Street Gourmet LA

Mercado Olympic-L.A's Next Street Food Star

2012-01-22T02:34:00.000-08:00

I've always shopped in the Produce District at the various Mexican produce markets, pinata and sweets shops, and Latino cooking supplies wholesalers along Olympic Bl. to the west of Central Ave. You can find quality chiles--a broad selection, too--Mexican spices, special cooking devices and utensils, and all the oddball candies and savory snacks.

When I first started going to the legendary Breed St. vendors on the weekends sometime back in 2007, I thought there might be another place like that, and the Mercado Olympic certainly had potential--a huge Latino customer base of shoppers hungry after dragging their families to and from the Fashion District before calling it a weekend. But the vendors and restaurants here were either bad, routine, or both: pupusas, hot dogs, tacos, and street corn.

That all changed a couple of years ago. It got much better--way better--and in the last 6 months it has erupted. It seems as though every week something new and substantial is joining the ranks of the mostly Mexico City, Puebla, and Michoacan style vendors.

These vendors are only around on the weekends, from the early morning 'til around 5PM. The hot items here are quesadillas, where a fresh made-to-order tortilla is formed from raw masa and cooked on a flat top. The tortillas are stuffed with a variety of stews, called guisados in Spanish. Most of these stands are people from Michoacan and Puebla, which means they have different stews and braises, and their tortillas and masa shapes are a bit different. The huaraches(masa boats shaped like sandals)are thinner and crispier at the Michoacan style stalls, and they have pots of delicious stews like chicharrones in salsa verde, steak ranchero, and ribs in chile pasilla, or a soupy tinga(spicy chicken).

The Pueblan stands have the stuff we're more familiar with: squash blossoms, huitlacoche, mushrooms, and the thicker style of tinga, but they also have tlacoyos(stuffed masa shaped like an oval). Tlacoyos are rare in Los Angeles, and the're usually filled with requeson(like ricotta), beans or another simple flavor, that is mixed in with the masa then toasted on the comal.

There are several solid carnitas vendors from Michoacan preparing this famed Mexican dish in a mode you would find on the streets and in the market stalls of Michoacan . Whole pork shanks, fresh made chicharrones, kidneys, liver, hog maw, pork skin, snout, ears, ribs, and shoulder are all available to go or for some quick tacos at the curb. Hidalgan lamb barbacoa, Mexico City style deep fried fish fillets, cemitas poblanas, tacos de canasta(basket tacos), toasted garbanzos with Valentino salsa, and there are a few Pueblan barbacoa trucks that park nearby as well. Shopping? Take home some chapulines(grasshoppers), quesillo(Oaxacan cheese), sweets from Puebla, or homemade chorizo.

What does this all mean? If you've ever walked the streets of Mexico City, you'll feel as though a stretch of Arcos de Belen has fallen on the City of Angels. LA now has a serious street food zone with a density and bill of fare only the likes of what you'd find in D.F., or in the State of Mexico. Very similar types of vendors set up here--except for the heavy presence of the michoacanos--but never-the-less it's a place to snack like a chilango(people from Mexico City)

Don Julio pinata. I want to beat hell out of that one just on principle.

Until now I've agonized over sharing this pristine spot, only sharing it with good friends, and encouraged them just to enjoy--no tweets or pictures. This is where I go to eat Mexican food these days--more of a vision of Mexico than the former Breed St. extravaganza--and like a few other Latino spheres around L.A. it's pura raza. The last thing I wanted to see was 50 blogs, Yelps, and Chowhound posts with marathon rundowns, and having the vendors ducking from intrusive shuttering of IPhones and cameras, or other disruptions. I'm hoping that those who truly want to savor this amazing food come for that reason, and that's why I now serve up this bounty and offer up a seat to a Mexican food lover's wonderland. Buen Provecho!

The South side of Olympic is a pathway covered by the familiar umbrellas of Mexican street food vendors, this is where most of the action resides. But don't neglect the other side of the street--there are some amazing eats there, too.

Yes, there are still elotes, or esquites to be had. But if it isn't Mexican field corn, I'm out.

Screw Jamba Juice; go for some Mexican fresh squeezed Viagra casera(homemade). Ask for an orange juice with quail eggs, and a splash of Jerez. Hehe, uh...shhhh. For 2 quail eggs, Jerez and juice it's $4--take a drink of the juice first so there's room for the other ingredients.

Need some Rompope, tortas de santa clara(Pueblan sweets originating from a convent), a box of the famous camotes from Puebla's calle de los dulces(sweets street), candied fruits and vegetables, caramel, quesillo, or palanquetas(nut bars). There's a young, street smart entreprenuer that bring them in fresh from Puebla, as well as other food products--the quesillo is amazing. These days, much of the quesillo used in Oaxaca is made in Puebla.

And their chapulines are thick, juicy and only purchased seasonally. They make excellent bar snacks or a filling for small tacos with guacamole, or for sopes.

Tacos de canasta are not commonplace in Los Angeles, but there are a couple of stands here now on the weekends. Neither of them are as good as even the average stands in Mexico City, but for homemade versions, they aren't bad. This is a real serious taquero discipline, and is a lot harder to make these than it seems. The tacos are filled with basic fillings--mostly sauce--and carefully stacked in a basket or box like the one above, and covered with a towel after cooking. The tacos are steamed on the way to the stand and slump into soft, oily, wet snacks as the tortilla absorbs all those hearty flavors.

Potatoes, beans, and chicharrones are the only ones available, these sellers avoid the more challenging mole verde and adobo fillings you'd find as standard in D.F. This is just the difference between pros, and the way families make them at home.

Domestic picklings of vegetables and chiles are a required side for tacos de canasta.

They're small so get a set, and just pour the salsa on top, otherwise they might fall apart when you open them.

One of my favorite stops is to see Eddie. I call the muscle bound chilango Eddie because he always has an Iron Maiden shirt on, and dark shades. He's a real gentleman, but could easily take Danny Trejo's gig if there's ever an opening.

He does Mexico City style fried fish--thin, crispy strips of fish with a nice seasoning, topped with the D.F. classic: salsa valentina. Here's Jeannie Mai showing us how fashionable street food is now that these guys have showed up. Eddie has superb frying technique, and there might not be anything better on a Sunday afternoon than a basket of these things with a bit of hot sauce.

He promises soon to include seafood empanadas--he'd been waiting on a recipe but it turned out to be unfit for his stand. I had hit a sore spot when I brought them up since he had previously told me he'd have them. "I called home and told them this isn't right" "I need a correct recipe." "Give me another month and hopefully I'll have something", he shrugged.

He might even have some refreshing tepache(fermented pineapple rind juice) on hand. Just don't show up with a Poison t-shirt--Heavy Metal rules here.

I'm going to spare you any chia jokes here, but there's an agua fresca of chia seeds that's flush with the infamous gelling buds. This is the signature drink over at one of the carnitas vendors.

At first there were just a couple carnitas stands, both making some fine textured and porky, lard-fried pig.

But the cazos have come out and the carnitas game has gotten interesting even as of today, when I saw a couple of new vendors that I'd never seen before, and it was only a month since I've was last here.

A more offal intensive spot was offering dark,smooth pieces of kidney, liver and wrinkled buche(hog's maw); another tray held snouts, and skin; and a silent, grimacing man was working a cauldron of chicharrones. Crackling,popping, hot chicharrones to go are also a trend here at the Mercado Olympic.

Across the street a more peppy fellow from Sahuayo brought a real familiar tone to the afternoon. "Hey, where are you countrymen from?" he asked. "Here, have a piece of this chamorro(pork shank), come on you have to have some tortilla with it....and salsa."

"I also have chorizo michoacano, have a taste" Chuy and I took 2-inch long pieces of raw chorizo to taste. We could have made a meal with the samples. Man, such a well-seasoned chorizo, and so natural--we each picked up a pound.

The key to the carnitas is arriving early for best results, and get it to go, some of these vendors are out by 6AM stirring pork in large metal pots of hot lard.

Lamb barbacoa roasted in a pit, Hidalgo style, is available and is very good.

But the spicy pancita(offal stuffed stomach) is even better, packed with dried chile tang. This stand is on the southwest side of the E. Olympic as it fractures, losing itself into E. 9th St.

Heading back towards Central Ave. into the jam of peddlers, food stands and markets you'll see a portly street stand boss manuevering around a table of soup pots full of tasty stews. His family also serves up quesadillas brimming with colorful brews full of pork ribs, cactus, and dark, stained sauces that form appetizing shades of oils and chile on the surface.

The cactus salad and pot beans are on the house--this is Mexico.

On a more quiet and sane corner-- the northeast rim of Olympic and Kohler--you'll delight in the novel tlacoyos and traditional quesadillas of Pueblan origin. Try a tlacoyo of epazote-laced requeson(Mexican ricotta)that yields a creamy, mild, salty cheese pungently seasoned by Mexican herb.

The quesadillas of squash blossom, huitlacoche and cesina(salted beef) are outstanding, but the moronga(blood sausage) is gourmet street food, a memorable dish that sets this stand apart. It's well-herbed, supple, and tastes of purgatory: neither foul, nor purified of its bloody soul.

In Toluca, Mexico, chorizo is their pride, their craft. "Oaxacans and Pueblans have mole; Jalisco its birria; Hidalgo its barbacoa--we have chorizo", says the spectacled Toluqueno with a perpetual smile. All day long he makes the best chicharrones on the strip; large sheets of trimmed pork skin, or fatty gnarled chunks with meat attached.

This chorizo is a gift to us weary of the industrial brands at the Super; the rotting, discolored imports also of industrial origin, and the mediocre store made sausages at places like Vallarta. It's one of the only places I shop for chorizos--along with the stand on the other side of the street from Sahuayo--made from 100% meat, and includes almonds in the mixture. The longaniza is spiced differently and is made in a continuous tube of sausage, not tied into links. Tolucan chorizo is perfect for grilling and making tacos, the longaniza, too. They're all made with natural casings, and get their reddish color from dried chiles instead of the paprika found in Spanish chorizos.

I asked about their famous chorizo verde, a Tolucan creation that has earned Mexico's charcutiers international recognition. This is an original Mexican sausage of Toluca, and a symbol of Mexican gastronomy. Its color comes from the bleeding of green chiles, and vegetables. He made it for me a couple of times, and occasionally has it available. I'm picking up a pound next week matter-of-fact. Tacos de chorizo verde? Forget about it.

Toasted gabanzos are as Mexican as tacos, and ceviche. You see it more in Michoacan and Jalisco, but here it is in the heart of Downtown LA. As many things street food, it's given some hot sauce, and a little lime. All that's missing here is a pulqueria!

Oh! It comes from magueyes grown in Victorville, mind you, and is pasteurized, and isn't the same as you'll find in D.F.--closer in flavor and texture to the type offered on the highways of tequila country, in Jalisco, but give it a try. Or drink of the aguamiel, the sweet nectar of the maguey plant.

This is the place to pick up a molcajete to make your own table-side guacamole without going to Rosa Mexicano, or to give some cascabel chiles a try. Its a one stop shop for large bags of duritos(puffed wheat snacks), molinillos(mole stirrers), and to get set up with your own backyard al pastor rig--and you don't even need a Costco membership to buy a palette of toilet paper. Load up the car and stroll the stands along Olympic Bl.; pick up a queso fresco wheel, a cup of chapulines; and experience a food crawl, Mexico City style at the Mercado Olympic: a Mexican street food consulate in Downtown Los Angeles.

Saturday and Sundays
early morning to 5pm
Olympic Bl. just west of Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA

14th Annual Los Angeles Times Travel Show-January 28-29 at the L A Convention Center

2012-01-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

The 14th annual Los Angeles Times Travel Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, January 28 – 29, 2012, with an exclusive travel trade-only day on Friday,January 27, 2012. The show will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown LA.It's only $10 to attend, and you can take the metro and let your travel adventure begin.

On the La Times Stage there will be talks panel discussions led by the biggest names in travel like Lisa Ling, Rick Steves, Adam Richman, and Arthur Frommer; a destinations stage to introduce places like Ecuador, China, and South Africa; other discussions for all types of travel; and a culinary stage with demos from Top Chefs Kris Morningstar(Ray and Stark's Bar), Nyesha Arrington(Wilshire), and more.

I've gone to this show whenever I've been in town, going on several years now, and I love the opportunity to talk to destination representatives, and discover new places. I'm sure I'll come home with an overloaded bag of promotional materials, and minor swag(lot's of pens), but there are always some surprises in these flyers and pamphlets whether it be new hotel recommendations, restaurant guides, or travel discounts, it is well worth the effort to make it out. If you love to travel as we do, you're going to love this travel show.

Speaking of adventure and interesting people, we caught up with the Cooking Channel's Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark from their new show Classy Ladies With Alie & Georgia, who will be trying their fumbling and bumbling hands at cooking classes on each episode. These two ladies are slaves to vintage fashion, and self-proclaimed counter-cocktail-culture nerds. They're a breath of fresh air in this all-too-serious-climate of mixologists that refuse to make cocktails that are beneath them, and behave as though they might be curing cancer. Ever have a 24-year-old mixologist wearing a vest that makes him look like a Disneyland Hotel employee refuse to make you an Argentine style Fernet Branca and Coca Cola, because their bar doesn't carry soft drinks? I have!! Cocktails are supposed to be fun, and that's where our girls come in to the picture.

(Our interview was conducted over the phone, so the responses are both Alie and Georgia talking together and in turns)

SGLA: On your website and show, you both talk a lot about ruffling the feathers of the bar community. Would you say some of these people take themselves a little too seriously?

Alie and Georgia: We love those bartenders and have been to a lot of those bars--you know: tight vest, bow ties, renditions with 5-6 or more ingredients--but you want to have a good time and not be exclusive. I mean, we came to order drinks, not your attitude(both girls laughing).

SGLA: Then what are some of the places you like to go for a drink?

Alie and Georgia: We like Villian's Tavern, One Eyed Gypsy, the Roost in Atwater Village, and our dive bars. These places don't take themselves so seriously, but anyplace that has a photo booth, dart boards, and good whiskies is alright with us. We love La Descarga, anytime you can walk through a closet with Narnia wardrobe for a secret entrance, and drink rum with a fire breather on stage, we're there. We really like the vibe at Harvard and Stone's R and D bar. It's got that kind of Indiana Jones feel.

SGLA: How would you describe your show?

Alie and Georgia: It's kind of David Lynch meets Pee Wee's Playhouse.

SGLA: Where did the vintage fashion look come from?

Alie: I grew up near Berkeley and was a Goth girl, so second hand culture has been with me since I was younger. Georgia is from LA, and second hand stores are the only place you can find nice dresses for $50. The dresses allow us to bend the rules, we can get away with it.

SGLA: How did this whole thing get started and how did two girls making strange cocktails end up on TV?

Alie and Georgia: It started as a joke. We made a video of a now famous cocktail called the McNuggetini. The video went viral after a week. We then got together with our friend Peter who directs videos for FunnyorDie.Com to help us put together a better presentation. We put on our best Eisenhower era dresses and well, we got several calls to do a show.

SGLA: What do you have in store for the folks at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show?

