Category Archives: Food!

Mr. Lobster – Mazatlán – Fish Ceviche

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Mr. Lobster is a bright, cheerful place in an upscale area just a few blocks north of the Malecón.

As you may have gathered by now, I do enjoy ceviche. There was a choice of ceviches, and I went for the fish. I’ve never seen it served this way, minced with tomato, cucumber, carrots and onion, and it was a refreshing treat on a hot afternoon. Several bites in, I realized I was violating an important traveler’s rule by eating the unpeeled tomato, but I figured it was to late to change my mind, and went ahead and ate it with great pleasure. There was no problem in this case, but I still try to be careful.

Definitely a nice choice for authentic Sinaloa style seafood.

Los 5 Puntos – East LA – Tacos de Carnitas

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Drive by Los 5 Puntos on Cesar Chavez Avenue in East L.A., and you may see me outside, singing its praises.

I’ve been in this legendary grocery store, tortilleria and pork specialty store many times, but never when I was hungry… until today. There was every imaginable cut of pork available, from pork stomach and kidneys to ribs, but I was conservative, and just ordered a couple of Tacos de Carnitas. What I got was a generous helping of beautifully moist and flavorful chunks of pork, served on some of the thickest and richest hand-made tortillas I’ve ever had. Some spicy red salsa, guacamole and chopped cilantro and onion made for a perfect balance of textures and flavors.

I know I’ll be planning my next trip to East L.A. around lunch at Los 5 Puntos.

Here’s the website: http://www.los5puntos.com/Los5puntos.com/Home.html

La Gorda – Guadalajara – Torta Ahogada

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I’ve always been a fan of the Torta Ahogada, the drowned sandwich, and where would be a more appropriate place to have one than in Guadalajara, where they were invented? A nice crusty roll with chunks of moist braised pork, served in a rich pool of mildly spicy tomato sauce, I had to eat it quickly, before it lost its texture. La Gorda is a nice family restaurant that started as a neighborhood food cart in 1956.

La Cerveceria Union – Puerto Vallarta – Huachinango

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The sunset was beautiful, and everyone was out for a stroll on the Malecón. There are hundreds of restaurant choices in Puerto Vallarta, ranging from wildly elaborate theme restaurants to thinly-disguised discos to American chains like Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Company. I didn’t find the internet very useful on this trip, so I was left to make my best guess for dinner. Something about the casual atmosphere, upscale clientele and interesting menu of La Cerveceria Union gave me a good feeling… not to mention the oyster bar.

It’s a lovely big room, with an open patio perfect for watching the sun set. I ordered the huachinango – red snapper – and was delighted with the way it was presented. It was a perfectly grilled fish with only the slightest spice rub, served on a wooden carving board, and smothered with fresh cilantro and red onion.

Service was quick and friendly, the people-watching was fun, and manager David Monjaraz made me feel right at home.

El Huequito – Mexico City – Tacos al Pastor

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Tacos al Pastor is one of the most celebrated dishes in Mexico City. In all of Mexico, actually, but especially in Mexico City. El Huequito is my secret favorite place – not such a secret, though, as it was featured in an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s show. It’s a nice restaurant downtown, with a wide menu, but the pastor grill is outside, where you can grab a couple of quick tacos on the run.

The basic tacos are pretty, uh, basic. Slivers of caramelized marinated pork sliced onto warm tacos, splashed with a spectacular sauce of guacamole, thinned with orange and chile flavors. I like to go a little crazy, though, and order the Especial. It’s sort a make-your-own-taco affair, in which enough meat for several tacos is served in a towering pile, laced with delicious sauce, accompanied by a stack of tortillas on the side. My one and only complaint is that they don’t serve orange Fanta, my favorite drink with spicy tacos.

Tortilla Soup

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The first time I ever heard of Tortilla Soup, I was in Guadalajara in 1992. I thought it was a joke, so I ordered it as a novelty. What I got was a rich, beautiful soup with big chunks of chicken, avocado and dried chiles, generously supported with toasted tortilla strips. It was absolutely delicious. The Belair Hotel in Los Angeles is justifiably famous for its Tortilla Soup, but it’s something I rarely see on a menu.

It seemed appropriate to have Tortilla Soup on my recent trip to Guadalajara, 21 years after I had it for the first time… It was still great.

Dairy Queen – Hermosillo, Mexico

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I developed a taste for Dairy Queen when I lived in Omaha, Nebraska, and have been disappointed that they are not widely represented in Los Angeles.

I was thrilled to find a Dairy Queen on a recent trip to Hermosillo. It was a blazing hot day, and it felt like an oasis in the desert. As I ordered “un Blizzard con Butterfinger, por favor” I was reminded of John Travolta’s rant in the film Pulp Fiction, as he recalls ordering “le Big Mac” at McDonald’s in Paris.

Vampiros – Mazatlán

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How could I possibly resist a dish called Vampiros?

It was a busy taco stand – actually a large restaurant in a row of those metal-roof, garage-like spaces – and I chose it because it was the busiest place along the strip of road leading to the beach. I got to chatting with a cab driver, who told me I had chosen the best place, because it’s where the drivers go… I suppose they have special culinary sensibilities.

With great expectations, I waited for my Vampiros, but was a bit disappointed when they turned out to be Tacos al Pastor. I’m not sure what distinguishes Vampiros from tacos, but they were absolutely delicious. My favorite tacos are in Tijuana and Mexico City, but these ran a close third. Richly spiced marinated pork, cut directly from the vertical grill, served with a wider-than-usual selection of accompaniments, I was thrilled.

Maybe taxi drivers know what they’re eating after all.

Alagua – Mazatlán – Aguachile de Camarón

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This is a wonderful ceviche dish that I just discovered recently. Alagua is one of the best seafood restaurants in Mazatlán, and they do a spectacular version of the famous Sinaloa dish.

The freshest of shrimp are shelled raw, “cooked” in lime juice and served with chopped cucmbers, onion and a jalapeño purée.There couldn’t be a more perfect dish to eat right at the beach with the warm breeze on your face.

Looking For Seafood in Mexico

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I took a long taxi ride to the beach in Tijuana to try a restaurant that Anthony Bourdain featured on his show. Guess what? Terraza Vallarta isn’t there any more. $22 in cab rides later, at least I had a nice conversation with the cab driver… It was one of the less expensive little white cabs, so I probably made his night.

On Saturday night in Hermosillo, I took another long cab ride – not as long this time – to a Sinaloa style seafood restaurant called El Charco. Before the taxi could leave, a lovely young woman raced out to tell me that they closed at 7:00 pm. I’ve come across this with other seafood places in Mexico.I ended up at La Cobacha, a huge place with an extensive menu. I had a mixture of shrimp, scallops and avocado in a sweetish red sauce called Manjar de Neptuno… Finally got my seafood fix.