Taqueria Zavala, #1 in South Gate, CA

albondigas soup

I have been going to the same chiropracter for 25 years! He's awesome; Gary Yanagihara. He has kept me going in a hard dance class over the years far longer than my body wanted. He's in South Gate off the 710. LOTS of good tacos around there.  In fact, Casita Mexicana (in Bell) is maybe 10-15 minutes away.

So even though I am still on a carb reduced diet, I perused local YELP recommends and chose Taqueria Zavala. I expected a stand but was surprised to find an amazing vintage diner serving up delicious home cooked Mexican food.

My waitress 'Mary' (she had a name tag AND a jaunty scarf) was an absolute doll. Very friendly and she noticed right away my obnoxious picture taking and asked if it was my first time. I gave her my card. She thought I was crazy but by the end she was excited to check out the post I promised was coming ASAP.

I of course sampled the tacos, 2 of them. FABULOUS: A fried potato made with hashed browns (for which there is no Spanish translation) and a stew-like Pastor taco that was more like Birria than the grilled pork I love so well.

Pastor Taco 'Durango' style

Hashed browns crispy potato taco

It was raining out, so why not try the soup? I ordered some Albondigas (meatball soup with big hunks of carrots and zucchini) and took most of it home. I am absolutely CRAZED with trying to re-create the pastor. It had soft pork, long-cooked onions, tomatoes and some kind of magical red chili. I asked but the chef wasn't there.

They tried to tell me it was a California pepper and that it was green and not red (Anneheim?) so maybe the red was just from oil and tomatoes. I thought maybe I detected a little chili arbol... It had a little bit of heat and a little bit of sweet from the cooked pinapple. BEYOND the BEYOND of TASTY.

This location has been there for 25 years but now they are branching out with several other locations.

http://www.taqueriazavala.com/

13665 Garfield Ave
South Gate, CA 90280

(562) 630-7475

Santa Paula, CA :: Crispy Taco Mecca

For this taco adventure, I went over the 150, away from the beach to the small town of Santa Paula. Santa Paula has several historic sites, cool murals, an old train depot and lots and lots of crispy tacos.

Truly I expected to find a myriad of authentic soft tacos, but all four places that I ate at had a crispy option (with ground beef!) I have some ongoing shame in admitting that due to nostalgic reasons, this is still my favorite KIND of taco!

Stop #1 EL PREFERIDO TACO SHOP (aka THE BEST TACOS) - 654 E. Harvard St. near Peck Blvd.

I almost drove right by it because a healthy Palm tree obscures the sign. Cute little cafe. No waiter service but lots and lots of good stuff. I absolutely loved the Chili Relleno taco and the Crispy Chicken taco. As this place was run by a Mexican family and fairly authentic, no ground beef. The owner's daughter was very friendly as well. They do have beer AND an older TV for those key sports moments. One of their specialties is a Chile Verde that isn't really 'verde' because it uses smoked Chili de Arbol instead of tomatillos. They also have a nice looking Shrimp Cocktel that another customer was enjoying.

Stop #2 CHICKYWEEDY'S - 915 E. Harvard Street (closer to the 150)

Kind of a Dine 'n Dash place. I later learned this was the prior home of Tia Babe's (Stop #3) Reminded me of an Oki Dog in LA. The guy behind the window was VERY nice. He tried to explain that 'Chickyweedy' is his Grandfather's nickname, Anglicized from Chiquiwiti which means little or skinny or a skinny guy who can pack it on or something like that. They are very comitted to what they do and have even painstakingly resurrected a local favorite salsa from a place that went out of business. It was tasty but def. the kind of food you want to be drunk or high to really enjoy! They are also famous for their 'corn burritos' which are really taquitos with a sweet red sauce and a ton of shredded cheese on top - not my fav.

Stop #3 TIA BABE'S - 125 S. 10th St.

(10th is what they call the 150 as it rolls through town on the way to/from Ojai)

The whole reason for this 'taco crawl' was Tia Babe's. Babe, whose name is Florence, is the sister of Bill Elwell (King of the simple burger at Bill & Hiroko's) He gave me her card, said she was pretty fancy and so I made a stop. Sadly, most people on Yelp complain quite a bit and I can sort of see why. Debbie (daughter of Babe) was a delight and warned me that their crispy taco was on a pre-baked shell. She recommended soft instead and I liked the way they heated the tortilla in enough oil so that I didn't feel too deprived. The taco was simple and good. The ground beef tasted a little like it might have had some flour or filler in it. Nothing to lose sleep over and I suspect many of the items might be the same: good but not great. On the plus side they are in a new building and they have a full liquor license for real margaritas and cocktails. I would go back for drinks and chips and salsa and maybe an appetizer or two.