Alie and Georgia: We will be making travel based cocktails like a Thai Coconut tea, but you never know with us. Expect some accident to happen, and we do talk like a couple of sailors. Guy Fieri invited us up on stage at a show and Alie was shaking a yam cocktail that ended up all over herself and the stage. Guy almost slipped on the yam puree--I don't think he was very pleased.

We're going to be loose and have fun, that's kind of the juxtaposition we bring; we're hard working and serious, but with some goofiness thrown in.

Alie and Georgia and the video that started it all.

You can catch Alie and Georgia at the Travel in Style Pavilion on the 28th and 29th, from 11am-11:45am

Los Angeles Times Travel Show
January 28-29,2012 **exclusive travel trade-only day on Friday, January 27, 2012
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Hours
Public Hours – 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday
Travel Trade Hours – 9am – 6pm, Friday

Admission Fee
$10

The box office on site will open at 9:30 A.M. each day. Or get $2 off by purchasing in advance online when you use the code EARLYBIRD!Purchase here.
Children 16 and under free (children must be accompanied by an adult)

Aromas y Sabores 2011- Parral, Chihuahua: Northern Exposure

2012-01-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

Photograph of General Francisco "Pancho" Villa at the Museo Francisco Villa in Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua

Hidalgo del Parral--founded in 1631 as a mining colony--would begin our [Aromas y Sabores] eye opening odyssey into the northern state of Chihuahua; rich in native-American tradition, stocked with a formidable gastronomy, a curious history of German Mennonite cheese makers, the terroir of Sotol, the grandeur and adventure of the Copper Canyon and the famous Chepe(train),the land of the Rarámuri, and the place where General Francisco “Pancho” Villa was assassinated.

Our first stop was at the mine for a luncheon to sample the marvels of parralense cuisine, before exploring the city. The event gave a glimpse into the past and present of a city that was once declared the “Capital of the World” by King Philip IV of Spain for its bountiful silver strike, and now the former prized, colonial city is celebrated for its culinary strike--it ranks as one the 10 gastronomic wonders of Mexican cuisine.

Chef Patricia Quintana in Chihuahuense fashion

By the end of this leg of the trip we found that Chihuahua holds its own with any states in southern Mexico and that my own speculations about the north were validated. While cookbook authors and culinary travelers have focused on Puebla, Oaxaca, Vera Cruz, and Mexico City, they’ve neglected to look beyond the surface of Mexico for its cuisine. Chef Patricia Quintana gave an impromptu lecture on our bus during our Chihuahua trek that was revelatory. I’ve taken greater notice of the intricacies of chiles, tortillas, cheeses, and common dishes and flavors found all over the republic; and how they adapt in each region. Tortillas are Mexico’s canvas, painted with the colors of spring and fall in chiles.

The La Prieta mine produced silver, gold, and zinc for almost 4 centuries and now is a tourist attraction in Parral

Chihuahua tourism was just as hospitable and delightful as our hosts in Nuevo Leon. They put together a tight menu of regional dishes on a patio overlooking the city of Parral. Spectacle and commotion became a routine part of our visits to each city as we snapped photos, and plunged our eager hands into snacks, noshes, and slurped down any beverage that was handed us.

Pictured L-R, Liliana, Sarahi, Jahzeel, and Julieta at La Prieta Hill overlooking Hidalgo de Parral were part of the many attractions we saw in the final resting place of "Pancho" Villa. I can see why he liked it here. These young ladies and the Chihuahua tourism people made sure we all got seated--all 90 of us--for a taste of Parral.

Enchiladas in Los Angeles are about the most difficult foods to find for me--hardly anyone does them correctly. Traditional enchiladas in Mexico are perfect examples of the local culture: local fillings, local tortillas, and local finishing touches.

Little did I know at the time of this lunch that I was having my enchiladas prepared by royalty. Doña Cuca started in 1922 and has made their enchiladas exactly the same as day one. They are famous for their enchiladas verdes made with chile pasado, but today it was enchiladas rojas with chile california filled with queso ranchero from Chihuahua.

The recipes are simple, the sauces are pure chile with a bit of garlic to allow the bold flavors of these chiles to shine. It's the same today as when Doña María del Refugio Delgado Muñoz began serving them back in 1922.

At our tables Chihuahuan requeson(similar to ricotta), and asadero(melting cheee) were set out to awaken our appetites. Chihuahua has one of the most archetypal cheese traditions in Mexico.

Arroz a la jardinera, a local rice dish with carrots peas and corn.

Like many northern bean dishes the refritos here are fortified by pork lard for flavor and it gives the beans a rich creaminess.

It was here at this event that I found my favorite rajas con crema, made with the spicier and more full bodied chile chilaca.

Asado de puerco, a pork with chile california dish is used to fill burritos de guisado as well as gorditas here in this region.

There is a pit roasting tradition in Chihuahua explained the young chef that oversaw our meal, "we prepare barbacoa de res underground." The barbacoa was bursting with juice and tremendous beef flavors.

The chile pasado is the hardest working chile in Mexican cuisine. Take a chilaca, roast it, and set it to dry with seeds and skin intact. The chile packs a wallop that is quintessential Chihuahua. You've had pork ribs with chiles a million times, but costillas de puerco en chile pasado is an entirely new sensation. Dark, smoky chile sauce clings to the pork ribs bite after pleasurable bite. Les ingredients are used in some of these preparations because the chiles have strong flavors, and don't require all the seasoning of sauces from other regions of Mexico.

For dessert, dulce de frijol, sweet cool beans topped with cinnamon and nuts.

Later in the afternoon we made a few stops, first at the Panificadora Parralense to try the famous rayadas(pictured in the top center of the collage), a simple wheat and white flour bread with hints of anise. Parralenses eat these with meals and use it to make capirotada(bread pudding) in the Semana Santa(holy week leading up to Easter). This place has been around for a while, but you know, I'm not a bakery buff, BUT, I sure know when I'm in a great bakery, and this is one of them. You can see and smell the quality items all of which are fired in owner, José Guadalupe Ochoa's brick ovens.

As if 90 people snapping pictures at the bakery wasn't enough, our trip over to the famous Dulceria La Gota de Miel(since 1932) peaked to a new level of media frenzy. Shutterbugs fell upon the sweets like bees lusting after the queen bee. So, I made like a hornet and buzzed off for a while to achieve one of my prime directives--a walk around every town I visit. When I came back it was still a swarm.I spoke with a photographer who was taking pictures of all the other photographers climbing all over each other to get their shots. "This is crazy", he said.

Once the clicks of digital cameras ceased then it got even more intense as lots of locals as well as people from our group snatched up handfuls of treats made from a base of milk and nuts, and stuffed them in goodie bags. I waited 'til it was over and settled for what was left, and even the less desirable items at this well known sweet shop were delicious. We happily chewed on our bite sized candies in tourist cars on our way to have our first sips of liqour that day, besides the beers I had at lunch of course. OK, second sips of alcohol that day.

At the Leyenda de Chihuahua distillery, we were greeted by General Fransisco Villa--or at least a good likeness--to sample the spirit of Chihuahua: sotol. Sotol, or Desert Spoon, is available in the United States from the Hacienda label, but many other makers exist in Chihuahua, Durango, and Coahuila.

Of course we visited the Museo Francisco Villa, erected at the exact location Pancho Villa was ambushed on Friday, July 20th, 1923, as he and some bodyguards and staff road by in his 1919 Dodge Roadster. The retired general had come into town to do some banking as a pumpkin seed vendor ran up and yelled Villa! Villa! Seven riflemen then emerged with guns blazing and killed all but one passenger including the legendary General Francisco Pancho Villa. A total of 9 bullets hit Villa, killing him instantly.

Our dinner was a gala event that was attended by a portion of our weary group. But we couldn't proceed without booze, so I grabbed famous southwestern chef and restaurateur, Mark Miller, for a booze run. Another chance to explore. We finally found a place that would sell us some beer at that hour, a dive bar that had a pile of dirt as you walked downstairs, and you had to walk past a vacant 35 yards of space before you reached light and bar folk. The women working there couldn't figure out why we wanted beer to go, but after playing with us a little bit they made a care package for us. "You're not going to open this in the street are you?" "Of course not", we replied.

Just another day on the road with Aromas y Sabores, an unforgettable journey on the northern route, and a rediscovery of Chihuahua's culinary treasures, and a tale of Hidalgo de Parral, Chihuahua, the Capital of the World.

Aromas y Sabores 2011, La Ruta del Norte

Angeli Caffe extends closing to Jan. 13th, and a few words from Ruth Reichl on the Shuttering of one of LA's Most Influential Restaurants

2012-01-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

An e-mail was received announcing that Angeli Caffe would remain open until Jan. 13th due to the high demand of reservations that came after last week's news that the famed restaurant was closing after 27 years.

Thank You so much for the outpouring of incredible love at the news of our impending closing. It's like being dipped in a pool of sweetness.

Because of the huge demand and an attempt to avoid overbooking we will be open another week - Friday, the 13th is our last night now (perfect, right?). See our website for hours.

And don't forget. We're OPEN FOR LUNCH
and just like the name of the show - NO RESERVATIONS AT LUNCH - just roll on in TUESDAY - FRIDAY 11:30am - 2pm
We're also taking orders for Delivery and Take Out starting at 10am

WE'RE TAKING MONDAY THE 9TH OFF SO WE DON'T COLLAPSE -

And Thank You Very Much!

-Angeli Caffe

Ruth Reichl on Angeli Caffe

Former editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine, Ruth Reichl, who had just joined the Los Angeles Times as restaurant critic and food editor in 1984(the year Angeli Caffe opened) had this to say about Angeli Caffe and Evan Kleiman.

SGLA:What will Angeli Caffe's place be in the history of California's restaurant scene, and in Italian cuisine in America?

RR: It's hard to remember now, but when Angeli opened nobody was doing that kind of food in the US. Marcella Hazan said it was the most authentic place she'd been - high praise from someone who doesn't hand it out lightly. I think I was in love with it from the first bite, the spare simplicity of the food. (I also remember people complaining bitterly about the lasagna, which was not rich or cheesy enough for American tastes.)

SGLA: What is you fondest memory of Angeli Caffe?

RR: I have so many fond memories - for years it was our default restaurant. I guess my favorite memories are going there when Nick was a baby, and just setting him on the table while we ate.

SGLA: How has Evan influenced the Italian restaurants, and cooking in general in the past 27 years?

RR: The restaurant - and Evan were both enormously influential. The success of the Angelis inspired so much imitation.

And don't underestimate the influence of Evan's books. Cucina Fresca is still one of my favorite go-to cookbooks, and it's basically Angeli between covers. The restaurant will be gone, but at least we'll have that.

Come out any enjoy Angeli Caffe until Jan. 13th.

Angeli Caffe
7274 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046-7667
(323) 936-9086

2011 in Street Food, Friends, Revolutions, Hotels, and Melancholy Sips:Thanks for the Wake-Up Call

2011-12-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

Chefs John Sedlar(Rivera, Playa) Javier Plascencia(Mision 19), Pablo Salas(Amaranta), Joseph Panarello(chef d'cuisine-Rivera), Angel Vazquez(Calzada Zavaleta), Kevin Luzande(chef d'cuisine-Playa), and Cristian Bravo(Hacienda Temozon, Hombres en La Cocina) for the first Baja Culinary Fest back in October of 2011.

Oh, yes! What were the best bites of the year, the best dishes, the most enviable reservations and restaurant brands accessed?

Let 2011 be the year we thought more about where we were and who we dined with--well at least that was the case for me--than all the other trappings of the food obsessed lifestyle. And the future holds more of the same. I resolved to accomplish this at the end of last year and it has made my life all the merrier.

The year began with a revolutionary tasting with mi compa Chuy Tovar and my girls at Boobs 4 Food in tow, at the newly opened Mision 19.SGLA would be the first to introduce chef Javier Plascencia's Tijuana masterpiece to what was still a hesitant US media(although Tijuana has been a model of order in the last couple of years travel fears are still stoked by US media about the cartels), yet the wave of press picked up this last year in the wake created by our 2009 FAM that first told the world about a greater scope of Baja cuisine from the streets to its finest dining rooms. This year Baja was featured on Rick Baylesses Mexico: One Plate at a Time, and Tijuana and Plasencia's Mision 19 picked up coverage from no less than the New York Times and the New York Post among others; as well as some pieces that should surface early in 2012.

My unending explorations of Baja have truly enriched my life with people, laughter, and memories that continue to lead me places I'd never expected. We are inextricably linked: Baja and I.

I first got to know chef John Sedlar in Tijuana, wandering the streets looking for inspiration amid sips of mezcal wine. This year I attended an unforgettable event as Sedlar brought back the trendsetting St. Estephe menu for a month at Rivera. It was such a fine evening, exciting and delicious. These were the moments in 2011 where the meals were seasoned with the finest ingredients:friendship, love, bouncing bodies full of giggles,toasts, and romance.

Meals at Mison 19 and the St. Estephe menu at Rivera made the year such a thrill. I also had an unbelievable dinner at the house of the Tamale's Elena family for a birthday party: buttery pozole made from the stock of a whole hog's head, and some of the best moles I've had in and out of Mexico. You never know where your next life changing meal will happen. This was in a backyard in Watts.

Viviana Ley and Chef Marcela Valladolid at the Baja Culinary Fest

I appeared on chef Marcela Valladolid's Mexican Made Easy, and, how much do I love Chela? Adore. Another one of my 7 degrees of Tijuana separation--Marcela is from Tijuana and I look forward to watching her continued triumphs on MME in 2012.

I also got to work with KCAL 9's Suzanne Marques for Dine on a Dime, and made another soul connection with this beautiful Latina that is now such a big part of my life. On a lovely night out with Suzanne and her friend Christine Kirk, I found a pair of angels. The connections we make while dining out can set your table for life. Pretty girls: this is why I blog. Yes, ironic, I know.

For all these extraordinary meals there were stimulating people across the table, behind the stove, manning the POS, and at my sides. Thanks to Chela Valladolid,Chuy Tovar Javier Plascencia, John Sedlar, Patricia Quintana, Evan Kleiman, Josh Lurie, Matt Kang, Suzanne Marques, Christine Kirk, Steve Livigni, Pablo Moix, Julian Cox, Mia Sarazen, Shawna Dawson, Bill Chait, Nastassia Johnson, Patrica Chen, Fiona Chandra, Christina Bellera, Katherine Chen, Jessica Chen, Liberty Huang, Lesley Bargar Suter, Stephane Bombet, Ricardo Zarate, Joanne Robles and Mynor Godoy, Oanh Nguyen, Barbara Hansen, Betty Hallock, Josie Mora, Benito Molina, Misty-Ann Oka, Jahdiel Vargas, Bricia Lopez, Andre Guerrero, Elina Shatkin, Connie Cossio and Bianka Cordoba, Catherine Solomon, Nancy Kim, Helen Kim, Cathy Chaplin, Gustavo Arellano, Dave Lieberman, Esther Tseng, Jo Stougaard, las tias Rosa Tovar and Carmen Esquitin, my friends at Aromas y Sabores, Pablo Aya, Abby Abanes, Marian Bacol-Uba, Lucia Mariegos, the Alfonso family in Havana, and all the people I met in Cuba, Belize, Mexico, and Argentina this year for sharing a meal, some moves on the dance floor at Classico, giving excellent conversation, inspiring without effort, spreading joy, and making great eye contact during toasts. Cheers!! But, a very special thanks goes to Tomoko Kurokawa, who gave the greatest gift of awareness.

