fry it in a pan with the hot oil for maybe 3-5 minutes... and that's when you add the salt.<br />
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Sometimes it feels like a little too much tomato and if the jalapenos don't have enough heat for you, go ahead and add 1 Serrano or 1/2 a Habenero (<i>dios mio</i>!)<br />
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There is something about this blend, maybe by frying it in the oil, that keeps the salsa from going bad quickly. And it's so so so so pretty. And tasty.<br />
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Viva La Salsa!!!!!Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-68075232177820284642016-06-12T10:14:00.000-07:002017-06-25T13:18:46.888-07:00Salazar, Frogtown, Los Angeles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Salazar! So glad I was in town to be part of the first wave of people to enjoy <i class="">taquero</i> Esdras Ochoa's and Billy Silverman's new grill 'n picnic spot at the outer corner of Silverlake.<br />
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At first I had to Google the word, just to see if it officially meant anything. I do speak the muy excelente taco Spanglish. Turns out it was the name of the former owner of the space. A garage don't cha know, for many years. My imagination started to run and I pictured a chop shop straight outta Fast and Furious.<br />
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Whatever it was, it is now a premium place to enjoy fabulous cocktails and delicious tacos 6 nights a week (closed Mon.) and one glorious day of lunch with your friends, family, and pets on Sunday from 12-5.<br />
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As a testimony to its early popularity, the place was already filled to the brim at 12:09 on a Sunday. I thought they handled the "Holy Lunch Rush, Batman" very well. They acknowledged they were backed up, they apologized, brought more chips etc. It was a beautiful day. No problem.<br />
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To my eye, team Salazar is doing everything right. Really fun and friendly staff and management. Creative cocktails abounding; Apricot Sour Beer anyone? How about an Horchata cocktail? OH YEAH. The tacos? As to be expected from half of the team behind Mexicali Taco & Co., they were superb.<br />
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I was especially impressed by the pastor taco. Yes, it had the right amount of pineapple. Yes, it was served on an AMAZINGLY FRESH, yet soft, yet chewy, yet thin and translucent, yet no breaky, flour tortilla. OMG. Taco perfection. Salsa? Check; Smokey, plus salt and a roasted tad of sweetness. Divine. I did slurp directly from the salsa cup. I admit it.<br />
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Plenty of stuff for vegetarians to eat. A nice taco with grilled onions, potatoes, and spinach. 3 kinds of beans, one of them sans animal. A very filling whipped potato and sausage side order (easy to leave the sausage off.) An heirloom tomato salad which was so delicious it didn't even need the heirloom tomatoes! (A wonderful mix of baby cress, grilled fresh corn, paper thin sliced radishes,<i> requeson</i> cheese and red onion.) For those days when the tomatoes may not be cooperating with perfect sweet ripeness, I say, grill 'em!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Whipped Potatoes with Red and Green Chorizo</span><br />
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In the kitchen, which you can see into from the patio, is the kind of BBQ that Esdras and Javier used to pull out of their pickup truck during the early days of Mexicali Taco in a parking lot in DTLA.<br />
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Now chef Esdras is sporting a nice white coat and looking very handsome, I must say (cough, cough) as he ably manages the kitchen in pursuit of the kind of quality and creativity we have become accustomed to when his name is on the taco marquee.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Veggie Taco. Folded by me. Served flat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Esdras Ochoa cooking up a taco storm.</span></div>
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The overall dining experience was just so pleasant. I loved the meat-laden wooden planks. I loved all the tin camping gear (plates, pots of beans, salsa cups etc.) Even the check comes clipped to a mini piece of wood. Seats are comfortable. Shade is ample (sure they could use a few more umbrellas - especially for the hostess!) but that is an easy fix.<br />
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On a second pass at Googling the word <i>Salazar</i>, I see that it has Basque origins meaning 'old hall.' This fits! You will also be saying the word "czar" every time you speak the name out loud. Need I explain? A great outdoor gathering place in a cactus garden, peppered with the creative souls of Los Angeles, good friends, and tacos. Yum.<br />
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<i>Buen provecho!</i><br />
<i>Salazar</i><br />
<i>2940 Fletcher Drive, LA 90065</i><br />
<i>Contact them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SalazarFrogtown/?fref=ts">Facebook</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-60313192454387857702016-06-03T12:10:00.000-07:002018-03-01T14:13:23.039-08:00Chicas Tacos, Downtown LA Taco Diner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Hello DTLA! Back in town for taco hoppin' and it's really nice (although daunting) to see all the progress and hipster-izing of the previously forlorn DTLA continuing on at freight train speed.<br />
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I have had the privilege to work in the Fashion District not 1, but 3 times between 2000 and 2012.<br />
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The changes since I have been living in Mexico the last 4 years are impressive. The best part might be all the fine food establishments lining up in re-vamped vintage buildings. It feels like LA finally has some history besides entertainment.<br />
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Some of my favorite DTLA restaurants have been anything by <a href="http://bar-ama.com/home.html">Josef Centeno</a>, <a href="https://www.bottegalouie.com/">Bottega Louie</a>, <a href="http://churchandstatebistro.com/">Church and State </a>and now <a href="http://www.littlesisterla.com/">Little Sister</a>. In fact, Downtown LA is reminding me of San Francisco more and more each day and here comes a giant Bloomingdale's sized Whole Foods to brighten things up.<br />
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I was very excited on Wednesday, to park 3 blocks away and pick my steps through rubble and construction barriers to be almost first in line to try the new <a href="http://chicastacos.com/">Chicas Tacos</a>.<br />
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A fabulous neon sign, a very colorful 50's diner feel and a very friendly staff welcomed me. Lots of eaters there around 2pm, but not the insanity of a line out the door (which might be coming soon.) They plan to open evenings mid-June and now that summer weather is here, the al fresco adorable picnic patio will be much appreciated.<br />
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How were the tacos? They were good! Dang good. I especially loved the thin but chewy, fresh tortillas and all the beautifully cut veggies that were part of each taco. I couldn't see eating more than three as these are normal sized tacos and not street silver dollars meant to be inhaled by the half dozen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real Mexican Glass Bottled Coke</td></tr>