Stop #4 LA TERRAZA - 1000 Main St. (at the corner of the 150 and Main)

This one is hard to miss. They have the best real estate for tourists passing through. They also have some of the best Yelp reviews. Mostly Mexicans dining inside, it's an order and pick-up place with a dining area and an outdoor patio. I really liked the way they did their crispy tacos - grill browned. The tortillas were very thin and this made it like a cracker taco (sort of like thin crust pizza) No ground beef but the chicken was tender and the pastor was VERY flavorful even though they don't use a Trompo. They had my favorite salsa. A simple strained affair with a few chili seeds and just the right amount of salt. I would buy it by the pint for my own tacos at home.

1st place goes to El Preferido for selection, friendliness and ambiance. A close 2nd to La Terraza for that wonderful taco and salsa combination.

Beach House Tacos, Ventura CA

So in July I go to this new dentist in Ojai, I tell him I'm a taco fiend and he says... "Go to the Beach House. It's amazing."

I didn't make it in July but as I am back here in November for a spot of dogsitting, off I went.

Pretty easy to find. Right on Harbor Dr. on the Pier. The pier is tiny. Nothin' but 2 restaurants (owned by the same people) one of which is the Beach House.

It's a cute shack with a sail covered patio. They have all kinds of beer and cocktails they make with various liquor substitutes. The Bloody Marys actually looked good. The place seems to be run by a couple of 'kids' in their 20's. Maybe this isn't the best idea... Most of the complaints on Yelp are about the service and the wait.

Granted, everything is fresh. Normally I will wait and wait for fresh, but there is something about the way they operate in there that seems to need improvement.

The tacos! I had a very tasty Ahi Tuna Taco. It was seared in a nicely browned flour tortilla. It had cucumbers, cabbage and some nice Asian notes with the dressing. I chose the mild salsa but I really prefer the medium one. It looks orange and is very smooth and savory with a little heat. The 'hot' salsa is the standard fare red you can get on a taco truck loaded with chili seeds. The taco was $4.25

I also felt like a salad so I got one with grilled shrimp. I think the salad came to around $9 with the shrimp added. The feta and pumpkin seeds were a nice touch. They gave me what was supposed to be a 'green' dressing but really it was just guacamole. An actual salad dressing (oil, vinegar, etc.) would have been a better call.

As I was leaving I noticed they had a crispy taco. They call in the 'Crunchy' and it's $2. I had to try one OF COURSE. It said right on the menu that it was ground beef with raisins. I guess they were going for a Cuban Picadillo feel. It was actually tasty, the shell was perfect, not too much yellow cheese and the ever present iceberg lettuce was there in abundance.

However, instead of being cut in fine shreds, this lettuce had more of a chopped feel. Shredded iceberg makes a better presentation but you have to cut it the right way.

Ultimately, I don't really want raisins in my crispy taco!

The wait! So... at around 1pm on a Sat. I was the only gal in line. I waited about 15-20 min. for my first order. An hour later, there were 12 people in line and I waited about 35 min to order and receive my lone crispy taco.

Not soooo bad. The crowd kind of ebbs and flows throughout the day, but it can jam up pretty fast. And this was all on a windy somewhat rainy afternoon. The line is probably 2x as long in the summer months.
All that being said, do I recommend it? Yeah. I do. Just be patient and definitely plan on drinking beer or one of their other drinks because that will ease the wait. They do give you your drink order right away along with your numbered food ticket.

If you order chips and salsa or chips and guac you get that right away too. They have pastor and both grilled and battered fish and shrimp tacos. People seem to love those.

I'm sure on a warm day in the Spring or Summer it's a delight, and that Ahi Taco really was pretty darn good.

Beach House Tacos on Yelp

Escuela Taqueria! Los Angeles CA

'sin verguenzas' means without shame or shameless

What a great name. What a great place. What a great taco! I went for the first time on Saturday and I felt like a "Dancing with the Stars" judge waving my "10" paddle all over the place.

I also felt like maybe I was in New York or San Francisco. Uber hip with KILLER thriftshop art on the walls (I wanted to steal it all), amazing logo, friendly owner, excellent service, adorable dog waiting for his owners to eat tacos... ambience fabulous.

But what about the tacos? A 10! A 10! Seriously. Perfect modern fusion. Authentic yet innovative. This is what I am looking for in a taco, something that blows my mind and opens it up to all the taco possibilities.

comfy crispy fried beef tacos

I like how they give you your agua fresca in a carafe to be shared by the table. I like how every taco has a perfectly browned and chewy tortilla underneath. I like how they have simple fare for the kiddies.