Much happened for this little blogger this year, there were several other TV appearances: ABC7 with Alysha del Valle, the Sundance Channel's Live/ Lust, and more. But most amazing was that I was asked to freelance for the Los Angeles Times, something I hadn't really thought about much nor expected, but I debuted this past year with a story on Salvadoran cuisine that I'm very pleased with. My editor Betty Hallock is, well: divine, patient, full of wit, and a great teacher. I'm grateful.

2012 will be guns blazing, many new TV and writing stuff right away.

chef Patricia Quintana at the waterfalls in Santiago, Nuevo Leon.

As for travel. My initial trip with Patricia Quintana's Aromas y Sabores is one of my happiest moments of 2011. A tour through Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Michoacan, and back to D.F. with 2 busloads of serial noshers from around the world. Working with the first lady of Mexican cuisine? A dream come true.

We played a Purepecha sport of a kind of street hockey with a flaming ball that hissed at it flew within an inch of your face in the streets of Michoacan. It was amazing and moving.

And the best eats would always be found from humble, unknown vendors off the itinerary: some blue corn and red corn gorditas at the train station in Divisadero, Chihuahua filled with chile pasado.

Or a perfect taste of raw steak ceviche in Patzcuaro known as carne de apache.

I did dance the tango in Buenos Aires, at a little club in San Telmo.

There was plenty of wine in Buenos Aires, but this bottle of hooch from a plastic bottle poured by Fredi, the austere grill man at a small parrillada might be my choice of drink for my last day on earth. It was a time and place sensation that I could never describe nor expect anyone to understand.

His morcipan deserves a shrine and a set of disciples.

Belize is beautiful, peaceful, and proposes another shade of Latino culture that has occupied my thoughts this last year with frequency, and I finally got to know this interesting Central-American country. I fell in love with this place right away and even enjoyed the neglected Belize City, a place that tourists skip over in their haste to go scuba diving and hang out at the beach. Their loss, and the first of many trips to come for me.

But I did scuba dive on San Pedro Island and held a 5 ft nurse shark in my arms--a utopian dream

Having lunch and the best place on San Pedro Island with Miss Guatemala World 2011, Lucia Mazariegos, and Miss Costa Maya 2010, Gabriela Asturias. It's who you dine WITH!

About the best bowl of chirmol at El Fogon with the beauty queens nearby didn't hurt. Beautiful people, a beautiful island, comforting food...last night I dreamed of San Pedro

Nothing this year compared to the magic, quixotic nights, rumba, and hustle of a week in Havana, Cuba. Slow drinks of aged Havana Club at El Floridita, a flirt on La Rampa, working the malecon, dancing the cubeton, holding hands at the restaurant where they filmed Fresa y Chocolate, sweating like a tourist, rockin 50 Cent at the Partagas factory, the sublime ropa vieja on the patio in Miramar with friends as we all nodded from sun, drink, and strong tobacco.

Rally 'round the family-Ele(lead vocals), Carlos Alfonso(bass), and Eme Valdez(lead vocals).Sintesis in concert at Arte en La Rampa, Habana, Cuba. Summer 2011

No loungy retrospectives for me, but a show by friends and Grammy award winning Afro-Cuban fusion artists: Sintesis. A summer concert at La Rampa was a quintessential local experience.

While some complain about not finding cuisine in Cuba, I dined like a king on the streets, in the paladares, cafeterias, and private homes of Cubans. Ele Alfonso's--lead singer for Sintesis--arroz con pollo is an all time favorite dish. Its flavors and soft, warm textures fall into a rapturous unity that betrays the simple construction of this recipe.

How could I forget the house specialty at Paladar La Mulata in Miramar--one of the original paladars that began when Cuba first instituted the program--snapping and crackling chicharrones. The pork skin is meticulously trimmed of all fat leaving a light, practically transparent food that sounds like Rice Krispies bubbling in milk at your table and then ignites like Pop Rocks in your mouth. Who needs modernist techniques here?

The Cuban people are fascinating, you almost feel like each one of them would lead you to a discovery of some sort if you were to engage them. Walking the streets of Habana Vieja, Centro, and Cayo Hueso is like a rhythmic dream sequence.

Again at the home of friends: a spread worthy of a magazine shoot of Cuban home cooking. Fried sweet potato, ropa vieja like I've never encountered, giant Cuban tamales, kimbombo(okra), and Cuban salads served with fresh juices. We shared stories, many cuba libres and Cristals(Cuban beers), and finished with coffee and cigarettes, cigars for me: Cohibas.

Lunch with friends and family of Sintesis in the Miramar neighborhood, Habana, Cuba.

What a year. Change is here, though. Big change is all aspects of this business of sensual pursuits. Thanks for the wake-up call, Tomo.

On a much sadder note, we finally received the official announcement that Evan Kleiman's 27 yr. old LA institution--Angeli Caffe--will be closing on Jan. 8th. I've known this was coming for some time and can't even find the words to say to my friend, but I shall try anyway. I will be dining at Angeli for the last time on Jan. 4th at 7PM with a few friends. Please go and experience one of the longest running restaurants in our fair city, and one of the historic dining establishments in the history of Italian cuisine in America. We are going because it's still a great restaurant, and to help take care of the employees that have been with the restaurant for so long as they go off to find jobs in this tough economy.

Evan Kleiman opened Angeli Caffe in 1984 at a time when using fresh, seasonal ingredients was a revolutionary idea. It was an exciting time in Los Angeles in the early, Wolfgang Puck opened Spago, a young Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton were part of the crew; John Sedlar had the seminal St. Estephe that introduced modern-southwestern to the world down in Manhattan Beach; the two hot tamales Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Millikin had City where they struck a chord with Latin spices; and up north the California cuisine giant Alice Waters had just begun to offer a more affordable menu at her cafe--Chez Panisse was a little over 10 years old.

Angeli's mission was to serve simple food in a friendly atmosphere, and to anyone that's ever been, the the casual spirit is realized from the moment you walk in the door. And the food was to be served at room temperature--a radical approach in 1984.

Back then, Evan wasn't the media giant, nor passionate spokesperson for Los Angeles food and politics that she is today. She was shy, and preferred to stay behind the scenes. Over the year Evan has transformed herself into that engaging wit that stirs up the airwaves on KCRW's Good Food every weekend.

When the cook on California cuisine is written, and a history of Italian cuisine in America is documented, the contribution of Evan Kleiman and Angeli Caffe will be monumental. And, Angeli in its 27 years has outlasted the original Spago, lived long enough to watch chef John Sedlar rise like the Phoenix, and saw all the best restaurants of the 80's, 90's, and the last decade come and go. The restaurants we call the best in town, and we obsess over on twitter mostly aren't even a year old--Angeli had faced those trials and kept on cooking.

In a recent review of Sotto by Los Angeles Magazine food critic Patric Kuh wrote that Evan "captured something fundamental about the cuisine when she opened Angeli Caffe on Melrose Avenue in 1984, narrowing her sights on the most humble elements of the food with her austerely dressed pastas and her love of wild greens." Today we take these things for granted, but Kleiman boldly laid the foundation for our restaurant of the moment.

For years Angeli Caffe stayed on the list, Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential Restaurants in LA. In his recent 99 rundown he(Gold) stated that "this restaurant crystallized the affinity of Angelenos for this kind of casual Italian cooking decades ago, and hundreds of imitators have come and gone, but Angeli endures.."

What was it still doing on the 99? Because the 99 is about what defines Los Angeles regardless of fashion, and Angeli has always mattered.

Ricky Pina of Ricky's Fish Tacos with Jaime and Ramiro of La Casita at Street Food Mondays

I suspect many others more important than I shall write about Evan in the near future, but in the last two years I got a glimpse into this amazing woman during our collaborations on Street Food Mondays.All she ever seemed to worry about was making sure her staff and the vendors were taken care of, and we started these events because she wanted to do something for Nina, the famed antojito vendor from Boyle Heights who had increasingly become a target of police harassment.

Packing them in for fish and shrimp tacos at Angeli Caffe

Priyani and her family prepare egg hoppers one last time at Angeli Caffe after she had to close her humble Sri Lankan kitchen

And I started stooping by recently to order take out, like this off menu eggplant past at Angeli, so delicious. Excellent pizzas, and pastas executed exactly like they were in 1984.

And that amazing bread! It really was an awful feeling knowing what was to come.

As I go to say hello to Evan and the Angeli staff one last time as a restaurant I want to express how proud I am of Evan Kleiman for 27 years of business, and for making her mark in food history. Among all of our best restaurant of the last year in list and rundowns, some will be gone in as few years(maybe sooner), and very few will crack the 25 year mark, perhaps none. Will any of them be remembered as doing something new? Not likely.

Evan Kleiman will still be around on Good Food, and a thousand other venues, and I believe will be a huge success in her next endeavors.

Her contemporaries that are still around like Wolfgang Puck made much more money on QVC, catering, book deals, and food products than he ever did in the kitchen at Spago. A similar figure, Rick Bayless--who became to Mexican cuisine what Evan was to Italian in the 80's--had a television show to keep his restaurants packed in recent years, but it wasn't until his win on Top Chef Masters that he moved into Wolfgang's neighborhood.

All the while Evan has taken care of us, and brought us together, and made us crazy for pie.

I'm so upset to see this restaurant go, and where will I get my Sunday take-out pastas, salads, and pizzas? But, Angeli Caffe is a hit, and so are you Evan. See you on Wednesday at Angeli.

Happy New Year to readers and friends of this blog.

Tacos Estilo Zacoalco Doña Toña: Let's Give a Hand for Tacos Torteados

2011-12-28T02:29:00.000-08:00

While dashing all over Jalisco and Colima last week from the lowlands of Jalisco; to the pilgrim's trail to Talpa; down to Colima's capitol, magical towns, and lime-groved beach cities; and finally to the highlands of Jalisco before a much needed pause in Guadalajara I saw a sign. A sign of tacos yet unknown. Tacos torteados? What could those be? There were a few stands claiming tacos torteados near the town of Zacoalco, Jalisco, on the free highway just south of Guadalajara on the way to Ciudad Guzman.

To the obsessed soul, the curse of perpetual observation has it rewards. I snapped a picture of the sign to remind myself to catch it on the way back from Colima, if the tequila would allow such recall. That's what the picture is for.

When I headed back for Guadalajara I arrived at the perfect time of day at Tacos Estilo Zacoalco Doña Toña at an ideal time. I was in between truckers, police, and vacationers and had these engaging, giggling women all to myself.

These tacos stared about 80 years in the small town of Zacoalco, Jalisco--a place most tourists and big-city Jaliscans will never know--at woman's house who made them for the working men of her community. Antonia had worked for 15 years with one of the original vendors, but struck out on her own a year-and-half ago with her family and the next generation of torteado torchbearers. These tacos have gained a very local reputation with a handful of sellers in Zacoalco--where everyday feels like a lazy Sunday--and a few roadside stands.

The subtlety of this new type of taco--yes, it is a new genre now that it has spread beyond its original vendors and continued to be enjoyed if only by a small group of dedicated regulars, and passersby who'd not likely recall any jolt in any taco revolution--is in the touch of a woman's hand.

It gets its name from a hand-formed tortilla that is slapped to an imperfect circular shape and filled with a guisado. This results in a slightly thicker tortilla with a softer chew; the guisado can be enjoyed without condiment in this local riff on the taco de guisado.

A taco based on tortilla making means this is one of the few venues where the tacoing is matriarchal. Tortilla making is exclusively the domain of women in Mexico. Let's hear it for the taqueras!

Pictured from left to right: Karina, Lusila Avalos, Antonia Ortega Bentitez(Doña Toña), Rosa Avalos Ortega, and Margarita Avalos will make you feel like part of their family.

The cooking area is a wood-fired camp style set up. Guisados and tortillas share real estate on a rustic, smoky comal that'll leave you with the aroma, and residue of a campsite on your apparel.

Try a taco torteado of refried beans, they are stand alone, a delicious mash of porcine bliss.

These women couldn't stop giggling, teasing, and laughing from the moment I started talking to them--Margarita, or Mago, only stopped laughing when I started to photograph her preparing the chiles largos--but she talked with me my entire stay. I was there for over an hour just for a couple of tacos--too much fun.

The long dry red chile that could be like a chile California is what Mago called the chile largo, which is the base of their main stew.

Oh,and I loved the way each member of the family had their names on their aprons:adorable.

When I asked one of them to hold the chile up they all pointed to Lusila, who had been teasing me with smiles,titters,blinks, and flashes the entire time I was there, in an innocent way that reminded me of when I met a group of female cousins for the first time in Aguascalientes when I was young. I must say it was a little hard to leave, and had it been possible I would have come back the next day, a one and a half hour drive just to have a bite and see the Doña Toña señoras and señoritas one more time before I left for Los Angeles.

Although they offer several tacos the pork in chile largo is a must, and is the type of guisado that I crave: pure dried chile flavor that clings to the surface of the pork and seeps into its welcoming fibers. The dish appears pastoral but delivers a bounty of fruit and developing heat that slowly dissipates at the optimal moment of pleasure, like a fine cigar.

In the soft, and earthy tortillas, nothing is needed but the pork. Mago said, "some people add salsas and whatever, it depends on what they like." But it's best as is, right? "Yes!"

I can't wait to get back to Doña Toña's. I was so intrigued by these women and this memorable lunch that I even took a little walk through Zacoalco just to have that connection. Vendors like this are special, they exist in this one small space and often only know little beyond their stand and some quiet musings that cross their minds at dusk while in the town square shopping for the next day; but all too often there's just the darkened houses they return to at nights to wash away the highway and ash, and rest. All the while, they remain positive in spirit and energy, unaware of the joy, and serenity they brought to this incurable itinerant.

Tacos Estilo Zacoalco Doña Toña
On the free highway from Guadalajara to Cd. Guzman at km 43
Acatlan de Juarez, Jalisco
8AM-2PM 7 days a week

Aromas y Sabores 2011: Empalmes and Smiles in Allende, Nuevo Leon

2011-12-15T00:29:00.000-08:00

The Reina de Turismo, Allende-Tanya Salinas Guzman, gracefully displays her home town attractions and symbols on her scenic regional gown.

The Aroma y Sabores 2011 troupe of munchers and nibblers only had a brief visit in the town of Allende, Nuevo Leon to see the city square and attend an agricultural expo. I slipped away..again..and was on the prowl for pollo en salsa, empalmes, or any other little regional morsel I could handle. We had already encountered quite a bit of food in Santiago earlier that morning and the day was still young.

I was developing a 6th sense to guide me back to the group lest I get left behind. It's far too much responsibility to keep track of over 90 people--I call this newly discovered ability: paranoia. No luck in the downtown area I was frenetically stalked, given such a small allowance of street food recon for these eats that had pricked my ears up earlier in the day.