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Let me start with the price, because I can see that many taco lovers will be all "What? Five Dollars? What?" But parking at the meter was $2 for under an hour. If you park in a lot across the street it will run you $6. Prices are up! Especially in LA but the quality and the creativity make this taco worth it.<br />
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BTW at my very guilty pleasure, low-brow, comfort food dive, greasy crispy chicken taco place (Hello Fiesta Grande in S. Pasadena) the a la carte taco is $4.50 and it's OLD school.<br />
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So the tacos definitely get the Taco Maven's stamp of approval... all except the fish taco. While I love the idea of a caesar salad stuffed in there, word on the street is that the fish for the taco is tilapia and most likely farmed tilapia because fresh tilapia is harder to get.<br />
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I hope the kitchen can correct me on this since 'freshness" and "wild caught" are big words on their website. Fish is such a dangerous things these days... with polluted waters and bad farming practices which result in weird bi-products like DDT in your fish. Now that's the real "What?????" So. I personally stick to shrimp tacos as I find the higher quality is easier to procure... but I imagine that would be a $6 taco if Chicas were to offer one.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Steak and Crispy Potato Carne Taco</span></td></tr>
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Of the 3 I tried... The steak, the chicken and the veggie, the veggie was the one bursting with flavor. It was friggin' delicious. I also loved the crispy potatoes in the steak. The actual quality and texture of the meat wasn't anywhere near close to <a href="http://mexicalitaco.com/">Mexicali Taco</a> but then it probably wasn't grilled over a bbq fire either. The overall enjoyment of the beef taco was very tasty and stimulating. Their hot salsa was also terrific. The pork taco included c<i>hicarron </i>so what's not to like?<br />
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I also hear tale of something called "Mama's Style" a la the In-n-Out secret menu. I was hoping it was a crispy taco but to the best of my understanding, it's 4 stacked flat tacos of your choice with extra cheese between them and eaten like lasagna perhaps. Sounds tempting as a dinnertime variation.<br />
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Usually, I avoid chicken tacos out of boredom, unless it's a creeeespie, but again, the combination of elements totally worked! The chicken taco had a nice Mediterranean salad on top and even a few garbanzo beans. The chicken was reddish with flavorful seasoning.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mediterranean Chicken Taco</td></tr>
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They also have a delicious-looking collection of creative fruit waters. No <i>jamaica</i> or <i>horchata</i> here. Instead they offer Lavender-Cantaloupe water along with Cucumber-Mint and Watermelon-Cinnamon. I'd like to try to confirm the sweetness level because normally I don't like to waste my calories on liquid sugar! More chips please.</div>
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How I wish Chicas Tacos had existed when I was slogging away in the clothing biz. I could have walked right over for a snack, which most people seem to be doing. I saw a lot of cute to-go boxes stacking up for people presumably eating in their offices. The classic pink bakery box with tacos nestled within and the words "Until Tomorrow" stamped on the side in Spanish, was cheerful indeed.</div>
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Hasta pronto Chicas y buena suerte!</div>
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Chicas Tacos<br />
728 S. Olive St. Between 7th & 8th Street DTLA<br />
Open for Lunch 11-3<br />
<br />Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-45172546906673469442016-06-01T10:44:00.003-07:002016-06-01T15:25:14.758-07:00Las Cazuelas del Don, San Jose del Cabo, MexicoWhen you enter Las Cazuelas for the first time, you notice three... no, four things.<br />
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1. The charm of the small but clean and shaded patio seating area.<br />
2. The charm of the owner.<br />
3. The charm of the brown, clay pots sitting near the kitchen.<br />
4. How clean and peaceful it feels.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alberto (the Don) of Delicious Tacos</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCOomA9e87Q/V08NEognRzI/AAAAAAAABVQ/NwLiwzNbAhM2F-Bc64IiNbBn0qKS0KLewCLcB/s1600/las%2Bcazuelas%2Bpots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; line-height: 16.12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JCOomA9e87Q/V08NEognRzI/AAAAAAAABVQ/NwLiwzNbAhM2F-Bc64IiNbBn0qKS0KLewCLcB/s320/las%2Bcazuelas%2Bpots.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16.12px;">I had previously sampled their deliciousness at the San Jose Farmer's Market, held every Saturday during November - May. They only had two choices that day: Fish & Beef. I wasn't quite sure what I was eating but it was so damn good I vowed to hunt them down at their (new at the time) location. This was back in 2013.</span></div>
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Recently, I finally found my way there... Not hard to find. Just a block above the main highway on Malvarossa which is one block toward Cabo, past the very popular 2nd hand store, <i>Back to the Rack</i>.</div>
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Back to the tacos!</div>
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The menu is a conversation piece. 7 deadly sins and 5 wicked combinations of grilled meat, 1 chicken and 1 vegetarian - all seasoned perfectly and then slow cooked in a <i>cazuela </i>pot for several hours. Rich and delicious, you can choose how you want it served: a taco, tostada, vampiro etc. The pots are imported from Tlayacapan in the state of Morelos not far from Mexico City. The tradition of cooking in them was passed down from the owners family.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chicken 'Lust' Vampiro Style with Melted Cheese</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">'Envy' or 'Gluttony.' Gluttony has bacon. Envy, Chorizo</span></td></tr>
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Even the chips were clean and simple, not too greasy, properly salty with complex salsas. Truly the ideal dining experience when you are visiting a foreign country and even more so if you are a local relying on other local business owners to keep high standards of quality and cleanliness. Can't say enough about this!!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hongo Vegetarian 'Pride.' Meaty and Mighty.</span></td></tr>
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Currently open from about 1pm - 9pm. Local telephone: 624 130 7386</div>
Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-60764568827833162802016-05-13T11:56:00.000-07:002018-05-17T09:41:19.267-07:00Taco Maria, Costa Mesa and Carlos SalgadoI was fortunate enough to eat at Taco Maria in the Fall of 2015. I still have the menu as I am editing this post in June of 2017.<br />
