With the Save Our Taco Trucks Campaign exploding, we’ve been too tied up to continue posting on the progenitor site. Still, this old girl is getting jealous, so we thought it a good idea to show a little love for the “Brick and Mortar” restaurants that feel so left out lately.
First was El Mercadito in East Los Angeles. The girlfriend and I had such a good time that first Sunday, we returned again the following weekend with friends. The shops are pretty much what you can get on Figueroa, but the restaurant on the top floor has two stages with Mariachis. In our visits, we tried the Shrimp Cocktail, Mole Burrito, Carnitas Burrito, Birria Gordita, and Camarones al Diablo. The burritos were large and tasty but not really worth the trip, the Camarones al Diablo were tasty with a spiciness that slowly built until it had to be put out with a cold Bohemia, and the Gordita was delicious with the fried masa exterior and filling of shredded goat meat. The culinary highlight though had to be the shrimp cocktail. Loaded with shrimp, avocado, and cucumber, we could hardly finish it. Probably the most enjoyable aspect of the day was the music. Seven Mariachis belted out songs while staying away from the cliches that you tend to hear when you’re in a tourist trap (Rancho Grande, La Bamba, Cielito Lindo, etc.) For a tip, customers could even come on stage and sing a few of their own favorites.
The following weekend brought a Verdugo-caused hangover that Antigua’s chilaquiles weren’t going to solve. My girlfriend and I cruised down to Cypress Park for pozole at the original King Taco. The large steaming bowl of hominy, pork, onions, and cilantro warmed me up and helped with my headache. We also had a couple of delicious pork tamales and one tasty taco al pastor. Seeing as the York has brought back the Orange Grove Ale, I think I’ll be heading back sooner rather than later.
Maybe the most apropos aspect of these trips was that we passed numerous Taco Trucks in order to get to the restaurants. Our argument from the beginning is that the two eating establishments are in about as much competition as Jack in the Box and El Arco Iris. One is quick and cheap, the other provides a nicer and more expensive experience. We also shouldn’t forget that King Taco began as a converted ice-cream truck.
El Mercado de Los Angeles
3425 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90063
King Taco
1118 Cypress Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90065
Northeast notables that may interest only me:
1. La Arca de Noe was featured in an NCIS episode titled “Iced”. A Pretty terrible episode of a pretty terrible show had the restaurant as the headquarters of the “Vida Mala” Salvadoran gang based in Fairfax, Virginia. I’m guessing some producer’s only contact with Hispanic culture was Ricky Martin, and he then confused the word “mala” with “mara”. Still, it was fun to see the Jesus mural on the side of the Highland Theater.
2. The front page of the Boulevard Sentinel had articles on Debs Park and the Highland Park Transit Village. Looks like we have a fan in the local media.
Today I rousted my girlfriend out of bed before noon, a minor miracle, with the intention of getting my car worked on. It being Sunday and the mechanic apparently taking the day off, we decided instead to grab a hearty Mexican breakfast followed by a little bit of culture. Word on the street was that La Abeja made a good Menudo, and we were not disappointed. The broth was delicious and the perfect cure for a hangover (they don’t have chilaquiles unfortunately). The topping of tripas (tripe) was too rubbery for my taste and we passed on the optional patas (pork hooves). The dish is served with limes, onions, and cilantro on the side. Just to try a sampling, I had the Juevos Rancheros. Pretty standard fare, but the refried beans were particularly good and for less than $5, I have no complaints about standard fare. The restaurant’s decor resembles a hardware store/filling station heavy on Three Stooges memorabilia and Mexican kitsch but the service is excellent. The owner and his family seem to make up the staff, and they never let my coffee cup get below half full without offering me a refill. They also offer a lunch menu of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, etc. but don’t serve chicken because, “the old man doesn’t like it” according to our waiter. One large Menudo, Juevos Rancheros, and two coffees came out to less than $15.
Our bellies full, we headed south to check out the biannual Mission Brewery Art Walk in Lincoln Heights. Located in the old PBR brewery, the art walk is a free tour of the artists colony that currently inhabits the property. To be honest the art (mixed media, fashion, sculpture, photography, etc.) wasn’t anything I’d hang on my wall (or could afford to with the hefty price tags) but the spaces were impressive as were the grounds which have largely been transformed into gardens and private patios. I did enjoy Chilean artist Guillermo Bert’s “Bar-Code / Branding America” series, which “reflects […] his perspective on the consumerism that permeates the core of American society”. The idea isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but I enjoyed the execution. A great find that will warrant further exploration is Barbara’s at the Brewery. The restaurant/bar boasted a nicely decorated interior, good beer selection (including my favorite, Craftsman’s 1903), and an appetizing menu. Maybe next weekend, I can find something more in my price range at Highland Park’s art walk.
“What better way to celebrate Presidents Day than to eat Mexican food served from a cart that avoids health inspection, paying taxes, and speaking English?”, I thought to myself as my girlfriend and I headed over to Echo Park for lunch. Now normally, I’m a taco man, but this cart on Echo Park Ave. just south of Sunset only serves quesadillas. However, your (or at least my) mother’s culinary standby when she didn’t feel like whipping something together more intricate, these are not. The tortillas are the first difference I noticed. Made from blue corn masa pounded into form on the spot, the tortillas add a sweetness to what I was informed was a typical dish of the Oaxaca and Puebla regions of Mexico. As the thinned masa cooks, our cocinera adds some cheese and it’s time to choose a filling. Our options are squash blossoms (flor de calabaza), corn smut (huitlacoche), mushrooms (hongos), fried pork skin (chicharrones), or chicken. We tried the flor de calabaza, hongos, and huitlacoche with delicious results and topped it off with an Orange Crush. Garnishes include a deliciously spicy red sauce, cilantro and onions, an untried green sauce, and nopales. Three quesadillas filled me to the gills, and at $3 each, they better have. With baseball season starting soon, I have a feeling I’ll be taking a few of these into Dodger Stadium instead of paying $5 a pop for the processed raccoon snouts marketed as Dodger Dogs.
Next Page »