At the expo we learned about Allende's substantial agricultural presence in Mexico, being one of its largest producers of honey. They also grow oranges, and are big in poultry.

One of the best thing about this stop though was the cute factor. We all had sweet, young girls from Allende holding up the national flags of our Aromas y Sabores press group. Diana was the flag bearer for us few Americans; her smile is one of the most precious moments on a tour that would have magic as an every day luxury.

All that fusing around earlier and low and behold: pollo en salsa. This dish is a local guisado of chicken stewed in tomatoes,peppers, and jalapeños.

And right after that we heard empalmes were coming to our table. Empalmes are made with either beef or pork--ours were pork--with lard fried tortillas and beans with chile piquin(a dried red chile). A second tortilla is placed atop the rich, savory meat and beans to form a sandwich out of the taco--kind of like a mulita done guisado style.

The cute continued as we said goodbye to Allende with a local group of elderly country style dancers. We loved this, and won't soon forget these sweet moments that lightened up our weary souls that afternoon. You should have seen them tear it up; I guess empalmes are good for your health if you can still move like these folks.

Later that night I obliged myself a quiet evening at the Gran San Carlos back in Monterrey, and got in a good night's sleep before we would bid farewell to Nuevo Leon and head off for the state of Chihuahua. Nuevo Leon is amazing: the food, the people, the sights, and the priceless memories. A special thanks to the local tourism agencies in Nuevo Leon that treating us like we were in our own homes. Gracias queridos, nuevoleonense!

To be continued...

Aromas y Sabores 2011, La Ruta del Norte

Ensenada Gastronomica 2011: Ensenada Receives its Due from Top Mexican Chefs in the City's First Gastronomic Congress

2011-12-11T23:56:00.001-08:00

On June 16th we attended the Ensenada Gastronomica: a gathering of Mexico's top chefs to recognize the importance of Ensenada in Mexican gastronomy and to take stock on its wealth of ingredients.

The two-day congress organized by Alejandro Perez Kuri--who stressed the need to include the contributions of Ensenada towards Mexican cuisine's recognition by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage--included cooking demos, workshops with local products and species, and an impressive gathering of Mexico's star chefs. 300 eager culinary students attended to learn from the best, meet their favorite chefs, and immerse themselves in the city that has garnered a reputation all over Mexico for its choice products and style of cooking.

Perhaps the most renowned chef, Enrique Olvera, kicked off the congress with a demonstration and discussion of the role of maize in Mexican cuisine. A cuisine with a base of maize was the presentation given to UNESCO that led to Mexico's award in 2010.

Chef Enrique Olvera is a pioneer of modern Mexican cuisine with his groundbreaking Pujol in Mexico City. He has taken Mexican street food and introduced avant garde techniques in his restaurants. In 2011, his restaurant Pujol received a grand honor by being named 1 of the 50 best restaurants in the world by S.Pelligrino.

It was more apparent than ever at this event that Mexico's chefs, too are now rock stars. A recent phenomena in the US driven by television has taken hold with the new Utilisima network, which features many of the chefs at this congress. Each cooking demo ended with an autograph session--the culinary students were as giddy as a flock of teenagers at a Justin Bieber meet and greet.

During the course of the day we were able to catch some of the chefs and ask a few questions at this very well organized event. On our minds foremost was about the significance of Ensenada in the national scene.

Chef Arturo Fernandez, Raiz Cocina de Estaciones

Chef Arturo Fernandez was at the congress representing the cuisine of the Yucatan. He was the first Mexican chef to work at El Bulli, and opened the modern cuisine restaurant Laos(Merida) before commencing with his latest project at Raiz, in the State of Mexico.

SGLA: Why is Ensenada so important right now in respect to Mexican cuisine?

AF: This is our[Mexico's] store where the best products are coming from. This is where Mexico goes to shop for its seafood. It’s the sparkplug that’s setting off a production based on intelligence, using the appropriate manpower, respect and consideration for its fine products. At this moment, this is our store. Many people all over the country are imitating what they’ve been doing here for the last 80 years; with a theme that Mexican food is meant to be paired with wine, which is very unique to Baja.

SGLA: What will it take for the world to recognize Mexican’s gastronomic contributions to cuisine?

AF: We have been dealing with outside[European] forces that have influenced us. We believe in what we are[now] doing. We are united, and we have a friendship and a brotherhood that is working to revive our own[Mexican] traditions; that is what we are bringing to the national scene. Right now among the 50 best restaurants in the world, there are two of them right here in Mexico. Many other countries can’t make this claim. In 10 years, we will be #1. The best chef will be Mexican. This will happen within the next 7-8 years.

Chef Mikel Alonso, Biko

Biko tops many lists as Mexico's best restaurant. Chef Alonso was born in Biarritz, France, grew up in the Basque country, and has been living in Mexico City for the last 14 years. He has garnered a reputation for being a serious chef that can usually be found in his kitchen. He does events, but there's no time for the beach nor after parties--he wants on a plane and to be cooking immediately. He hoped that the culinary students understood that they are chefs, and should strive to be chefs, not rock stars.

During his cooking demo he said something profound which revealed the singular drive behind his triumphs: If you don't capture someone's attention, there's no memory, and without the element of surprise, there's no pleasure. Well Chef Mikel Alonso certainly has captured the attention of his diners and has achieved Mexico's highest spot on S.Pelligrino's 50 Best Restaurants in the World.

SGLA: Why is Ensenada so important right now in respect to Mexican cuisine?

MA: Mexico has a spinal column in its gastronomy that’s connected to the rest of Mexico, and to the whole world. Several of these vertebrae are Ensenada, not one, but many. Ensenada isn’t only the people, but the coasts, its place, its geographic location--it’s so beneficial. [It's] the cold waters, the bounty of seafood, but it’s not just the people who utilize [the products] these people treat it with lots of care. It’s impressive: the magic of the Valle de Guadalupe. Really, its appearance and beauty is a gift from God. The region--it’s really nothing without the people that treat it with so much care. This is the grandeur of Ensenada.

SGLA: What will it take for Mexico’s cuisine to be more respected internationally?

MA: This is something very sensible: cooking with truth and honesty. Work every day. You have to work, and to not fall into the trap of Hollywood stardom. We are chefs, not rock stars.[You have] to buy the best products and to have the sufficient technique to make them delicious. When the client goes to your restaurant with their mouth and their eyes, they should have an experience that leaves them with a smile, and a feeling that they’re in their own house. Nothing else matters.

Chef Mikel Alonso wants the influence of his grandparents to be present in his cooking.

Local Rockot presented in Biko's signature style. "Cooking is patient, slow"-Chef Mikel Alonso.

Chef Benito Molina, Manzanilla

In Ensenada's vital restaurant scene, Manzanilla is the heart and soul of the city. Chef Benito Molina has established himself as one of Mexico's greatest chefs, and his restaurant is a training ground for the local culinary boom. Many of the young talented chefs in the area started in Molina's kitchen, and his influence can be seen throughout Baja and in other parts of the republic.

Manzanilla is now an outpost where many of the chefs at this conference frequent, to hang out and do special tasting menus when they're in town using the rich, gifts of the Baja waters

Along with his wife, Chef Solange Muris, he is now star of the hit cooking show on Utilisima, Benito y Solange.

SGLA: Why is Ensenada so important right now in respect to Mexican cuisine?

BM: Because the best seafood from Mexico comes from here, the best wine, and the best olive oil; so [it's] the combination of all those three.

SGLA: What will it take for Mexico’s cuisine to be recognized more internationally?

BM: I think it’s going to take more fine dining restaurants promoting the local produce. On the other hand ,we were designated an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Very few cuisines in the world have this recognition, and like I say, lately I’ve been taking trips to South America; and Oaxaca alone is more intricate than most of Latin America. Oaxaca’s just one state [in Mexico]. We have 32 more states. The richness of what we have here is unquestionable. Where would European food be without tomatoes? Tomatoes came from here. Where would the chocolate world be without cacao that came from here, or vanilla that came from here? Mexican cuisine is not recognized as it should because not many Mexican chefs have opened fine dining restaurants abroad. There are excellent fine dining restaurants in Mexico, but there are very few, we have only one fine dining restaurant outside of Mexico.

SGLA: Lately, you’ve been taking trips to South America and Oaxaca?

BM: Oaxaca--constantly.

SGLA: What have you learned and applied to your restaurants from those trips?

BM: From South America? [That] we should be very proud of what we’re doing in Mexico, not that they’re doing a bad job, especially Brazil – Brazil has some amazing food – but Argentina, Colombia, Republica Dominicana, it’s good, but after five days, that’s it. Here you can go for 30 days and you still have more [to taste].

Chef Aquiles Chavez, Lo

Star of two of Mexico's highest rated cooking shows--Aquilisimo and Toque de Aquiles-- Chavez has captured the hearts and minds of the Mexican viewing public. He's arguably the most famous chef in Mexico and has excited the public about Mexican cuisine from his home state: Tabasco.

His recent programs have featured chefs and street food in Tijuana, Ensenada, and the Valle de Guadalupe.

SGLA: Why is Ensenada so important right now in respect to Mexican cuisine?

At the end of the day, it’s the gastronomic center of this country. It’s more about the cooking rather than its plates that represents Baja, California, except for the lobster from Puerto Nuevo with rice and beans, but apart from this, it doesn’t have what they have in Morelia, Yucatan or Tabasco or Oaxaca. The cuisine known as Baja Californian, is relatively new, created by people like Chef Benito Molina Dubost and Solange; in Tijuana, Chef Javier Plascencia; and in Rosarito and Tijuana, Chef Miguel Angel Guerrero. The cuisine of Baja, California, is not about plates or techniques, but about the products. The question has been, what is so special about the products? It has seven of the 10 most expensive species of seafood products in the world: geoduck, lobster, abalone, bluefin tuna, shrimp, sea cucumber, and sea urchin. Seven of the 10 most expensive seafood products in the world come out of these docks. What gives me joy is the rich variety of wines, the microclimates; it has incredible vegetables and wineries, and its spectacular ingredients.

SGLA: What will it take for Mexico to get even more respect for their cuisine internationally?

AC: For me as a Mexican cook, what's most important [are] the products. That’s the reason, we are here in Baja, California, but maybe the success right now with Mexican food is because of the Mexican chefs who are working together, [on] the same side. I’m talking about Mexican local products. I’m talking about the natural products, I’m talking about the local cuisine. We make local cuisine with a global vision. The goal is to take local food and and spread it around the world. We are creating local cuisine with a vision of world cuisine.

There was an incredible buzz about Aquiles's demo. He is from Tabasco where they are famous for their use of the pejelagarto, a pre-historic, amphibious fish. He prepared it camp-style: grilled pejelagarto with hearty, tortillas Tabasco-style, a salsa of chile piquin--tiny grenades of heat--also known as salsa de chile amashito, and a chocolate beverage made from cacao.

Salsa de chile amashito

Grilled Pejelagarto, tortillas tabasquenas, atole de cacao, and salsa de chile amashito.

Chef Aquiles Chavez has taken the pejelagarto to new heights of fame in Mexico. This symbol of pre-hispanic cookery puntuates what all the chefs at this congress are trying to achieve. They're spreading the beauty of Mexican cuisine through Mexican ingredients and techniques in a fearless manner. Stateside, non-Mexican chefs have attempted to present safe cuisine, mild-Mexican flavors to the American public. Well it looks like the pejelagarto might be coming to the US--Chef Aquiles plans to open a branch of his Lo in Houston, Texas. It will be called La Fisheria.

The only other restaurant run by a Mexican chef in the US has been Chef Javier Plascencia's Romesco in Bonita, CA. It seems as the chefs at this congress are putting their words into actions.

The themes that echoed throught the event were that the brotherhood of Mexican chefs are preserving their traditions, increasing their use of Mexican products, using the best ingredients, and striving to bring passion to their culinary creations. Ensenada represents the best Mexico has to offer in seafood, wine from the Valle de Guadalupe, and world class olive oil. Ensenada and Baja chefs are drawing the atttention of culinary giants, many of whom were present at the Ensenada Gastronomica. We ran into Oaxacan master Chef Alejandro Ruiz at the end of the day at Molina's Manzanilla, who informed us that he is now incorporating geoducks into his Oaxacan recipes. Chef Enrique Olvera is a frequent visitor to Ensenada as well as other chefs participating in the congress: Chef Javier Plascencia, Chef Antonio Livier, Chef Paulina Abascal, and Mexico's top wine maker, Hugo D' Acosta.

In the community of chefs, Ensenada and Baja are now mentioned alongside Oaxaca, Yucatan, Tabasco, D.F., and Michoacan when it comes to seeking out about inspiration for their Mexican cuisines. More than ever, Ensenada matters.

Ensenada Gastronomica 2011

Weekend Guide to Mexicali, B.C-100% Puro Cachanilla

2011-11-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

Mexicali, the capitol of Baja California, is an important center of industrial production in the automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, metallurgical, and health services as well as manufacturing and exporting products to various countries. While it has all the sensibilities of nearby border cities like Tecate and Tijuana, it has more of a cross border feel--just about any American tourist should feel right at home here.

It's home to the happy-go-lucky cachanillas(Mexicali natives); a laid back people who know how to enjoy life, and always have time for a cold beer with friends and family. This hasn't stopped them from having one of the highest standards of living in Mexico.

Mexicali is the birthplace of the Clamato(created at the Hotel Lucerna), home to one of Mexico's best craft beers: Cucapa, and has the largest Chinese immigrant population in all of Mexico. This is a place of carne asada, chabelas(beer cocktails with Clamato juice), and a local style of Cantonese-Mexican cuisine that is famous throughout Mexico.

Whether in town for business, crossing the border for the day, or planning a longer stay; Mexicali has plenty of attractions for the tourist.

Stay

Enjoy a 5-star experience at Hotel Araiza and dine at the adjoining restaurant La Fonda de Mexicali, known for it's fine breakfast and grill buffets.

Once you're checked in it's time to indulge in a taste of Mexico.

Breakfast

Don't miss a Mexicali tradition of lamb barbacoa and beef head tacos at Tacos Ferrocarriles--a row of stalls that have been serving up delicious tacos since 1976.

At 11-year-old Tacos de Guisado Panduro, you'll find northern stew tacos engineered for the breakfast crowd. Try chilorio(chilied pork), machaca (beef jerky), picadillo(ground beef with vegetables), or albañil(brick layers stew).

La Plazita, owned by Omar Dipp Nuñez, is the place to go for classic Mexican breakfast dishes in a casual setting. The menu features regional egg dishes like huevos divorciados(divorced eggs), huevos ahogados(drowned eggs), huevos morelianos(morelian eggs), and the house specialty: huevos en cazuela( eggs in an earthen casserole). Chef Juanito from Torreon takes special care in pleasing his customers, even tailoring the spice to fit their condition, and the front of house--Luz Maria--always greets each guest with a smile. This place is eggzactly the way to start your morning. If you can't find a seat, walk around the corner to Las Campañas de La Plazita--same owner and a similar menu.

Lunch

When Cachanillas aren't eating tacos they eat Chinese food--6 out of 10 seats in Mexicali restaurants are for Chinese restaurants. Around 1 PM these restaurants will be packed with locals feasting on their own brand of Cantonese-Mexican cuisine. The most well-known and beloved of these 250+ restaurants are Rincon de Panchito--owned and operated for the last 28 years by Panchito from Canton--and nearby Dragon restaurant.