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Since my incredible dining experience, both Taco Maria and<a href="http://www.ocweekly.com/restaurants/carlos-salgado-of-taco-mar-a-named-one-of-food-and-wines-best-new-chefs-for-2015-6627097"> Carlos Salgado</a> have accumulated even more well-deserved praise and attention for creating and serving absolutely incredible Mexican fusion food. Jonathan Gold first wrote about Taco Maria in <a href="http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-gold-20140503-story.html">2014</a>. So very great to watch their progress. Here is a 2nd review from 2015 on <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kcrws-good-food/jonathan-gold-reviews-taco-maria-in-costa-mesa">Good Food</a>.<br />
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When I first went, of course I had heard the buzz, but I didn't really understand how it worked. Maybe if I had read the J. Gold review I would have been prepared! But I had been living in Mexico, flying by the seat of my chaps. I drove from LA, in rush hour (sort of forgot about TRAFFIC) and as there were multiple actual accidents, it took me over 2 hours.<br />
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I was meeting a friend who had just flown in to John Wayne airport from Baja California Sur. She had heard of the place too and was game to try it. I was fantasizing about ordering lots of TACOS but I didn't realize that the dinner menu at that time was <i>pre fixe</i> only for $65 per person.<br />
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I also had trouble finding the place. It's quite tiny, hidden in what has to be California's most orgasmic and extensive high design mini mall with even a <a href="http://www.surfasonline.com/">Surfas</a>. It's called the OC Mix and the area that houses Taco Maria is called the SoCo Collection.<br />
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OMG. I kept asking for help. People were very nice. No time to shop - most of the stores looked closed anyway but it was damn impressive.<br />
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Once seated in the tiny space we were given a skinny menu, which my eyes quickly scanned for tacos. Tacos, tacos, where are the tacos? I saw one: <i>Taco de Esturion</i>. It looked like a very gourmet and interesting fish taco with<i> mil islas. Ah! 1000 Island dressing, instead of tartar sauce or crema! Clever!</i><br />
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And so on it went. My friend, who is the proud owner of a fantastic garden to gullet restaurant in Southern Baja <a href="http://www.hierbabuenarestaurante.com/">(Hierbabuena)</a> was very pleased with everything we ate, including the recommended wine pairings.<br />
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I kept thinking, <i>gotta come back for lunch, gotta come back for lunch, gotta come back for lunch</i>. During <a href="http://www.tacomaria.com/a-la-carte/">lunch</a> and on Tuesday night, you can order tacos a la carte. Oh joy! And man do they look good. In fact, almost all of the pictures I've posted came from the web because the dim lighting at night did not lend itself to my amateur photo skills!<br />
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I was very impressed by the charisma and creativity wafting over from the open kitchen. It was like watching a magic show from the back row. These guys were just plain cool. <i>All </i>of them. Not sure if Mr. Salgado was in there or not - there was one guy with tattoos and long hair who fascinated me. Very serious, very perfectionistic. Large hands, but fine attention to detail.<br />
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It took me a while to create a blog post - partly because the experience was so singular, I didn't know how to reduce it to words on a page. I thought it best left in my mind. But at this point, I would be a very negligent Taco Maven indeed if I didn't at least try to put some text to screen.<br />
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There were four courses. My friend eats fish (but no meat). I eat shellfish and all meat, so we couldn't do a traditional sharing. I think in some cases we ordered the same thing. As I read the menu now, after the fact, it's hard to reconstruct what I ate and what it looked like. Seriously everything evaporated in a puff of smoke and vapor like it was never really there - so pretty on the plate, so magical and flavorful.<br />
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First I had the<i> Enmolada</i> (zucchini, mushrooms, date mole, almonds) super tasty but what was it exactly? Were they rolled up, stacked? in a tortilla????? I found my foto! Pretty sure this was it. Stacked and round with blue corn tortillas maybe?<br />
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Then I had the <i>Calabaza Gratinada</i> (squash, <i>Oaxaca</i> cheese, basil, pumpkin seeds) was it baked in a dish? I think so! But I'm not sure!!! Zucchini is pretty much my favorite veggie, especially with cheese! It caramelizes so well and is also soft and soothing.<br />
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Then I chose the <i>Chile Relleno </i>(corn battered, potatoes, cotija cheese, <i>Veracruzana</i> style) I<i> loved </i>the chile relleno. Maybe because it was so familiar. I also love <i>Veracruzana</i> sauce which usually features tomatoes, olives, onions etc. I remember that it was very original, very beautiful and was GONE in half a heartbeat. I considered licking my plate several times but managed to show restraint. My tongue did not <i>directly</i> touch that plate. <i>I swear.</i> Fingers yes. Tongue no. It was at this point, when nothing was left on the plate but the stem that I remembered to take a picture. Double DOH.<br />
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I did find one other picture which must have been the <i>Mero con Tomatillo</i>. (Sablefish with tomatillo jam and coriander). This was as delicious as it was lovely to look at.<br />
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The 4th course was a choice between 2 meats. I believe they allowed my friend to order the <i>chile relleno</i> instead. Especially after she tasted mine! I went with the <i>Cachete de Puerco</i> (beans, grilled octopus, chorizo oil). Every since Mario Batali first talked about Pork Cheeks on TV years ago, I've felt fondly toward them. </div>
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There was desert, we ate it. YUM.<i> </i>Maybe it had chocolate and cinnamon.<i> </i>Maybe it was a fancy churro?<i> Pero, no fotos, sin memoria, nada. </i>Our dinner lasted 2.5 hours. The drive home was 50 minutes at 8:30 pm instead of 150 min at 3pm. I gotta go for lunch. I really do. Wanna come with?</div>
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<a href="http://www.tacomaria.com/">Taco Maria</a> </div>
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3313 Hyland Ave. Suite C21 Costa Mesa, CA</div>
714 538 8444Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-21366373136554947052015-09-10T12:43:00.001-07:002015-09-14T11:16:50.965-07:00Comida, Denver Colorado<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fTvZivM354s/VfHTeJhqtWI/AAAAAAAABQY/mdbwCUr2Y3A/s1600/Comida%2BDenver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fTvZivM354s/VfHTeJhqtWI/AAAAAAAABQY/mdbwCUr2Y3A/s200/Comida%2BDenver.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This summer I escaped the humid, hurricane weather of Baja and fled to the mountains of Utah and Colorado. Very beautiful places. </div>