The innovation award goes to the fish taco. On Saturday it was Branzino (a very fancy Italian Whitefish) with the skin ON. Huh? Yep. Crispy skin, flakey fish. Addictive really. (See the above video for a great shot.)

shrimp and chorizo taco

But the real 'crack' of the day was the, again, perfect, crispy taco. Shredded tender beef inside, lovely orange cheese, savory salsa, crispy shell. That's right. I totally blew my "Ease up on the fried food Biatch" diet and had 2 of them.

I also loved the shrimp taco with crispy shards of chorizo and giant butterflied shrimp. YUM.

Of course I couldn't try everything but that's just an excuse to go back. AGAIN AND AGAIN.

The genius behind it all is Steve Arroyo. He has given us a "river" (true to his last name) of restaurants starting with the original Malo (when it was smaller and less malo) and onto Cobras & Matadors and a cool sandwich place around the corner called "Potato Chip." I wanted to steal that sign too but it's too big! He's also a part owner in Umami burger (where a Cobras & Matadors used to be on Hollywood Blvd.) and he started Church & State. Dios Mio!!!!!

Thank you Steve. You obviously understand food and how to make a taco fiending customer very very happy.

Escuela Taqueria
CASH ONLY
308 N. Stanley Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(just off Beverly Blvd. near CBS and Erewhon)

Taco Roundup #1 - La Fogota, Rambo's and Jose O'Malley's

I have to really really really LOVE a place to give it a fancy post (like Plancha. I luff them). Otherwise, if I'm not as inspired, this Roundup idea is the way to go.... Just to keep track... Of all the tacos and Mexican food I've been eating.

PICO PICA RICO
They are in Sherman Oaks. Cute cozy spot. Lots of treats. I had a few tacos and they were good but not that exciting. When it gets crowded, service is pretty slow.

LA FOGATA

Also in Sherman Oaks. Last time I went there was about 15 years ago. I was craving a good crispy taco but it was a Sat. night and I just couldn't brave the crowds in Hollywood. I am now living closer to Studio City/Sherman Oaks area (temporarily I hope!) so this was the closest crispy. It was really good. I got it to go as the place was CRAWLING with families and kids. Super noisy too. They don't use lard and they are very efficient and affordable. Glad they are still in business.

MIS TACOS
Funky little truck that parks at Venice and Sepulveda sometimes and then maybe moves to Venice and Overland. I thought their whole pinto beans and their veggie Torta were particularly good. Tacos were decent but a little plain.

AMIGOS
The chef at Hot's Kitchen told me their breakfast burrito was the bomb and man was he right. It's crazy... eggs, sausage, hash browns, ham, bacon and cheese! I think you can get chorizo instead if you want. It's so fresh, their salsas are rad AND they have a pastor trompo later in the day. I like the Manhattan Beach location on Aviation.

FRIJOLES

Near LAX on Aviation, this place is actually worthy of a movie and a blog post. GREAT veggie selection, breakfast, crispy tacos, fish tacos, the whole 9 yards, all served in a cute little cafe with a patio. Oh and they have beer too!

Mexican scramble breakfast

RAMBO'S
Mostly (or always) parked on Eagle Rock Blvd near York. The best thing about this truck is the amazing art. Tacos are fresh, small, good tortillas, spicy salsa. It's a strong 'like' but not a 'love'. Still, if you find yourself in that hood, they are consistently reliable for a tasty taco snack.

SHARKEY'S
Used to go to the one on Burbank everday when I was teaching at a school nearby. They were good then and they are even better now. Totally out of control with organic, sustainable, healthy, lard free options. The one in Beverly Hills is muy fancy. They did some lettuce shrimp tacos for me but you can also get grilled fish plates and many other fun items.

CORKBAR
Hotspot Winebar in downtown LA. Beautiful decor, and a great Happy Hour. They have carnitas at their happy hour and fried fish tacos at lunch. The fish is fancy and flakey and the batter is nice but on the day we went we were not loving the tartar style sauce that drenched the cabbage. Worth checking out the Happy Hour for sure.



MARISCOS MONI
Pretty much across the street from the smaller Mariscos Chente. I really liked this place. Love the spicy rubbed grilled shrimp (Sandeados) and the house salsa. The tacos are a little weird. Different regional style that features frozen mixed veggies and lots of chopped up shrimp and fish. Didn't try any of the meat tacos but still think this is a fun Inglewood family spot.




JOSE O'MALLEY'S
I was so intrigued by the name and some of the reviews that I went to a food truck event in the boondocks of N. Hollywood to seek them out. Their logo is awesome. Very nice people. The meats inside the taco were very flavorful and juicy. I was hoping with the name they would have an old school ground beef taco but alas, they didn't. Selection was pretty simple as well. I really liked the salsa.