Mexicali's Chinese cuisine is different than our own Americanized Cantonese. It's where unconventional plates are washed down with Mexican beers, and chiles güeros are dusted with star anise instead of chili powder. Give it a try, and remember to put some ketchup in your soy sauce--it's the Cachanilla way.

There plenty of seafood options in town, but Laguna Azul is the pearl of this ocean of delights.

Laguna Azul makes some of the best seafood cocktails around. The campechana, or mixed seafood can be ordered for an individual or for the whole table.

Dinner

And there are tacos. Mexicali has a ton of excellent carne asada asaderos, or roasters, as well as seafood taquerias. There are also outposts of famed taquerias from nearby states such as Sonora, where much of the Mexicali tradition gets its inspiration.

A great place to partake in the Mexicali style of carne asada tacos is at El Tecolote Mocorito.

Mexicali has many fine dining options for dinner aside from the popular tacos. Go to Chef Guillermo Barretto's Trattorria La Piazza for Baja-Italian cuisine, or check out Mediterraneo.

At the Crowne Plaza Hotel restaurant Colorado you'll find one of the best tastes of Mexicali: borrego de vuelta y vuelta(rotisserie lamb). In addition to the superb lamb dish we recommend the Sonoran style steaks at this contemporary grill.

Drink

When it comes to beer and chabelas, Mexicali has a little something for everyone. Be sure to cool off with the local stars: Cucapa and Mexicali beer.

Even better, call and arrange a tour at the Cucapa brewery, where master brewer Jose Melaquiades will guide through Cucapa's beers from the standard brews to their signature line of craft flavors: Lowrider IPA, Runaway, La Migra Imperial Stout, and Green Card. There's even a 10% alcohol barley wine that's barrel aged.

Spend a weekend in Mexicali and catch the flavors of northern Mexico, the warmth of the Sonoran desert and Mexicali people, and quench your thirst like a true Cachanilla in Baja California's industrious capitol. This is Mexicali!

Araiza Hotel
Bl. Benito Juarez, #2220
Fracc. Jardines del Valle
Mexicali, B.C.
namager: Victor Martinez
686-564-1100,ext. 715
cel 686-569-3176
vmartin@araizahoteles.com
Reservations
01-800-026-5444
USA 877-727-2492

Fonda de Mexicali (attached to Hotel Araiza)
Breakfast 6AM-12PM
Grill Buffet 12PM-11PM
Room Service 6AM-12:45AM, ex. 722

Asadero Tecolote Mocorito
Rio Mocorito No. 800, corner of Rep. de Ecuador
Col. Cuauhtemoc Nte.
Mexicali, B.C.
686-561-1691/cell 044-686-188-2886

Bar La Conga
Av. de la Reforma,#603
Zona Turistica
Mexicali, B.C

Cervezaria Cucapa
Bl. Lopez Mateos,#2301
Mexicali, B.C.
686-592-6652, ex.211
ventas@cucapa.com

Colorado at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
Bl. Lopez Mateos y Av. De Los Heroes,#201
Centro Civico
Mexicali, B.C.
686-557-3600
gerencia@mxlcp.com

Dragon
Bl. Benito Juarez, #1830 S/N
Col. Plaza Centro
Mexicali, B.C
686-566-2020/686-566-3955

Kilos and Beer
Bl. Benito Juarez, #1799
Plaza Juarez
Mexicali, B.C.
686-568-4444
cel 686-213-4277

Laguna Azul
Calz. Independencia, #823
Col. Independencia
Mexicali, B.C.
686-565-6181

La Plazita
Justo Sierra y Honduras, #377
Mexicali, B.C.
Lic. Omar Dipp Nunez
omardipp@hotmail.com
686-568-1213
Nextel 152*131916*4

Las Campañas de La Plazita
right around the corner from La Plazita; same ownership

El Merendero Manuet
Av. Pino Suarez y calle "L"
Mexicali, B.C.
686-552-5694

Mediterraneo
Plaza Lienzo
Calz. Gomez Morin y Calz. Cetys
Mexicali, B.C.

Rincon de Panchito
Bl. Benito Juárez,#1990
Jardines del Valle
Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
686 567 7718

El Sume
Bl. Justo Sierra, #845
Mexicali, B.C.686-588-4465
Mon-Sat 4PM-1AM

Tacos de Guisado Panduro
Mariano Arista Esq. H 1600
Col. Nueva
Mexicali B.C.
Tel. 686-554-6179

Tacos Ferrocarriles
Ferrocarril between Lopez Mateos and De la Industria
mornings, afternoons, 'til around 3AM
Mexicali, B.C.

Trattoria La Piazza
Guillermo Prieto y Ortiz Rubio, #1B
Col. Nueva
Mexicali, B.C.
686-555-6857

This media trip was courtesy of Mexicali Tourism with input from Street Gourmet LA.

For more information about Mexicali please contact Mexicali Tourism here.

24 Hours in Mexico: Guadalajara, Jalisco to Sahuayo, Michoacan

2011-11-22T11:17:00.001-08:00

24 hours can be a lifetime. The routine of the gig becomes either a tedious act, or an inspired journey of growth. One way or the other, musicians jam it into their veins: airports,hotel check-in, sound check, grooming, green room, show,rock n roll glory, ass, addictions, lobby call, airports, and back to zero. The crescendo is a dynamic blur of narcotizing highs and lows.

It's in between those moments when I restlessly explore the environs. I'm exhausted but can't bare to miss a thing. Maybe there will be a stretch of barren highway so I can nod for 30 fucking minutes.

The drive from Jalisco to Michoacan round Lake Chapala via Guadalajara is short. Would I get that Michoacan that I encountered this summer? There was plenty to see on the two-lane death ride--our driver mostly drove in between the two lanes while trucks and cars made for the shoulder so we could squeeze through. The road was flanked by birrieros(birria cooks) and torteros(sandwich makers) in Jalisco, then abruptly turned to carnitas and artisans at the state line. I finally saw Mexico's largest fresh water lake: Lake Chapala.

On the Guadalajara-Chapala highway there is a truck stop for northern burritos that every driver we've ever had instinctively goes when the band is hungry. Los Burritos de Moyahua has been around for 22 years; open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

It big enough to handle bus loads--simple and hearty guisados are wrapped in fresh flour tortillas fast and delicious. I never have a problem going here.

There's always at least one banda tour bus, and bunch of big-rigs parked outside this vast property that boasts two large indoor dining areas and a huge covered patio.

Around 2PM is when the local families show up.

Pollo guisado, bistec ranchero, mole, papas con rajas, machaca con huevo, chicharron en salsa verde, and many more entice and deliver northern comfort. Burritos are tacos with rolled flour tortillas--it's a taco de guisado. Well, at least these thin burritos are still tacos.

I thought there should be something different among the known guisados served, and there it was: mole amoxóchitl. This is a lightly sweet mole from Amoxóchitl, Zacatecas with hints of apple, dried fruits, tropical fruit, and a medium mid-throat tingle of heat.

Further proof of wasted energy only talking about moles from Oaxaca and Puebla--Mexico has so much more to offer to cooks, chefs, and diners.

All I needed was this one perfect bite before heading to Sahuayo. Wonder what I'll find there?

Sahuayo is the kind of place with a population that washes into the center of town at night, draining the rest of the city of life and light, and then drifts outward like the tide during the day. Everyone comes out to hear the mariachis in the evening.

One of the signs you are in Michoacan are the fresh, toasted garbazo vendors. These take the place of street corn. A bag of scorched garbanzos topped with hot sauce is the right of every Michoacano.

After sound check there are some hours to dig around for something special, something unique, something tasty.

Wandering only leads to lonely, darkened streets, but the local market is unearthed--that'll save for tomorrow morn. There are only two competing taco stands and some scattered vendors of garbanzos in the town square, hot dogs, too. Taqueria d' Rodolfo it is: veal birria, lip, eye, brain, palate, and shank tacos. "No palate?" "Ok, veal and lip will do just fine." Very good, not great: solid.

Just about a hundred feet away is a torta and tostada stand run by these nice ladies--it seems to have most of the action on this night.

The tostada estilo Sahuayo comes with a fine head cheese, pork loin, or pig's feet. The trotters are home made, but the round of head cheese looked lovely. A thin spread of watery refried beans, pinkish head cheese, cabbage, tomato sauce, pickled jalapenos, chile de arbol salsa, and runny mustard are the components of this tostada--the same ingredients go into the torta.

This tostada is a dream. $4 into the evening and I'm completely satisfied with this result. The queso de puerco, or head cheese is tender and a dominant flavor in this substantial preparation.

This leaves a bit of time to get ready before what turns out to be a tense night on the gig in nearby Jiquilpan, Michoacan--sometimes whether or not the artist goes on stage can become a "family affair". In the end it's a good show--no need for any rough stuff--and I can now afford a 4 hour rest before checking out the local market.

I find the comedores (eateries found in all markets in Mexico) about 15 minutes prior to our departure for Guadalajara. There's menudo, birria, and lots of carnitas--after so many years of taquerias referring to their carnitas as being Sahuayo style, here I am in Sahuayo for the real thing. The busiest stand was doing tripas near the entrance of the regional food court of the Sahuayo market.

Carnitas El Indio was looking real good.

Their stunning display case of plump carnitas even mesmerized a young girl catching breakfast with her family.

I ordered a taco of cueritos(skin) and a surtido(mixed). They dress their carnitas with a spicy guacamole, and salsa; no cilantro or onions are needed. Carnitas are prepared differently all over Michoacan; there really is a noticeable difference here from those in Morelia, or Quiroga. Some of the cuts are different, and the tortillas are bigger here.

These are showstoppers, and nothing more is needed. I can go back to Guadalajara happy, and content.

It has been a little more than a day since I first showed up to LAX to catch my flight to Guadalajara--it's been another 24 hours in Mexico.

Guadalajara, Jalisco

Los Burritos de Moyahua
Carr. 23 Guadalajara-Chapala
colonia Santa Rosa, Guadalajara, Jalisco
365 days/24 hrs a day

Jiquilpan and Sahuayo, Michoacan

Tacos d' Rodolfo
6PM-1AM
Zocalo de Sahuayo
Sahuayo, Michoacan
Tostadas y Tortas puesto
6PM-1AM
Zocalo de Sahuayo
Sahuayo, Michoacan

Cabrito Al Pastor at Gran San Carlos, Monterrey,NL: No Kid Left Behind

2011-11-12T13:15:00.001-08:00

Although there is so more to Monterrey than cabrito al pastor, or spit roasted kid, you could visit Mexico's third largest metropolitan area a thousand times and never err in ordering this local symbol of Nuevo Leon cuisine. There are an infinite number of restaurants that serve Mexico's first al pastor tradition ranging from large halls manned by teams of kid dismembering ranch-handed cooks, to more humble establishments. And of course there are the family gatherings if you'd be so lucky as to be an invitee.

Most first time visitors end up at El Rey del Cabrito, the King of Kid. It has a gaudy crown that lights up the hot, dry Regio(nickname for people from Monterrey) night's sky. There you can enjoy the devilish delights of whole kid carcasses dropped onto your table. I remember one trip where two guys from our group bailed as soon as they saw a neighboring table viciously tear into the roasted flesh of young goat. Later sissies! There's nothing quite as appetizing as a folded over kid placed in front of you--tortillas and condiments surrounding the tender, sizzling remains to form the fortunate diner's mise en place.

That place is fine, and you'll find that everyone will suggest their favorite place, but if you mention you're going to the Gran San Carlos, conversation stops and the crowd parts for you to pass. "Oh yes.....you know all about it!", says a Regio while doing a double-take.

I had been here before when I caught up with Aromas y Sabores in Monterrey, but decided that I couldn't leave town without having cabrito. I passed on the gala dinner after our long day in Santiago and Allende, Nuevo Leon to have a relaxing evening in one of Mexico's most important centers of commerce.

The cooking equipment at these restaurants is just an indoor barbeque with mesquite. The spectacle of milk fed kid, only 21-40 days old suspended on a metal rod over hot coals sends messages of lusty desire to your brain as you approach the restaurant.

Cabrito al pastor, Mexico's original al pastor means head-to-tail dining. Inside the roasting room skewers of tightly wound intestines cook alongside unidentifiable parts--nothing is spared, not even the blood. It's hot as hell in this den of smoke, fire, and slow-cooked cabrito that marinates every thread of clothing as well as the bodies and of the men who work here with its primal scent.

All cultures have a collection of small plates that accompany any festive grill or barbeque. In the northern Mexican cuisine of Nuevo Leon it's the burnt tortillas of the ranch--my grandfather would feel right at home here-- with salsa, beans, chiles, and the tortillas for making kid tacos.

The refried beans, called frijoles con veneno, or beans with venom, have a dark and gooey topping of a reduced asado rojo(pork braised in red chiles and spices) rested atop a porky mash of beans. These alone are worth the flight to Monterrey, and may make you reconsider all the fuss over foie gras, or or any over such indulgence. This might be what Fred Sanford meant when he said "beans and disease to you, too" in response to neighbor Julio Fuentes' "buenos dias, Mr Sanford."

In rare form; tiny grenades of fresh chile chiltepin bring explosive flavors to the meal. These little treats are hot.

Fritada(also called cabrito en su sangre, or kid cooked in it's blood) is another specialty of Nuevo Leon: lung, heart, liver, intestine, and the fatty material that protects them are cooked in a stew of kid's blood, tomatoes, spices, and chile ancho. In a time where everyone is talking about head-to-tail in the US--Nuevo Leon is light years ahead. This dish--like many offal preparations--has a taste of iron, but with more depth and complexity in flavor than your typical plate of innards. Each piece of offal paints a different color of the rich,bloody stew. It's unforgettable.

When ordering your cabrito, there are many options. The Gran San Carlos specializes in cuts rather than the whole and half-kid meals designed for groups. You can get a whole head of cabrito, cabrito en salsa, breast or leg, and there are also northern cuts of steak. But you're here for the milk-fed youngsters.

I recommend the paleta, or shoulder--the cuts appear to be mangled by the pressures of heat and rough rancher hands, but still maintain a certain comeliness. Perhaps it's the smells wafting in the air, the frijoles con veneno, and icy Victoria beers that have aroused your senses.

The shoulder is full of textures: crispy, coarse skin that's almost jerky-like, tender meat, fatty tissue, and chunks of meat attached to skin with the appearance of chicharrones.

The riñonada is an entirely different proposition. The back if the kid has thick , chewy skin that can be placed in a tortilla with a little bit of meat, or fat. There's a Cracker Jack appeal to this cut--tucked inside the fat is a prize: kidney. The bean-shaped organ awaits your plucking fingers; giving off a wet, sucking sound as you extract your prize. This is a more oleaginous piece of cabrito.

Kid is lean, musky, and has subtle flavors of goat. The al pastor style is one of the best ways to cook young goat; large sections of kid provide more than enough yield from their stingy anatomy. Lots of bones and inedible material to disregard, but the reward for your effort is delicate bites of quintessential Monterrey cuisine.