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I really have nothing exciting to say about the Tacos of Utah. I was in both Park City and Salt Lake City. I tried what was available. The most famous eatery in Salt Lake City is <a href="http://www.rediguana.com/">The Red Iguana.</a> While there is a lot of authenticity and tourist excitement about that place - the moles are very good - the taco scene is just plain old FLAT.</div>
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My friend Justin recently almost got in a fight (very unlike him) with another musician who was claiming with great misguided authority that Salt Lake City beat the pants off Los Angeles for tacos. WHAT? EXCUSE ME????? Um....... NO. NON. NIET. NO WAY JOSE. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MNtrYIStXd4/VfHWnJZASJI/AAAAAAAABRM/XkLze-su_bU/s1600/The%2BSource%252C%2BDenver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MNtrYIStXd4/VfHWnJZASJI/AAAAAAAABRM/XkLze-su_bU/s320/The%2BSource%252C%2BDenver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple Egg Quesadilla. Tasty and made for spice WIMPS.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Denver is another happier story entirely. 6 years ago I had some very fine tacos and margaritas at a place in Denver: Pretty sure it was www.loladenver.com. I didn't have my blog back then. Also I think I drank too much. It was sooooooo good.</span></div>
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This time, my highly considerate friend... A friend who hates cilantro and can't handle any spice... ANY SPICE as in Tabasco fries her pants off.... Selflessly took me to a fantastic lunch at <a href="http://www.eatcomida.com/">COMIDA.</a></div>
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I was so impressed by every aspect. The location: Hipster <a href="http://www.rivernorthart.com/">RINO.</a> The neighbors: Located in the same modern warehouse as <a href="http://www.denveracorn.com/">Acorn</a>, <a href="http://www.mondofood.com/denver/">Mondo Market </a>and other fabulous specialty shops. The whole building is called <a href="http://thesourcedenver.com/">THE SOURCE.</a> The food: Innovative, fresh, authentic.</div>
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The food was very, <i>very</i> tasty. The service was fantastic starring the Friendly Manager and the polite, sympathetic, efficient Waiter. Honestly he was a saint with the cilantro/no spice issue because let's face it, if you can't eat cilantro and you don't like chile then don't eat Mexican food.</div>
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One of the tacos, featuring Pork Belly didn't mention in the description that it was going to be HELLA HOT. We all talked about it afterwards and figured out someone must have forgotten to wipe out the Jalapeno pan or maybe thought he was making the bacon/jalapeno taco or something. It was even hot for me but damn it was so good I just kept eating it until I had to call the Fire Department.</div>
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We had a nice selection of other tacos, some of them modified (no spice, no cilantro) but still they were great. The cocktails were fantastic. I was super nosey and enjoyed checking out everyone else's food. It was mostly a business lunch crowd, but people seemed to be having a really good time.</div>
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One tiny suggestion... they could use more comfortable chairs on their patio. It's all edgy and modern looking but really not comfortable, even for a small person such as myself.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carnitas Mexi Mess - Deconstructed. YUM.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Situation." My fav. Beer infused Sirloin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">STELLA'S! Carnitas. Vivien Leigh wishes.</td></tr>
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Eating here and seeing all the cool, healthy, fit people enjoying the gourmet Mexican fare made me want to move to Denver.</div>
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Maybe I will.</div>
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:)</div>
Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-35807004159225835552015-05-07T07:17:00.000-07:002016-07-31T09:17:28.303-07:00Rasta Taco Catering, Los Angeles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Having a party? Want some really good tacos cooked LIVE on your back porch? Call these guys. With Offices in Pasadena and Orange County Rasta Tacos is whipping up some very tasty mobile tacos indeed. </div>
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All the meats I tried were fresh and tender and the tortillas nicely grilled and chewy but not tough or soggy and no breakage! My favorite was the Carnitas with Achiote and Pineapple. Yummmmeee.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Delicious Pastor-style Carnitas Tacos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Roast Pork with Cotija Cheese and Marinated Onions</span></div>
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I'm having one of those large even-numbered birthdays in June and what better way to feed my taco-lovin' friends then um... tacos! Fresh ones. Made to order. I was lucky enough to taste 4 variations of chef Lou Tista's taco repertoire, but seemingly these guys can do any kind of taco your heart desires.</div>
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They also come equipped with rice and beans, taquitos, and if you like, the fabulous Rasta Rita Margarita Truck! The Booze Truck is a separate entity that can be paired up with the tacos for maximum enjoyment. ;)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eniXv2lYosQ/VUVlLs16VQI/AAAAAAAABOk/PBI_6coIMXk/s1600/IMG_2480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eniXv2lYosQ/VUVlLs16VQI/AAAAAAAABOk/PBI_6coIMXk/s1600/IMG_2480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rasta Taco founder, Mario Melendez was lamenting the lack of taco caterers in 2006. He quickly put a simple website together one afternoon and a few hours later, within 5 minutes of going live, he had his first gig. It was all "more tacos please" from there and he plans to open a brick and mortar spot down in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rastatacolagunabeach">Laguna Beach</a> shortly.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Classic Asada</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rasta Founder Mario "Maji" Melendez</span></div>
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It was a very pleasant experience to see the wonderful taco in a specialty catering context. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rastatacocatering?fref=ts">Rasta Taco</a> is providing a great service to party throwers in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas and I wish them continued success.</div>
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To book the<a href="http://www.rastataco.com/"> Rasta Taco</a> or<a href="https://www.facebook.com/rastaritamargarita?fref=ts"> Rasta Rita</a> at your next event, contact <a href="http://www.huntingtoncateringcompany.com/huntington_catering/huntington_catering_company_-_home.html">Huntington Catering Co</a> at 866 96 RASTA. Justin Prieto is the Taco Exec and he will be happy to hook you up.</div>
Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-9178649115685328852015-04-17T09:13:00.003-07:002016-06-01T09:08:10.862-07:00Wes Avila, Guerilla Tacos and the current state of the TACO!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I have had my eye on this LA native taco genius since 2012 when he opened at Handsome Coffee Roasters. I was living nearby and tried at least 20 times to find him and eat his tacos. Alas...<br />
