Border Grill – Santa Monica – Lamb Adobo Tacos

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I’ve been going to Border Grill for 20 years.Sometimes I’ve just gone on a whim, but I’ve also celebrated more than one birthday there. Many years ago, we even had a small party after the opening of the first film I produced. The food has always been good,with a widely varied menu of imaginative traditional dishes, as well as creative items not seen anywhere else in Los Angeles. And the room is upscale, pleasant and fun.

Last night’s lamb adobo tacos proved that The Border Grill is still an exciting restaurant. The lamb was marinated (yes, adobada) and braised in rich spices until it had an almost caramelized flavor. It had only a hint of of smoky chiles, so the rich lamb flavor was front and center. Served on nice heavy tortillas, with slivers of nopal and a shaving of cheese and pickled grilled onions, these are among the best tacos I’ve ever eaten. The rice in two colors and thick, earthy black beans were a perfect accompaniment.

Next time, I’ll tel you about the ceviche.

Here’s the website: http://www.bordergrill.com/bg_sm/bg_smwel.htm

Los Angeles Azules – Como te voy a olvidar

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Hey, listen to this one… The hugely popular cumbia band Los Angeles Azules, playing what may be their best-known song. Sophisticated people like to sneer at them, possibly because of their common appeal, or possibly because cumbia pop music went out of style in some circles many years ago. I guess you can sneer at me, then, because I really get a kick out of it.

Great New Book – Mexican Portraits

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A new book featuring portraits by Mexican photographers, covering the history of photography in Mexico. Lots of examples in this link (I’m sure it was just a coincidence that I chose the attractive woman for this post)… They’re all really wonderful.

Here’s the link to the New York Times review: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/mexico-points-the-camera-at-itself/?smid=fb-share&_r=2&#/19/

Churros Calientes – Food Truck, West Los Angeles – Churros

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Nearly 3 years ago, I was thrilled to see that a restaurant called Churros Calientes was coming to Santa Monica Boulevard, near Federal Avenue right around the corner from home. Before it opened, though, I had to move out of town for a while, and always regretted missing out. Sadly, since returning to LA, I haven’t had an opportunity to try it. Last week, though, I posted a picture of the great churros I had at the Barrio Cafe in Phoenix, and the urge for churros became rather intense.

Leaving the gym yesterday, I saw among the usual food trucks at the Santa Monica office park a new truck… Churros Calientes… and I was able to satisfy my craving. delicious, hot (yes, caliente) pastry, fresh from the fryer, tossed in the perfect mix of sugar and cinnamon, with a thick dulce de leche sauce. I could have chosen different sizes and shapes, and there were chocolate, strawberry and guava sauces available. I’ll try those eventually, but probably not until I’ve had this perfect combination a few more times.

Here’s the website: http://www.churroscalientes.com/