Both times I visited Gran San Carlos, I enjoyed scavenging around the bones and odd-shaped kid segments, making sure I attended all edible morsels.

The ambiance is typical of these places all throughout Mexico--it's nice but stuck in the 80's. Live music is performed by a quartet of competent singers doing everything from Luis Miguel to Vicente Fernandez to Pablo Cruise; all harmonized above cheesy keyboard patches and a percussionist playing a drum machine. Kind of like a Mexican Four Freshman. They smiled at each other after silly riffs at the beginnings of tunes while bow-tied waiters worked the room. There's a stained glass cupola in the center of the room just above a salad bar of iceberg lettuce, basic toppings and Wish Bone's greatest hits: Ranch, Thousand Islands, Blue(not Bleu) Cheese and Italian dressings. The salad is just there for the assist in digesting your meal.
But where else can you have a feast of sublime kid while listening to "Watcha Gonna Do?"

The Gran San Carlos is essential dining when in Monterrey. It's where you go for stylish cuts of cabrito al pastor rather than the folded lump of whole kid--not that there's anything wrong with that.

Gran San Carlos
Av. Ignacio Morones Prieto,No. 2803 Pte.
Colonia Loma Larga
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
011-52(81) 8344-4114 from the US
Open for lunch and dinner

Aromas y Sabores 2011, La Ruta del Norte: Santiago, Nuevo Leon-El Pueblo Magico

2011-10-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

The fearless chef Patricia Quintana braves the cascading waters at Parque Cola de Caballo, Santiago, Nuevo Leon.

At the end of May I reunited with Aromas y Sabores, the northern route, and chef Patricia Quintana in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. After a relaxing dinner the night before at a cozy spot in downtown, and a rekindling of new friendships from the inauguration back in Mexico City, I was ready to taste the north!

I made it a goal to interact with everyone on two full buses during the next couple weeks--not easy with such a broad range of people, and so many cliques that had forged during the week I missed. With such intense travel and profound experiences, I felt like a kid who wasn't around for the 10th grade and returned to a high school that wasn't anything like the place I had left. I was the new kid, and the only pocho among mostly chilangos and spaniards. In the end my efforts would pay off, and the friendships and acquaintances made on this trip were as valuable as the knowledge acquired, and shall remain a fountain of inspiration.

Our morning commenced with an early departure to Santiago; just outside of Monterrey. The side of the road held signs of new tastes to come. I saw things like tacos mañaneros, grilled meat stands featuring sweeetbreads, empalmes(first time I had seen this word), and new regional guisados(stews). In Mexico, the local foods are all around the roads and streets; all you need do is look out your window.

Santiago, known as the Pueblo Magico(magical town), is full of natural beauty, ecotourism, and great cuisine. It's a place to relax and partake in mountain climbing and hiking in Chipinque Park, cycling, rappelling, camping, and to enjoy the picturesque mountains and waterfalls. Locals head out to La Presa de La Boca, a reservoir, for water sports and excursions by horse-back.

Machacada con huevo, local beef jerky with eggs.

We were received at the Hotel Hacienda Cola de Caballo(horse's tail--the waterfall looks like a horse's tail) by the local tourism representatives, a proud peacock(one of the local attractions), a breakfast buffet consisting of local flavors, and the lovely Reina de Las Ferias y Turismo Santiago: Tanya Silva. Everything is better with beauty queens; not to mention they're quite knowledgeable about their communities in a refreshing, non-partisan manner.

One of the highlights of our breakfast extravaganza was the machacada con huevo--one of the most amazing bites one can have wrapped in a flour tortilla. The Nuevo Leon style of dried beef isn't available in the US, and has a different taste than that of the Sonoran variety. Any machaca that makes it to LA usually come from Sonora--this was a rare treat.

The reigning queen of Santiago tourism, Tanya Silva, was beaming with charm, warmth and grace. She described her city as a place to relax and take in the natural beauty plus she turned me on to a couple of local dishes: pollo en salsa, and the famous rotisserie chicken at Pollos Guzman. Pollo en salsa is another local dish I didn't know; I was really starting to get a feel for Nuevo Leon. I enjoyed learning from her about Santiago: no alterior motives,no agenda, just a desire to share her love for Santiago, and be a great hostess. From here on out, I'm looking for the beauty queens!

On our way from breakfast to the waterfall we encountered some local vendors--I went light on breakfast to have space for such an opportunity. A bean dish was called Laurita Mexicano by the woman preparing the food, but I'm not sure this is accurate. It could be cowboy beans or chile con carne. Regardless of name; the bayo beans with tomato, tiny chunks of beef, onions and peppers delighted our senses with its well-seasoned northern tang.

Most of our group huddled hungrily around Comidas Maria Elena, a stand that has endured 50 years at the Cola de Caballo. They had 6 mouth-watering guisados(stews) for griddled gorditas(corn masa pockets), pan de elote(corn bread), and tamales.

Nopales con tortitas de camaron, or cactus with shrimp patties. As we learned on this trip, many dishes have the same names throughout Mexico, but the chiles, and other key ingredients change as to render them entirely different.

The picadillo had large cubes of local potatoes giving them a more hearty appeal than southern recipes.

Deshebrada de res, or shredded beef.

Asado rojo and asado verde are the local guisados at Comidas Maria Elena that captured my attention. Lusty stews glistening with pork fat and colored by the bled skins of regional chiles. The gordita of red pork was given additional flavor by a salsa of chile japones(Japanese chiles).

In the historic center of Salinas we were greeted by a children's choir and a food fair featuring local tastes.

But first I slipped away for a quickie with some tacos mañaneros, or morning tacos. These are known as tacos de guisado, or tacos al vapor in other parts of Mexico. They're tortillas filled with stews and braises of the provincial affection.

Tacos Valdez has been around for 15 years in Salinas, serving the "tacos of the morning" from 7AM-3PM, Monday through Saturday.

Each day a variety of fillings are prepared, and some chiles rellenos, too, also to put in tacos.

The barbacoa in Nuevo Leon is a braise of beef, traditionally cooked underground. The taco of barbacoa at Tacos Valdez is sublime. I also took this quick stop as a chance to get to know the famous machacada con huevo a little more.

I found so many gems on this trip sneaking away from the group, but two tacos was all I could fit in for fear of the bus leaving without me. But, I highly recommend Tacos Valdez when visiting Santiago.

In the town square I sampled some mezcals and liqueurs from Nuevo Leon.

And if you thought that banana leaf tamales only existed in southern Mexico, think again. In addition to tamales de elote, and corn husk wrapped tamales, we tasted tamales colados of pork head stewed in red chiles.

Pan de elote, or corn bread cooking at the Cola de Caballo.

The sweet pan de elote, also called gorditas de elote on the ranches, is made with tender corn, vanilla, eggs and condensed milk.

Another unusual item from Santiago: turcos, or Turks--they're empanadas filled with various sweets. Turcos Santiago is one the most respected bakers of turcos--give them a try.

Nuevo leon is also a state of incredible panaderias with it's own unique forms of pan dulce, or sweet bread: turcos,semitas,polvorones, hojarascas, and the aforementioned pan de elote.

It would be later in the day--yes we did three cities this day including our evening back in Monterrey--that I would get my first taste of pollo en salsa and empalmes, but already Nuevo Leon impressed. I had visited Monterrey several times, but Salinas is an entirely new perspective on Nuevo Leon, and on Mexico. It's safe to say I fell in love with another town, another set of flavors, and the people. I shall return.

Santiago should be on your list of destination in Mexico; it's off the beaten path where you can enjoy an unspoiled Mexican experience.

Stay tuned for the next stop on Aromas y Sabores, la ruta del norte: Allende, Nuevo Leon.

For more information on Santiago, Nuevo Leon please visit their website here.

Aromas y Sabores, la ruta del norte 2011
Santiago, Nuevo Leon

Chelas and Chabelitas in Mexico's Beer Republic-Mexicali: Kilos and Beer, El Merendero, La Conga, El Sume

2011-10-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

To say that Cachanillas(people from Mexicali) like to drink beer is to say that pirates like to sail the seven seas. The happy go lucky residents of Mexicali are the per capita beer drinking champions of Mexico. Perhaps it's the hot weather that prods the locals to such feats of mass consumption? Think Beldar and Pryatt Conehead dispensing with some mass quantity beer guzzling after a long flight from France!

When Cachanillas aren't drinking beer(referred to as chelas in Mexican slang), they're drinking chabelas, or chabelitas. Chabelas are micheladas(beer cocktails) with Clamato(Clamato was invented in Mexicali). During a recent weekend visit to Mexicali I too stayed cool with ice cold chelas(beers), mostly from local brands Cucapa and Mexicali, and lots of chabelas.

Kilos and Beer is a good place to start if you like live music. Like many places in Mexico that feature American music--expect the soundtrack of your youth. Here the band threw down some Aha! and INXS while the mostly 30-something crowd sang along and downed beers by the bucket:literally.

Chabela at Kilos and Beer

Kilos and Beer is a fun place to see cachanillas in full effect. There's solid bar food, too. And of course, there are chabelitas.

If you're up for some local nostalgia, there's El Merendero Manuet, a car hop that feels a little like the 50's, but Mexico style.

El Merendero has been a Mexicali tradition since 1949, located in the oldest neighborhood in the city. The cafeteria-like interior is rather sedate, so grab a chabela and head out to the parking lot for the action. It's Bob's Big Boy with beer and cowboy hats!

When it comes to chabelas, you can't leave Mexicali without stopping by Bar La Conga, located in the tourist zone. This is as old school Mexicali as it gets. It's a classic watering hole, where locals have gone to drink away the hours and escape the oppressive heat for the last half-century.

Ranchera bands wander in for a few tunes, and the jukebox keeps us entertained while they're roaming the redlight district grinding that accordion for some loose change.

Tecate is served on tap, which tastes so much better than in the bottle or can. It seems like it's not even that same beer we always have to squeeze some lime and drop in a dash of salt before it's even passable.

Even better? Partake in one of La Conga's legendary chabelitas with Tecate on draft. Here it's served in the classic chabelita glass with beer, Clamato juice, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and a little spice.

During the day it's a place to converse and ponder the night; in the evening it becomes part of the turbulent throws of bars, roving bands, touts,speakers blasting 50 Cent, and strip clubs.

Regardless of the hour, it's chabela's all around.

Mexicali even has a little something for the beer aficionados who might scoff at chabelas and the Tecates, Dos Equis route.

El Sume Mexicali, Cervezas del Mundo, or beers of the world, has a substantial selection of international beers and Mexican craft beers.

It is a nice place to hang out, and as the evening approached the place began to fill up with beer geeks, local office workers, and businessmen. The natives indulge in beers from the US and Europe, but for you it's a chance to check out some of Mexico's small production beers.

Cucapa, Mexicali's own craft beer hero that has crossed border is available on tap. The full line of Cuacapa is served here--including 4 not found in the US--as well as other Mexican beers like Las Minas from Ensenada, and 3B.

El Sume even has the first beer float I've seen in Mexico. Nothing daring, just a Young's Double Chocolate Stout with vanilla ice cream: simply delicious.

Wherever you go for a cold beer,or a chabela in Mexicali, you will discover the laid back spirit of the Mexicali people. Another beer anyone? Do you even need to ask?

Where to go for beers and chabelas in Mexicali:

Bar La Conga
Av. de la Reforma,#603
Zona Turistica
Mexicali, B.C.

El Merendero Manuet
Av. Pino Suarez S N-Colonia Nueva
Mexicali, B.C.
686-552-5694

El Sume
Bl. Justo Sierra, #845
Mexicali, B.C.
686-588-4465
Mon-Sat 4PM-1AM

Kilos and Beer
Bl. Juarez, #1799
Plaza Juarez
Mexicali, B.C.
686-568-4444

1st Annual Baja Culinary Fest: October 5-9 in Tijuana, Ensenada, Rosarito, Puerto Nuevo, Mexicali, Tecate, and the Valle de Guadalupe

2011-10-03T01:36:00.000-07:00

Today began the 1st Annual Baja Culinary Fest taking place in select venues throughout Ensenada,Mexicali, Rosarito,Tecate, Tijuana,and the Valle de Guadalupe. A local bounty of products and chefs will share the good news about one of the most exciting food destinations on the planet: Baja California.

Los Angeles based Chef John Sedlar(Rivera, Playa, and the creator of Modern Southwestern) and Baja Culinary Fest organizer, Chef Javier Plascencia(Mision 19,Cebicheria Erizo, Casa Plascencia, Villa Saverios, and Caesar's Restaurant) will be cooking a dinner together on Friday, October 7th at Mision 19.

Chef John Sedlar will also be joining rising Baja star, Chef Diego Hernandez and the new Valle de Guadalupe destination for Baja cuisine: Corazon de Tierra on Thursday, October 6th.

Baja legend, Chef Benito Molina of Manzanilla restaurant, Silvestre, and star of Benito y Solange on Utilisimo will be cooking at La Querencia on Friday night; he'll head up his own event at Manzanilla in Ensenada on Saturday, October 8th.

The big gun of Baja Med cuisine, Chef Miguel Angel Guerrero--Baja's ultimate hunter-gatherer--will lead a hunting expedition on Thursday, October 6th to bag some local game for a special dinner he will prepare for guests at this event. On Friday night(10/7), Chef Miguel will host a dinner at his original Baja Med shrine: La Querencia.

Real del Castillo cheese from Rancho Cortes.

Callo de hacha, Baja California scallops prepared by Chef Javier Plascencia.

Blue fin tuna from Ensenada on tostadas.

In addition to its wealth of local products, and leading innovative chefs, the fest will feature chefs from the US, Los Angeles based mixologists(Steve Livigni, Pablo Moix and Julian Cox), and Mexico's top chefs from throughout the country.

There will be tastings, food related activities, Baja cuisine education, all-star chef dinners, some of Mexico's greatest street vendors, and a grand event on Saturday at the Museo Trompo and the WTC in Tijuana.

For a complete list of events, participating chefs, and festival information go to the Baja Culinary Fest website.

1st Annual Baja Culinary Fest
October 5-9,2011
Ensenada,Mexicali, Rosarito,Tecate, Tijuana,and the Valle de Guadalupe

4th Annual Feria de Los Moles,Olvera St.,DTLA: Sunday, October 9th, 2011

2011-10-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

A demo by the Pueblan contingency of the 4th Annual Feria de Los Moles on mole poblano soon grew tense on an overcast morning at what was supposed to be a casual backyard media-preview in Hawthorne, CA.

In the red corner, team Puebla stirred their prized mole poblano--considered the first mole of Mexico, and its greatest by chefs on both sides of the border--while talking about techniques and ingredients. The gentleman in the white corner representing Oaxaca couldn't let this continue without pointing out the differences in Oaxacan preparation, but definitely he was hinting at a Oaxacan supremacy. The red corner would have none of this, and shut him down by explaining why Oaxacan technique is flawed.

It's on:Mole a Mole!! Or, Puebla vs. Oaxaca this Sunday, October 9th, from 10AM-7PM at Olvera St.