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At the same time I was packing up my LA life to leave for a <i>vida nueva</i> in Mexico. I kept missing the window.<br />
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Every time I came back to visit it was the same. He was first on my list but on the day he was in Culver City I was at the other end of the city. On the day he was downtown I was on the tarmac returning to Baja.<br />
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I read. I watched. People began raving and never stopped raving about his creative taco acumen and they were right. Yesterday, FINALLY, I partook.<br />
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I had to sneak him in between Westside Dr.'s appointments. My best pal since high school days and fellow food maestro picked me up on a street corner in Beverly Hills at 12:05pm. I had to be back at that same corner by 2pm.<br />
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A mere 11 miles, LA traffic was typically hellish and conspired against us. Google Maps conspired against us too and took us to the wrong address. Finally by 1:00pm we were sprinting out of the car to order. "We'll take it all!" Oh no, they were out of 2/3 of the daily tacos. "We'll take whatever you got!"<br />
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The wait was manageable. Maybe 20 minutes. Lots of amazing window shopping to be done at both <a href="http://www.blacktop.la/">Blacktop Coffee</a> and the cute <a href="http://www.alchemyworks.us/">Alchemy Works </a>store right in front of the Guerilla Truck parked at 826 E. 3rd Street. There is also a fresh cold-pressed juice vendor.<br />
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Both Thurs and Fri at that location from 9-2 you can find him there. I had no idea he opened so early. Of course by 1pm he was out. Be informed! <a href="http://www.guerillatacos.com/">I WANT MORE GUERILLA TACOS.</a><br />
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So how were the tacos? Well.... I only had the Sweet Potato Feta taco, which this <a href="http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-pro-tip-avila-20150314-story.html">ARTICLE</a> tells me he created as a breakfast taco. It was effin' great. I also had the Quesadilla which was a cheese-filled flour tortilla topped with some kind of air-dried beef, broccolini and Oaxacan cheese. I folded it like a taco or like a piece of NY Pizza (which it miraculously resembled) and inhaled that sucker.<br />
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We had the Scallop Ceviche Tostada which was fresh and tasty. Sauced with a nice Jalapeno emulsion, the scallops were like butter. The crispy tortilla tasted like the bagged Ceviche stand variety. Traditional but I would have preferred a crispy lettuce cup or some crazy shite like that.</div>
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I saw this whole Fried Mackerel going by. I obnoxiously asked to take a foto. Really I felt like a true tourist. The schwanky new method of taking my moolah ($30 for 4 items and 2 Pellegrinos) was an iPad device. The man in charge was firm but friendly. I do think I have been away too long.</div>
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When I started blogging about tacos in 2010 the scene was very different. The cheap taco was KING. I have always been a fan of the gourmet fusion upscale taco. I honestly believe that the taco is a superb format for any kind of food experimentation and judging by the popularity of this superlative gourmet taco truck, it looks like I'm right. Be sure to check in with Wes regularly as each day his menu is brilliantly varied. Today: Oxtail and Foie Gras tacos. Tomorrow?</div>
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On a side note, kudos to <a href="http://www.streetgourmetla.com/">Bill Esparza</a>. He has flown to new foodie journalism heights on the wings of his passion for Latin food and the absolute expertise of his knowledge of our city streets. I am loving his <a href="http://www.lamag.com/digestblog/tacopedia-a-complete-taco-encyclopedia-of-l-a/">TACOPEDIA</a> and his recent article for LA Magazine on the state of <a href="http://www.lamag.com/digestblog/latin-american-cuisine-takes-center-stage-2015/">Latin Food</a> in the U.S. of A.</div>
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Just for good measure and because they are THAT good, we stopped at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mariscosjalisco">Mariscos Jalisco</a> #2 on E. 10th St, near Towne (a bit closer to Downtown) for a $2 crispy piece of shrimpy perfection on the way back. We arrived in Beverly Hills at 2:09. Andale Taco Express!</div>
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God Bless the Americas. And God bless the Taco.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">PS I just saw surfing around after I posted this that Guerilla Tacos won the Taco Madness competition for 2015! Congratulations! Mariscos Jalisco came in 2nd. Do I have my finger on the pulse or WHAT? Ja Ja.</span></i></div>
Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-56490846490897515352015-01-25T09:16:00.000-08:002016-07-31T09:42:41.252-07:00Las Mariscadas, A Great Fish Taco in Cabo San Lucas B.C.S.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Hello Taco Fans,<br />
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It's been quite a while since I've been inspired enough to do a blog post - busy living the small cafe owner life in Mexico - mostly eating my favorite local tacos over and over and not traveling as much as I would like.<br />
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BUT... a few weeks ago I had a couple of tacos that stopped me in my tracks so here I am on a rainy Sunday morning to tell you all about them.<br />
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One of my favorite Baja friends, the co-owner of <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1636027-d5958678-Reviews-Hierbabuena-El_Pescadero_Todos_Santos_Baja_California.html">Hierbabuena Hortiliza</a>, a fabulous garden to plate restaurant in Pescadero, B.C.S., claims this as her most favorite casual seafood place in all of Cabo. (There's lots 'o seafood in Cabo.)<br />
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It happens to be right near one of my regular restaurant supply stops, Pro-San, so on a lucky Saturday we stopped for lunch.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sushi Chef on Hand</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fresh Tuna Sashimi Tostada</span></div>
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I was immediately impressed by the service, the cute 'under the sea' decor and the variety on the menu. I ordered a few tacos, the house salsa and chips were great, they have WIFI just for fun and so you can post your food fotos right away.<br />
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The most surprising and wonderful item on the menu was the tortillas. They claim they are pure corn with less water than the usual tortilla and also pressed a tad harder so they are thinner. They make them in secret in a back room. They were so perfect and amazing... thin, a bit chewy, nutty but they did not sog-out OR break. How did they not break???? They were so damn thin... very yellow as well vs. the normal whitish corn tortillas that are common down here. They also had a nice toasted quality without all the grill marks.<br />
