I never quite had the courage to try the tacos at this wonderful stand on Av. Buenos Aires. I think I recognize chorizo, tripas and nopales, but there are all sorts of other goodies cooking away in this gigantic pan… I suspect the reason I didn’t try it is that it is just down the street from my favorite place for Tacos al Pastor. I’ll tell you about that in a later post.
I try to get to Barrio Café whenever I’m in Phoenix. The Torta de Filetito is a super tasty and satisfying meal. A lovely piece of filet mignon with warm roquefort cheese, longaniza chorizo sausage and grilled onion finished with a tangy chipotle red wine reduction.
Olympic Boulevard becomes a thriving marketplace on Saturdays and Sundays. All sorts of things are on sale, from dried chiles to piñatas, but the food stands are what attracted me this weekend.
I’ve seen blue corn tortillas and quesadillas in Mexico, but never had the chance to try them, so this was my opportunity. This was a family-run operation, with mom doing the cooking, and the kids keeping the operation running smoothly.The choices were rather exotic, including pig’s blood and squash flowers, but I was a little more conservative, ordering my quesadilla with shredded cheese, cecina (paper-thin slices of marinated beef) and huitlacoche, the highly-prized corn fungus delicacy. Mom made the tortilla from blue masa and tossed it right onto the grill, and when it was done, it was hot enough to hurt my fingers. The depth of flavor of the heavy blue tortilla was remarkable, the toasted corn flavor balancing the fruity corn fungus flavor of the huitlacoche. A dash of red salsa and a grilled green onion made it a perfect meal.
Here’s something you don’t see on any other menus. Portabella mushroom with grilled eggplant and zucchini slices, served on a bed of spinach salad… with a pistachio mole! Every bite was perfectly orchestrated, but of course, the mole was the highlight. Toasty and nutty, it also had an almost fruity undertone, balanced with the pleasant sting of serrano chiles. A brilliant vegetarian dish.
Here’s the website: http://www.moleslatia.com/
Moles La Tía is one of the participating restaurants in the East LA Meets Napa event on July 19. Here’s the website for the event:
Here’s an event that sounds great! Restaurants from East Los Angeles joining with Latino-owned wineries for a very worthwhile fund-raiser. I really want to be there. Check the website to see all the great restaurants and wineries that will be participating. The photo is from one of the participating restaurants, but I’m not telling which one – yet!
Friday, July 19, 2013
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Union Station
800 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Purchase Tickets Today!
AltaMed’s premier food and wine tasting fundraising event, East LA Meets Napa, is in its 8th year. The event takes place outdoors on a warm summer evening in a unique aesthetic venue, the Union Station & Metropolitan Water District courtyards. The perfect setting for the 1,500 guests who enjoy trekking their way past their favorite food and wine stations. Latino owners, chefs, and representatives from 30 restaurants and 30 wineries showcase their wonderful food and wines. This event includes a VIP pre-event reception, a brief program, live entertainment, dancing, all the food you can eat, all the wine you can drink, and a surprise or two! Top sponsors enjoy the comfort of their very own private VIP reception areas.
With 1,500 guests in attendance, East LA Meets Napa is AltaMed’s highest attended annual fundraising event. Invitees will include the AltaMed Senior Management Team, Host Committee co-chairs and committee members, elected officials, sponsors, and friends of AltaMed.
This year’s event, appropriately named East LA Meets Napa & Beyond, will take us on a wine tasting journey stretching from the famed Napa Valley, through various California wine regions and beyond. An exploration of California wines showcasing and honoring the roots of so many Latino vintners and families.
I’ve never taken a photo of a mole that captures the deep, velvety richness that is so much part of the overwhelming experience. Manchamanteles means “table cloth stainer'” and after one glance, there’s no doubt whatsoever that it’s true. It’s one of the 7 classic moles from Oaxaca, powerful but nuanced, flavored with ancho chiles, cinnamon and cloves (and many, many other ingredients). Pineapple is the usual garnish, and the maraschino cherry was a nice touch. La Huasteca makes one of the very best manchamanteles I’ve had anywhere.
A guisado is a stew, and that’s what Guisados uses to make their unique tacos. There’s a range of delicious, well-known dishes made from pork, chicken, beef and veggies to choose from. The tacos are small but filling, served on heavy, hand-made tortillas, with a base of black bean salsa. My friend Leili and I tried several of the selections, and my favorite was the chicken tinga, a rich stew of chicken and interesting spices.
I haven’t been to the original Boyle Heights location, but the Sunset Boulevard spot was nicely busy on a Tuesday lunch time, with a cheerful mural-decorated outdoor patio.
The website doesn’t seem to be working at the moment, but maybe it will be back by the time you read this: http://www.guisados.com
It was the nicest presentation I’ve ever seen for churros, and they were just perfect. Still hot from the fryer, rolled in sugar and cinnamon, and drizzled with cajeta, a thick, almost chocolaty caramel sauce.
A little jamaica added to the lemonade, a combination I’ve never seen before. I would have had it too, but the cantaloupe agua fresca was calling my name… At Guisados in Echo Park.
Note: The date has been changed from June 23rd to June 30th
It’s pretty much confirmed that the Caesar Salad was created in Tijuana. For several years now, the city of Tijuana has held a celebration on Avenida Revolución to commemorate it. I never knew about it until now, but there’s a good chance you’ll see me there this year.
Here’s a brief history:
http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/CaesarSalad/index.htm#Invent
Bruce Critchley's Mexico Here and There 