Puebla and Oaxaca are home to the most famous of Mexico's moles, but moles are made in every state of Mexico. What all moles share in common is the use of chiles. Chiles vary from state to state, and from mole to mole. There are red, black, green, yellow, white; so many shades and styles of mole. Despite the coverage by American cookbook authors, and food television, there remains a mystery around this dish originating from pre-hispanic cookery; and Puebla and Oaxaca have been the only beneficiaries of this global interest.

Most moles aren't made with chocolate. The so called 7 moles of Oaxaca is a myth that seems to keep rearing its head. This bothered Oaxaca's Top Chef Alejandro Ruiz so much that this year he named Oaxaca's premier culinary festival, Saber del Sabor(to know the flavors):Beyond the Myth of the 7 Moles. The first lady of Mexican cuisine, Chef Patricia Quintana insists that mole not be referred to as a sauce--it's so much more.

Well, after the nerves had calmed a bit, we got to the task of enjoying some mole for breakfast. The mole poblano was looking sublime sitting there in the earthen pot. The mole has chocolate, a variety of dark chiles; in all over thirty ingredients go into this prized dish.

To enjoy mole, one must remember the dish is called mole because that's what it's all about. Their might not be anything more perfect than mole with rice. The dish is called mole poblano, not chicken with mole. Chicken and rice are just there for the assist.

Where mole poblano tends to carry a touch more heat,mole negro oaxaqueño,(black Oaxacan mole) is on the sweeter side.

The black Oaxacan mole is darker than mole poblano. This is the prize of the Oaxacan moles and also is packed with a variety of toasted components.

I have gone the past two years to this event. And the best way to learn about moles and their relatives, the pipianes(pumpkin seed based)is to taste,taste, taste!!

At the festival they serve full plates and lines get to be a bit long. My advice is to get there early and bring some friends to help you tackle all those moles.

Happy father and daughter enjoying the Feria de Los Moles 2010.

The Feria de Los Moles still is an insider's event, with a huge attendance from the local Mexican community. Us Mexicans tend to ignore the theme of food festivals and just go for something like this giant torta oaxaqueña pictured above. Tortas and clayudas will be flying out of the booths, but do not do as the locals here--it's about the mole.

Scenes from Feria de Los Moles, 2010

Olvera St. is always a pleasure to visit, especially when there is a special event. This year, it shall be a taste of Puebla and Oaxaca; let's hope they open this up to the moles from other states next year. Two of the best moles I've had this year were in a village in Michoacan, and from an L.A. based family from Guerrero, Mexico. Come out and sample away at one of Mexico's greatest gifts to world cuisine:mole.

4th Annual Feria de Los Moles
Sunday, October 9, 2011
10AM-7PM
Olvera St.
Admission is free, bring cash to buy food and drink.
Live music and traditional dancing

El Tecolote Mocorito, Mexicali, B.C.-Whooooo Doesn't Love Carne Asada in Mexicali?

2011-09-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

If carne asada is your thing, Mexicali is the place to be. There are so many great taquerias serving the Mexicali style of carne asada. You will be directed to this stand and that stand by opinionated cachanillas(people from Mexicali), who will not only direct you to their favorite, but will completely dismiss the taqueria you were turned on to by the last Mexicali native you spoke with.

What's the solution? Try 'em all! There's no shortage of top notch carne asada in this border town. Let your instincts and your hunger guide your choices when it come to street food.

Steak is part of the 3 food groups of the cachanilla diet: tacos, Chinese food, and carne asada. It's a religion here.

Gran Ocotlan is one of the local heavyweights. Hell, even a chain like Asadero Las Brasas will blow away anything we have north of the border.But the long and steady line of customers at Asadero Tecolote Mocorito said it all. This place is a local favorite, and the original Tecolote has been drawing a huge crowd for the last 20 years.The branch I visited, El Tecolote Mocorito operated by brothers J. Antonio and Norbeto Lopez located on Rio Mocorito is only 4 years old.

Late at night the line is constant, and the tables are full. No where to sit? That's OK, just grab a foot of counter space somewhere. The only requirement for enjoying excellent tacos is that they be consumed immediately.

El Tecolote has a full team of taqueros, separate guys for al pastor and asada; other taqueros to assemble other style of tacos. It's a traditional and professional taqueria setup.

Molcajetes loaded with colorful salsas are lined up on the counter in front of the kitchen: roasted salsas, dry chili salsas, fresh chili salsas, and even a mango salsa. Baja California's signature creamy guacamole is a must on all your tacos.

Barbeque chicken tacos sound straight out of Spago's, but this is a Mexicali exclusive. I had maintained that chicken tacos didn't exist in Mexico as a grilled meat option until I took a look at the kitchen. There are rotisserie chickens and barbeque chickens that are served with tortillas all over Mexico,but not chicken tacos. I always wondered why the boys at Mexicali Taco Co. served chicken. It's common in LA for flat top grilled chicken to be served at Mexican-American taco trucks, but those are terrible.

The chicken at El Tecolote is moist with a tangy skin. Give these a try; they're tasty and true Mexicali originals. Practically all carne asada haunts have barbequed chicken in Mexicali.

Cachanillas love them some vampiros, too. Vampiros(vampire tacos) are a style of taco coming from the numerous Sinaloan taqueros in Baja California. The largest group of Mexican migrants in Baja are from Sinaloa. That means great tacos and beautiful women.

A tortilla is warmed on the grill until it dries and hardens into a tostada. Melted cheese and carne asada are set atop the tortilla, and the finishing condiments are applied to satisfy your own personal taste.

The carne asada taco gets its flavor and texture from a blend of three cuts of steak: loin, tri-tip, and top sirloin.

The Mexicali taqueros cut their meat in larger cubes than in Tijuana. El Tecolote Mocorito is a perfect place to get to know carne asada the Mexicali way.

I'm not sure why they have an owl as their mascot, but I think perhaps because the eternal question in Mexicali is, "Whooo wants to go get some carne asada tonight?" The answer is always yes. Cachanillas will never tire of one of their favorite pastimes--eating carne asada tacos--and it's so good, neither will you.

Asadero Tecolote Mocorito
Rio Mocorito No. 800 at Rep. de Ecuador
Mexicali, B.C.
686-561-1691
686-188-2886
6PM-2AM

Los Tacos Ferrocarril, Mexicali,B.C.-Grand Taco Station

2011-09-24T16:54:00.001-07:00

Begun in 1976 with a few stands on the side of a Mexicali train station, Los Tacos de Borrego Ferrocarril(train station lamb barbacoa) has remained an institution long after the railroad station closed in '95.

It was a woman from the state of Aguascalientes, Juana Wong, who brought the recipes for lamb barbacoa and beef head tacos to one of the original Stands. Today 12 red canopies give some protection to a row of taco carts from the oppressive Mexicali heat along H. Ferrocarriles between Lopez Mateos and De la Industria.

All of the stands have the same pair of stewed cabeza de res(beef head), and lamb barbacoa. I don't think you could get two cachanillas(people from Mexicali)to agree on the best stand, but you might want to start with the 3 originals: #1, #5, and #6.

The mornings and afternoons are the prime hours for this delicious assembly of vendors. Some of them come later in the day and a couple even work the graveyard shift for the after hours crowd.

Taquero Martin Avila has the honor of working one of the originals--cart no. 5. The lamb is cooked with an adobo(marinade)using only lamb neck and rib meat, stewed not pit-roasted.This cart has been around for 28 years.

What once fed hungry travelers coming and going, Los Tacos Ferrocarril now nourishes cachanillas in on their way to work,play, and drink.

Simple and delicious lamb barbacoa tacos from cart #5.

The cabeza de res tacos are soupy, fatty bites that melt in your mouth. I grabbed these one night from cart #2, a perfect way to cap the night in Mexicali.

This is one of those taco gatherings you fantasize about when traveling to Mexico. It's the mother load, the jackpot. Don't miss the famous train station tacos in Mexicali's Grand Taco Station--All Aboard!

Tacos de Borrego Ferrocarril
Ferrocarril between Lopez Mateos and De la Industria
mornings, afternoons, 'til around 3AM
Mexicali, Baja California

Soho Taco, Orange County and LA-California Taco Love

2011-09-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

Like like good friend and partner in the reconquista de comida, Gustavo Arellano, I was skeptical about Soho Taco. I received an e-mail from one of the partners, Rico, to arrange a visit to the OC or to do a tasting up here in LA for myself and a small group of people. Soho is a catering company, and doesn't have a regular location.

I immediately looked them up and say things that are,well....red flags for a guy like me. Heirloom tomato pico de gallo? Chicken and mahi mahi? Mango salsa? Their set up looked good on their website, but I still needed to poke around a bit. I saw that Gustavo had praised them not once but twice in the OC Weekly's Stick a Fork in It. It was enough to accept the offer, but I was still worried I might find myself caught in a taco quagmire. It was too close to La Salsa.

They advertise a Mexican taco tradition with a gourmet edge, but I see them as more of a California style, or Mexican-American flavor. This has been improving lately with the likes of Cook's Tortas, Guisados, and other new Mexican-American restaurants serving a local style of food using quality ingredients. I'm excited about the new Mexican-American businesses moving away from combo plates and the bad tacos of the Mexican owned taqueria chains and trucks-- they're forging a local identity for Mexican cuisine.

Soho Taco is a very professional taco stand, with managing partners, a chef, Gabriel Zambrano, and an heirloom pico de gallo. In a way, they were beginning to resemble a business model I see often in Mexico, of a taco cart with an owner, and hired guns as taqueros.

The first thing I look for in a taco cart,taqueria, or stand is a well kept condiment area with interesting choices. There doesn't have to be a lot, but what's there should be meaningful. In Mexico, condiments tell a story--it tells me where I am and what I should expect. The vegetables should be fresh, the condiment area kept clean. At first glance Soho Tacos look ready for prime time:immaculate.

It's amusing that this would be called gourmet because in Mexico it's very common to have a fancy condiment display, but compared to what you usually see here in LA on traditional trucks, Soho is a step above.

The excellent heirloom pico de gallo and mango salsas reflect a California spirit. This is what California taco chains have tried to do, but not with this much care.

The other salsas and creams are emulsified with vegetable oil, following the lead of Tijuana based taqueria, Tacos Salceados. Salceados uses egg whites for its magical condiments, but Soho's luscious salsas are vegan friendly.

The unique luxury item on hand is the strips of queso añejo, aged cheese from Guerrero, Mexico--this is an unusual garnish. I believe it reflects a personal styling of the chef. I cheated a little and had some by itself. It's great on the carne asada, too.

Certainly, the Soho guys have put the fun back in the consumer experience at a taco stand, in finishing their individualized tacos with these fine condiments.

The guys ended up making two trips to serve lunch to my group. Both times, Steve Livigni and La Descarga hooked us up with a venue.

On the first visit I enjoyed the tacos but couldn't understand why they used store bought tortillas. Although they played it off as they left, I believe someone may have sweated profusely over this misstep, and perhaps lost a little sleep over this. I soon received an e-mail asking for another shot with fresh tortillas.The guys felt they hadn't put their best foot forward and wanted to correct the situation. I'm telling you, these guys are all in.

At the second tasting there was a nice woman making tortillas to order--I believe this is optional, but these guys should ONLY use fresh tortillas or tortillas from a quality tortilleria. It makes all the difference. Make sure to request fresh tortillas when you book Soho; it's worth the extra charge.

I still think don't think steak should be called carne asada unless it's fire roasted, but these steak tacos have a good flavor. Perfect for a bit of that tasty queso añejo.

The grilled and seasoned mixed vegetables is also very nice version of a California-style taco.

I had to get over the vision of Sharkey's I had in my mind with the mahi mahi taco, which was intensified by my choice of the mango salsa, but I acquiesced to a pleasurable end. The quality of the guacamole, fish , and salsa all refreshing--it's a new way to appreciate the California taste of Mexico. Why shouldn't California have its own style, it was once part of Mexico?

On our second visit, Chef Gabe introduced us to his homemade cecina, a salt-cured beef very popular in southern Mexico. This is the best taco on Soho's menu, and one that I would even call their signature taco. I ended up going back for a second taco de cecina. It has that classic smooth texture, and a full-flavored beef taste that is outstanding.

Soho Taco is a destination for shrimp tacos,too. Shrimp tacos are everywhere at the gabacherias(non-Latino owned taquerias), but they usually have cheap shrimp that are overcooked. Soho Taco use quality, flavorful shrimp that are ready for any condiment combinations your heart desires. Ours came with melted cheese and a squirt of chipotle sour. The shrimp taco was delicious no matter which salsas and vegetables I used.

Soho Taco have filled a missing link in the local taco scene. They are professional and organized and plugged in to the 21st century. You can e-mail them for your event--no need to chase down a street taquero, or lonchera and then call his pre-paid phone repeatedly until he recharges his account so he's able to respond. It's great tacos con customer service.

On the other hand, these guys are far superior to the non-Latino run luxe loncheros that are professional in every aspect except for the job of making good tacos.

The tacos they make are good for all crowds, from hardcore Mexicanos to those Brentwood types that wouldn't be caught dead eating a street taco.

I'm glad to know there's a reliable, and satisfying taco option for private events. It's a Mexican run taco cart from the OC, serving the best Cali style tacos around. Santa Ana..Uh! Long Beach,Hollywood where you at? Beverlywood, Beverlywood always up to no good. California Taco Luuuuuuuv!

Soho Taco
Gourmet Taco Catering
902 West McFadden Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 805-6218

St Estephe at Rivera-Back to the Future of Modern Southwestern Cuisine

2011-08-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

Steve Garcia and John Sedlar circa 1981, photo from LA Times

1981 was a big year for food in Los Angeles. It was the first wave of new cooking in the City of Angels when a then 23-year-old John Sedlar created Modern-Southwestern cuisine, applying French-technique to his Southwestern roots. Spago hadn't even opened yet, and goat cheese was considered a luxury. It's amazing how far we've come as a city, and a whole community of food lover's race to the next new thing, far too young to even take it for granted.

It's very hard to fully understand the legacy of St. Estephe today. There isn't a restaurant standing that equals this level of expression in modern Southwestern. Even the Bobby Flay's and other current practitioners of this genre cook more casual. Speaking with owner/partner Bill Chait of Rivera,Playa, Picca, Sotto, and the upcoming Short Order, he was able to put St Estephe in perspective."John was part of a small group of chefs that were bringing the first progressive restaurants to Los Angeles.""It was an exciting time in the restaurant business and then the recession came,many restaurants closed, and we sort of lost momentum for some time." Simply, Sedlar was doing something in style and presentation that hadn't been done before. There were many firsts.

In 1981, St Estephe was as foreign to me and my family as any such fine dining experience. I was basking in the luxury of Van de Camp's pork 'n beans and TV dinners--we were a struggling single parent family of three; my mom, younger sister, and I. On the weekends with my father, it was the traditional cooking of my grandmother from Aguascalientes, Mexico.

I recall one fine-dining experience in Los Angeles around 1978.My grandmother on my mom's side and I caught a TWA flight from Sacramento to LA to see the Dodgers, visit relatives, and have a lobster dinner. I remember the wine list having chablis and blush(rosé), and lobster was the most expensive item on the menu--"get the best thing on the menu", said my grandmother. Lobster it would be. This would be the first and last fancy restaurant until I was an adult.