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I loved the Octopus taco and I had a grilled shrimp and a battered fish taco plus the Tostada marvel pictured above. I also ordered a side of rice, in honor of my old Taco Talk partner and it too was tasty. My friend had her go-to Shrimp Fajitas pictured below. DELICIOUS.<br />
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During our meal someone delivered these huge bags that I thought were the secret corn flour but instead they were giant bags filled with smaller wrapped pouches of pre-made corn tortillas. These they use for the chips. The chips are nice and thick and fresh, as they should be ALWAYS but often ARE NOT at other places.<br />
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The owner is always around and is a very elegant man. Kudos y saludos a Las Mariscadas, which translates to "Seafood Meals." I don't think you can make a wrong turn on this well-varied menu but of course I recommend the tacos!<br />
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Located on Cabo San Lucas which is a one-way street headed down toward the Marina - just around the corner from Pro-San about 3 blocks up from the Marina area. Hours are currently 1pm to 10pm.<br />
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Here is their Trip Advisor <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g152515-d2077881-Reviews-Las_Mariscadas-Cabo_San_Lucas_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html">Page</a>. Very few people use Yelp down here and most just have Facebook pages and not websites.<br />
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Viva el Taco!<br />
Hasta Pronto.Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-6989138396661258942014-06-09T07:51:00.000-07:002018-04-19T10:56:00.812-07:00Tacos El Sinaloense, Todos Santos B.C.S.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">***update! As of 2016 Jose got his dream of being on the main drag. He's on Calle Militar, diagonally across from Lizarraga - the brick produce market. He's also next door to a great carnitas place. Yay Jose!</span></div>
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What makes a truly great fish taco? Everyone will probably answer this question differently. Some people are happy with Rubio's.<br />
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I am a Los Angeles ex-pat living in a small town in Baja. Baja California Sur. Mexico. Baja is a long skinny peninsula, surrounded by water on both sides and in many minds can be credited with inventing the battered and fried fish taco.<br />
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<em>Capeado</em>. That means battered. It literally means weathered. Fascinating. You can say <em>empanizado</em> but that really means breaded... not the same thing. What you don't want to ask for is an <em>embarazada</em> fish taco, because that word means pregnant. I once made that mistake and got a lot of laughs.<br />
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It's all about the batter and the quality of the fish or shrimp of course. But the batter... let's get back to the batter. It should be crispy but not too oily. It should be savory, piquant, it should make your lips smack together and cry for <em>more</em>.<br />
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In the tiny town of Todos Santos, there are at least 10 places you can grab a fish taco for an average cost of $2 per taco. In the neighboring town of Pescadero, there are maybe 2-3 more places. The best by far is a humble, palapa-covered stand, on the Truck Bypass in Todos Santos, called El Sinaloense; Named thus because the hardworking owner/operator, Jose, is from Sinaloa.<br />
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Sinaloa is right across the 'street' or the straight from Baja. You have to cross the Sea of Cortez and they have a lot of coastline, so it's quite possible the fish taco that Baja is credited with inventing came from Sinaloa. Or perhaps a lonely fisherman from Baja took a trip to Sinaloa and brought his tacos with him.<br />
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Either way, the perfect fish taco should be so good, so fresh, that you could eat it plain. I know... I know, that is a BOLD ASS STATEMENT. But there. I'm stating it. The classic toppings are awesome and work well in any combination. Cabbage, Crema, Salsa... Yes. Those things are important. But nothing is as important as the batter.<br />
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How to get a great batter? Well.... you have to season the flour. Using beer instead of water helps impart flavor and fluffiness. You have to use enough salt, pepper, even a pinch of chile or cumin and not rely on your salsa or your customer's imagination to do all the work.<br />
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That's what Jose does. He also changes his oil EVERY DAY. No recyling. He also orders a very high quality of shrimp that comes over on a ferry from Los Mochis. His restaurant is very clean. His salsas never sit out in the hot sun. His cabbage is fresh and crispy with added carrots and cilantro.<br />
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Just because he's classy, he includes a battered guero chile on the plate. A fresh one. Made when your taco is made. And because he knows his town draws in a lot of Americans, some of them skinny and health conscious, he even offers a simple grilled fish or shrimp taco as an alternative. <br />
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I personally have no interest in that healthy alternative most days, but it's great that it's offered.<br />
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Thank you Jose for getting up every morning at 6am and working your nalgas off until around 5pm. You are one of the people that make our town great.<br />
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Atentamente<br />
Taco MavenTaco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-40622654910144639222014-01-08T05:05:00.002-08:002014-01-08T05:11:35.856-08:00A Taco Friend is a Friend for Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Yesterday was just another day, working hard at my cozy little cafe down in Southern Baja, California.</div>
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I look up and all of a sudden I see a friendly, familiar face. A face I know from the LA Taco Scene (and Facebook.) The face of one of the nicest and most talented people I have ever met.<br />
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I was thrilled, dumbfounded, surprised. WHAT THE...... Esdras Ochoa, partner in the wonderous <a href="http://mexicalitaco.com/">Mexicali Taco Co</a>. had come to visit. He was actually staying in Cabo but he made the effort to drive over an hour up the coast to our tiny town. He said he would come one day to visit and he actually did!<br />
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I was a little bummed I didn't get advance notice because I would have busted out a special taco for him, probably even some balloons. He was right to just surprise me.<br />
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It was so fun serving him our humble daily classics: crispy pancakes, breakfast sandwich, combo plate of Mediterranean salads... I gave him some visitor's tips - always fun... and sent him on his way.<br />
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The whole day I kept smiling and shaking my head.... WOW.<br />
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It made me realize how much I do miss eating in LA and how we that love tacos and especially those of us who can cook a taco, share a warmth and a bond that is lasting.<br />
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I heart.<br />
oxTaco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-28029374774875239192013-10-25T09:48:00.002-07:002016-08-02T09:50:18.629-07:00Tacos Punta Cabras, Surf Tacos in Santa Monica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I'd been wanting to try these tacos since they opened, but I pretty much left for my life in Mexico about a month after they opened. I continued to read the rave reviews and it stayed at the top of my 'to try' list until this last visit, when I finally made it there.<br />
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I must preface my review by saying that the Taco Maven is not a hater and it causes her great stress to have to post a somewhat negative review on a place that Yelp gives 4.5 stars. But I also feel that I have to be truthful about my experience.<br />
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It was just one day and a few tacos. People have off days... clearly for the most part these guys put out a good product that people love, but I did <i>not</i> love this place, the service, or the tacos.<br />
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Granted we were the first ones there, at 11 a.m., on a weekday. Everybody looked and acted hungover, like they couldn't be bothered to explain how you have to fill out your own form to order tacos. No explanation, just two pieces of paper handed to us. Maybe they provided the crappy tiny lead pencil. Maybe they didn't.<br />
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So we filled them out. A few people came in five minutes after us and got their tacos right away. We waited what seemed like an eternity for a few tacos in a not crowded place. When we finally got our tacos, they were mostly cold and soggy. The fish taco was just weak all around... soggy, bland, batter, no zing. The tortilla was good, the salsas were pretty typical - red/green in a mild/med/hot division. VERY non-plussed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I was so happy before the food came.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cauliflower Ceviche - So pretty but no Zing</span></div>
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I also ordered the cauliflower ceviche tostada. It was raw in keeping with the ceviche concept of raw fish with a strong flavor of vinegar, but not much else. It could have used some olive oil, garlic, seasoning. The tostada itself was the typical store bought affair, and had a mealy texture. I was foolishly hoping the cauliflower would be caramelized but it was 'ceviche' after all.</div>
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The shrimp taco was much better than the fish in that it was warmer and a bit more toward crispy, instead of soggy. But it lacked flavor. These guys need to take another trip to Baja where I assume they've been since they named their place after a surf point in Ensenada. At first I had trouble remembering the name... Goat Point tacos? But it's a fish only place? Hmmmmmm..... <br />
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The best taco I ate that day was the tofu taco. It was delicious. Deep fried in the batter. Hot, crispy. It worked for me though I don't really love tofu or tofu tacos. Toward the end of our visit, one of the managers made an effort to be cordial but it was too little too late. Until that point, every request we made was met with a suppressed sigh and a slight eye roll.<br />
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At one point, one of the cooks came out to the front counter area and screamed out a few song lyrics and then walked back to the kitchen. It was a bizarre experience all around.<br />
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I'm going to chalk it up to young hipsters with a hangover who got in a little late that day and didn't have time to get the oil up to temperature. Nor did they find the motivation to be nice to a couple of people that were too old (40's) to fit into their <i>uber</i> carelessly hip matrix.<br />
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PS. They get high marks for hip with regard to decor (especially the Lucha Libre bottle-opener) but their off-white bench cushions were smudged and dirty looking.<br />
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Taco Maven out.Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-52426724270563709602013-09-22T08:24:00.001-07:002013-09-24T16:42:46.273-07:00Project Taco Gourmet Snack Shop<div style="font-size: 14px;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">Guest Blog Post by James Michael Longton</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Greetings Fellow Tacophiles!</span></div>
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I hope you are happy and eating tacos. I am living down in Mexico and can't always rush off to the nearest Taco Hotspot. But luckily I have friends who are willing to act as my taco spy.</div>
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My good friend James Longton, who lives in Hermosa Beach, alerted me to the opening of a new taco place that specializes in offbeat tacos including 3 varieties of breakfast tacos. The breakfast taco is something they really get into in Tejas (Texas) but not so much here.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8A68qgkA0u4/UkBw7C5gzoI/AAAAAAAABFQ/ohy5xeBbkPQ/s1600/tupput+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8A68qgkA0u4/UkBw7C5gzoI/AAAAAAAABFQ/ohy5xeBbkPQ/s320/tupput+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Breakfast Taco w/ Goat Cheese and Guacamole</span></div>
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These look worthy of a test drive. Even the Lox taco! Please see his review below.</div>
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<i>When word got out that a new place had opened on the Hermosa Promenade called ‘Project Taco Gourmet Snack Shop,’ I was naturally intrigued. </i><br />
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<i>Upon arrival, I was immediately taken by the eclectic diversity of their menu. With several interesting options available, I decided to start with something somewhat traditional, and ordered the chicken and avocado taco with pineapple habanero salsa.</i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSVmfji11o0/UkBtb68UGJI/AAAAAAAABEo/GxEypHa0s18/s1600/tupput+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MSVmfji11o0/UkBtb68UGJI/AAAAAAAABEo/GxEypHa0s18/s320/tupput+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chicken Habanero Taco</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1380065514751_1964" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>After a couple bites, the first thing to grab my attention was the tortilla. </em></span></span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1380065514751_1962" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>“That’s a blend of white corn and whole wheat,” said owner and renowned local chef Nick Fontova.“It was important to me from the beginning to keep our tortillas healthy as well as tasty, and with these we don’t have to use any oil.”</em></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m a big fan of Mexican cuisine, and it’s always fun to see what springs</span> from the mind of a taco chef looking to think outside the box. So next I went with the Thai Peanut Chicken Taco. While it tends to be a favorite of mine, I’d never had Thai peanut in a tortilla. </i></div>
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<i>Garnished with shredded carrot, cucumber, honey, and cilantro…it totally worked, with just enough of a spicy kick to be exciting without being overwhelming. </i><i>The Blueberry Chicken Taco wasn't too sweet but rather tangy and had a nice crispy topping of a kale and apple coleslaw.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Blueberry BBQ Chicken Taco</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1380065514751_6061" style="line-height: 115%;">“We’re having fun trying new things and seeing what people like,” continued Fontova. “For instance a lot of locals have taken to the Lox Taco,” he said as two young surfers were ordering another round. “We’re trying to create a lifestyle taco place and provide the community with some good healthy options. Something you could grab just before heading out to surf…”</span></span></span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1380065514751_8211" style="line-height: 115%;"><em>They are also drawing a steady weekend crowd with the growing popularity of the breakfast taco, and still tending to the after hours clientele by keeping their doors open every night until 2am.</em></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>With tacos going for $3.50 to $4.00, their prices are reasonable, their ingredients are fresh, and the serving sizes are fair. </i><i>Located at 34 Pier Ave., I found Project Taco to be well worth the visit. </i></span><br />
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<i>It’s always good to see someone passionate about feeding the local folk. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">www.projecttaco.com</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">http://www.yelp.com/biz/project-taco-hermosa-beach</span><br />
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Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-40913688137308456892013-08-10T06:17:00.001-07:002016-07-31T10:31:45.493-07:00Tacos Fish, La Paz BCS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Due to the running of a small cafe that rarely makes or sells tacos, my taco tasting days have slowed to a crawl (jaja.)</div>
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Sure, I live in Mexico currently and I visit LA every other month, but lack of time and also a new fear of amoebas and parasites from street food have slackened my motivation. <a href="http://www.streetgourmetla.com/">Bill Esparza</a>, I don't know how you do it, but I'm glad you do because reading about food on your blog is almost as exciting as eating it!</div>
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That being said, I FINALLY made it to a place I've been hearing about for a while. My good friend Isabel, an incredible Mexican-Lebanese chef and <a href="http://www.casablancabb.com/">Bed and Breakfast</a> owner speaks highly of this place. "What's it called?", I asked her. "Tacos Fish", she replied. What? That's not a name. Is that the name? Wait... What?</div>
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"Where is it?" I queried. "Oh you know, somewhere in La Paz, we can never remember where until we are there." Hmmmm.... so uninspired by the name and lack of directions, I pushed it to the back of the 'must try' list. Which I admit is a very short list for me down here.</div>
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As a restaurant owner, I go to La Paz alot more now than I did before. La Paz is the capital city of Baja Sur and sports world class fishing and diving reefs. It's very Mexican. It's no Cabo. They don't speak English readily or cater to retired fools though they do have a Walmart and a Home Depot.</div>
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Sooooooo.... I accidentally drive by it about 5 times in 2 weeks and my aging, taco-fogged brain goes, "Wait! That place is something! Wait. But the name is dumb but yeah right Isabel's place." Twice I try to go on a Monday, they are closed. Finally I go on a Saturday and guess what? It's effing FANEFFINGTASTIC. Really really REALLY good.</div>
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Crisp, clean, friendly, efficient, cheap, high quality, great salsas. DELISH. Solid, flakey, juicy fish and shrimp tacos AND deep fried crab tacos. Oh yeah. It was almost like being at Mariscos Jalisco. Not quite but almost.</div>
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"Soooooo goooooood." This is my 'sous chef' Jose Manuel immitating me with a funny American accent (he speaks no English) when I really like something.</div>
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That was his final verdict on these tacos. Mine too. Coming soon to Cabo but until then, this<a href="https://maps.google.com.mx/maps?ie=UTF-8&q=Taco+Fish&fb=1&gl=mx&hq=Tacos+Fish+La+Paz&cid=2143554583222286792&ei=6_glU8HyOtODqgGO3ICoBA&ved=0CLABEPwSMA4"> page</a> has directional info for La Paz location. <a href="http://www.tacofish.com/">www.tacofish.com</a></div>
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<br />Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2953428925286047165.post-32728476910456493472013-06-20T07:50:00.000-07:002014-06-09T07:56:25.250-07:00El Fogón, San Jose del Cabo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I have been craving and devouring the AMAZING Pastor tacos at <a href="http://bajahouse.blogspot.mx/2011/06/guacamayas.html">Guacamayas</a> (3 locations) in the Cabo area for 5 years now. I am a big fan. I have NO COMPLAINTS. Not only is their Pastor rocking, the rest of the menu is awesome too. <br />
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OK. I have one complaint. They are not open for lunch. (except for the new location just opened 1/2014 near the Marina)<br />
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Recently someone told me about an "amazing" Pastor place in San Jose. I assumed they meant Guacamayas, but no, they were talking about a place I'd never heard of: El F<span class="gt-baf-back gt-baf-hl">ogón, which means "the oven" or "the stove."</span><br />
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<span class="gt-baf-back gt-baf-hl">I trotted right over there. By trotted I mean that I drove an hour from Todos Santos, where I am currently living, to San Jose.</span><br />
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<span class="gt-baf-back gt-baf-hl">The verdict. Very good Pastor. Very clean. Very nice people. Open ALL DAY AND NIGHT. Nice Palapa seating too.... BUT.... not as good as Guacamayas in my humble opine. Not caramelized enough. No fun pineapple flipping tricks. No addictive sweet yet 'melt in your mouth' texture. Solid for sure but nothing to drive an hour for or even take a plane 2 hours S. of Los Angeles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">You can't see the Pina in this shot but it is there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Extra melted cheese with your Pastor.</span></div>
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<span class="gt-baf-back gt-baf-hl">However, when in San Jose, they provide an excellent lunch or snack, especially during the day when Guacamayas is closed. They are located at the top of a one way street that starts in the Old Town square and goes straight up to the highway. It's the same street as the French Riviera Bakery and is called Manual Doblado. If you take it straight up, right before you get back to the Hwy you will see El Fogon on your right.</span>Taco Mavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14337332154238333933noreply@blogger.com0