I loved 1981. I was rolling in Kennnington terry cloth shirts and OP pants from Miller's Outpost, wore out cassettes of AC/DC, Journey,Van Halen and Led Zeppelin on my Walkman, and lived for the cheap thrills of slow dancing at my junior high school socials. It was a memorable time for me. I had moved on from my first girlfriend and first make-out session(Wendy Herrera,we're still friends), made the leap from flute to the saxophone, and had just seen the original Van Halen on tour in support of their third album--meanwhile, John Sedlar was making history.

Modern Southwestern came out of Chef Sedlar's experience cooking in New Mexico as a young man--this is his heritage. Sedlar is our elder statesman here in Los Angeles. We live in a time where chefs are popular on television, and have become pop culture icons--none though can claim to have created an original style:twice.

Little did I know that I'd get a shot at St Estephe here in 2011, to witness and taste a piece of Los Angeles restaurant history that I could only before read about. At a preview dinner last week I had the honor of going back in time to 1981, at Rivera, home to Chef Sedlar's second revolution. For the entire month of September, diners can take journey of the senses to St Estephe, to reminisce or to discover Modern Southwestern for the first time at its 30 year anniversary.

Fireworks amuse bouche, shows the stars and stripes of New-Mexican hospitality.

An edible Kachina of American caviars with chopped egg and endives. This dish is a delicious way to commune with Hopi and Pueblo native culture--all flavors in balance.

This southwestern scramble will satisfy any aficionado of huevos rancheros, this author included.

Tamale of Salmon Mousse in a cream of cilantro sauce.

A master of rellenos:Chef John Sedlar. Chimayo chile relleno stuffed with mushroom duxelle,accompanied by a paint of garlic chevre sauce. This is sublime, like a southwestern chiles en nogada. A benign heat, savory filling, and cream sauce all delight in their perfect harmony.

Scallop nachos served with gorditas and a roquefort cream sauce.

The famous salmon painted desert with a trio of sauces will make you want to savor the moment. It's almost a shame to dig in, but you'll manage.

Roast breast of chicken served with wild spinach greens, jicama and jalapeno vinegar sauce. I enjoyed this plate tremendously--so flavorful and comforting.

Dessert was dazzling and fun. Neon tumble weeds with fresh fruits and cactus cookies.

Finally,blue corn meal crepes with pumpkin ice cream.

It's easy to overlook Chef John Sedlar these days. He was on TCM for a minute, and did Iron Chef America, but he's no media hound. He's humble,polite,keeps his opinions to himself, and is busy these days running between his two restaurants: Playa and Rivera. He's in his kitchen and his spare time is for the Museum Tamal project. While many other chefs beg, borrow, and steal their recipes and concepts--Sedlar is an original. Sedlar represents experience, patience, and substance during a time when pop-culture chefs are sometimes marketed as relentlessly as Justin Bieber. Like Miles Davis, he created a modern fusion, then retired only to return and lead again.

I will be making time to visit St. Estephe this month at Rivera starting with the Garcia/Sedlar reunion this Wednesday night. Just like Marty McFly, I gotta get back in time to 1981, when Member's Only was a jacket, and Friday nights were the Love Boat and Fantasy Island.Well, for a 7th grader it was. If I could only get Wendy Herrera to go with me!

30th Anniversary of St Estephe at Rivera all all through the month of September.For reservations click here.

(The meal for this preview was courtesy of Chef John Sedlar and Rivera restaurant)

Rivera
1050 S. Flower St. #102
Los Angeles, CA 90015
P 213 749 1460
F 213 749 7359
info@riverarestaurant.com

Bar e Restaurante Ellas,Rio de Janeiro-Cachaça for Cachaçeiros

2011-08-28T23:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly up on my Brazilian liquor laws, but there appears to be little regulation of booze in Brazil. This is a good thing.

I've written about my favorite bar in the world before at the Praça da Republica street food fair in São Paulo. There I took a harsh shot of low cocktail-grade cachaça from a wooden cart that rasped my throat. I still smile when I recall that blissful moment, after tropical rains had withdrawn from downtown Sampa.

Cachaça is the third best selling spirit in the world and the traditional liquor of Brazil, yet remains somewhat of a mystery in the US. Oh yeah, 99.99% of that consumption happens in Brazil--only Germany(2nd largest market), the US, and Britain sell an amount worth mentioning.

In the US we carry a handful of artisanal cachaças--Germana is the most esteemed--the rest are mixers like 51, Ypioca and Velho Barreiro. The most succesful are the 3-distilled brands that are straight to the US market, or geared towards the US consumer:Cabana, Leblon, and Sagatiba.

In Los Angeles, bartenders use the 3-distilled brands and know nothing of traditional brands, all of which are double-distilled. Brazilian churrascarias(Brazilian AYCE steakhouse) are more likely to carry 51, and Ypioca for caipirinhas(Brazilian national drink); they also make them better than our popular bars. It's not clear that Brazil will be exporting small production cachaças anytime soon.

The best way to experience this curious beverage is to travel to Brazil. Cachaçeiros(cachaça aficionados, or drunks) are coming into fashion these days. Long regarded as a low class hootch, Cachaça has been receiving its just due. Bars like Rio's Academia da Cachaça have hundreds of bottles available for tasting and for sale. The Academia is a must while in Rio, but if you be a true cachaçeiro, deeper must you dip into the botecos(pubs), bares, and pes sujos(dirty feet bar, or dive).

Back in 2008 I came across Bar e Restaurante Ellas while waiting the guys at Amerioca Tours to check me in to my apartment. It's a quiet, little eatery and bar just a block and a half from Avenida Atlantica on the Copacabana Beach.

Ellas is a restaurant that provides a por kilo(buffet food by the kilo) service during the day, and is a bar a night. They serve porções(portions), which are bar bites likes sausages and cheeses; they carry typical sandwiches such as roast pork leg, and have prato feito(full meals). The food is unremarkable, but there's much more going on here if you scan the bar. I judge a bar on its booze, and due to Brazil's loose liquor laws,it's wise to take a peek at all these little bars and botecos you encounter. You'd be surprised at some of the ambitious selections from owners that aren't so beholden to distributors and labels. 51, Ypioca, and Velho Barreiro have are king, queen, and prince in respect to caiprinhas and batidas(cachaça with fruit shakes), but appear to have the freedom to line their shelves with small producers.

There are cocktails and Brazilian beers, a variety of spirits for mixing, but they also happen to have a master's collection of cachaças--mostly from Salinas, Minas Gerais. Salinas is to Minas Gerais as Pauillac is to Bordeaux. These are the best:Salinas, Beija Flor, Seleta, Boazinha, Lua Cheia,Canarinha, Teixeirinha, and the legendary Anisio Santiago(formerly called Havana).

Ellas is an inexpensive joint that's perfect for your own private cachaça tasting. I love the variety in aging, and types of wood barrels used--everything from oak, to balsa, to Amazonian woods. Cachaça has so many colors and flavors; it's my favorite spirit. Us cachaçeiros don't mind a little heat, we're in touch with our inner bebados(drunks).

The last time I was at Ellas--back in 2009--I decided to begin the day with a pair of cachaças. It was late morning and I sat down at the table not noticing a stack of license plates. A man asked of it was okay if he sat with me, of course, since I had hijacked his table. We mostly talked about his journey from various jobs before becoming a hawker of personalized license plates. He slurped away at some pasta while I slid into a shot of Boazinha.

Boazinha is distilled from fermented sugar cane juice(as are all cachaças), aged for two years in balsa wood, and has an alcohol content of 42%. It has a pleasing viscosity, strong flavors of balsa, and a balanced sweetness. This is as fine a cachaça as any you'll ever encounter.

I like to take extra time with cachaça, and my new friend was the perfect distraction. Let's just talk and sip, all other things can wait.

Round two is unforgettable. Anisio Santiago is one of the most expensive cachaças in Brazil.

Anisio Santiago started to produce his cachaça on his ranch, called Havana, in the 1940's. In 1946, he became the first producer to distinguish his product with a brand, back then named after the ranch--Havana. This bottle set the whole industry on the path to becoming a world class producer of quality drink from its sordid past as an indulgence of the wretched.

The man behind the bar said it would cost me about $17 USD for a shot and began to put it back on the shelf when I stopped him. Pour! "Are you kidding? That's like an fucking cocktail at a trendy bar in LA." I grabbed it before he changed his mind on the more-than-reasonable price.

The name changed to Anisio Santiago(name of founder) due to issues with the use of the word Havana for a non-Cuban product.

Anisio Santiago is aged for 8 years in balsa wood, and clocks in at 44.8% ABV. It has refinement and balance while remaining a true cachaça, worthy of a high end restaurant in the Beverly Hills of Sao Paulo--Jardins--yet seems right at home in this sleepy hole-in-the-wall. This was fortune; a first-class ride in an unlikely venue.

Cachaça is one of the last frontiers of the spirit world. It hasn't established its proper place in the hall of venerable inebriants, and is mostly consumed in mixed drinks. This makes the cachaçeiros all the more select in number and conviction. Whether it be pinga, aguardente, or simply cachaça; you can find sanctuary at Bar e Restaurante Ellas, where comrades in arms meet to sip the hours away.

Bar e Restaurante Ellas
R. Almirante Gonçalves 29 lj A - Copacabana
Rio de Janeiro, RJ | CEP: 22060-040
Open from breakfast 'til late
(21) 2287-3879

Top Shill Alum Marcel Vigernon and the Pico de Gap Truck Bring About the Tacopacalypse

2011-08-15T08:13:00.001-07:00

Tacos have taken a beating here lately in Los Angeles. The first wave of fancy taco trucks that chased the new LA street food movement created by the Godfather, Chef Roy Choi, and Kogi's honk heard round the world brought forgettable tacos from Kogi's impetuous imitators. The next wave focused on ethnic cuisines, mostly steering clear of further taco infractions. The Sunset Strip; once the domain ruled ruled by rock gods: Doors, Van Halen, and Guns n Roses; has become the Tortilla Strip: Rosa Mexicano, Pink Taco, Pinches(Fucking)Tacos, and Cabo Cantina.

Last year, a slew of new restaurants capitalizing on Mexican cuisine's increase in popularity--run by non-Latinos including chef Rick Bayless--added to the stomach-moving violations. These attempts at upscale tacoing were laughable--they even made Sunset magazine taco spreads look chic.

The so-called gourmet food trucks(or better, Luxe Lonchero; as coined by Gustavo Arellano of the OC Weekly) have never bothered me. I prefer traditional stands and vendors but I loved a few of the fancy trucks. Although there are some that have associated me with them, I only have written about a handful of trucks on this blog. I don't dine at gourmet food trucks, but I support what they do--I haven't been a critic of these businesses. I've been indifferent to the most obnoxious of the commercial trucks, but I do agree with Roy Choi and Josh Hiller that things have gotten out of hand.That piece was written before we heard about this Pico de Gap. Pico de GAP is guilty of high crimes against street food culture, and the Los Angeles urban scene. We've gone from Art Walk to City Walk.

Nixtamalization, the food science that makes tortillas possible has existed for thousands of years, and as long as these flat-breads have been around, natives of the Americas have been filling them. Today the taco continues to evolve in Mexico with endless styles of tortillas, fillings, and contructions. Even the worst versions of this ancestral food in Mexico are better than 99% of what we have here in the US, but those mediocre taqueros still respect the tradition. They undergo a formal training as much as any other food specialist.

I dedicate this slow-motion exploding taco to chef Jordan Kahn.

I thought I'd seen it all until I heard the Gap was doing a taco truck promotion with chef Marcel Vigneron I about ruptured a blood vessel in my eye. Nothing wrong with a little commerce. Roy Choi did the menu for the ESPN truck to promote World Cup:chido! Camarena Tequila executed a successful campaign with tequila infused tacos. When they were getting started the marketing team enlisted bloggers including myself to take them to the best Mexican street stands in LA, and they tried in earnest to hire traditional taqueros to create their menu. On their recent run they used a member of Rivera's kitchen to design their menu. In both of these cases the promotion was a "good fit", but a taco truck isn't a one-size-fits-all when it comes to marketing.

Why didn't the Gap go with a Mexican taquero? It seems the only spot for a Mexican on the Gap Trucks would be making the pants that come with the tacos at a maquiladora somewhere along the Mexico-US border. Actually, the GAP no longer manufactures in Mexico, as they were able to find Indians and Bangladeshis willing to work for even less. In light of its child labor violations and sweatshop practices in the Third World, I find it odd that the GAP would attempt to serve an ethnic food.

We all are wearing clothes made in a sweat shop, yes, but this is ridiculous--the Pico de Gap Truck!GAP is one of the largest clothing retailers along with corporations like Wal-Mart;they are the principal players in driving down wages and promoting sweat-shop practices worldwide.

Is there no one in Chef Marcel's entourage that has the balls to tell him that this was a douchey move?

Chef Marcel has Fallen into the Gap.

As for the tacos? I wouldn't be caught dead at the Pico de Gap Truck. Clearly the menu and style is drawn from our gabacherias(non-Latino owned taquerias) here in town. Cotija cheese isn't a common condiment at a real Mexican taqueria; it is used more by antojitos vendors. Cotija is never used on lamb, which is almost always prepared as barbacoa:pit-roasted. Should cotija be spinkled on everything? Probably not. Radishes are served on the side, not in the taco. It's almost as if Chef Marcel saw condiments meant for other foods and threw them all in the store bought tortilla.

Chef Marcel muses about how he has to change everything he cooks up a little as to suggest he's on the edge--perhaps the chemical fumes of deconstructivist cooking have warped his thinking. The tacos are traceable to local, trendy presentations. Looks a lot like Tinga with all that cotija madness.

Just having a well-braised lamb doesn't make a taco--I'm sure Chef Marcel can braise a lamb--it's every component. I really enjoyed the Hatchi dinner at Breadbar Chef Marcel did a while back;I thought it the best tasting I had the entire Hatchi series, but participating in such a farce doesn't make much sense, even for the money. This isn't the gig of a serious person and stains the toques of our other celebrated chefs that are working hard to make LA the place to cook.

And what was that about how "Pico de Gap", because we're bridging the gap between tradition and cool? Good grief!Serio?

In the video he boasts of all the hotspots the truck will be hitting--like the Glendale Galeria?

Maybe Vigneron should have stuck to his bag of tricks, or have done his homework? I had a taco of foam served in a mason jar at Pujol in Mexico City. It was brilliant; you could taste and smell the chicharron taco as if you were on the street. And when you hit the gritty, little spot of chicharron at the bottom of the jar it was like striking gold.

There are tons of contemporary and avant-garde style tacos in Mexico, and your amateur effort doesn't even register.Many chefs around town work really hard to incorporate other cuisines and ingredients into their repertory with dignity.

Some of our chefs have come under fire for their celebrity indulgences and have been unjustly lumped in with chefs like Marcel. Our chefs have confidence and attitude,they're on TV and have tattoos, but in the end they are humble people with respect for their profession AND other cultures.

Even if Vigneron could pull it off, it'd still be the fucking Gap Truck.It's most disconcerting when Chef Marcel's tacopacalypse gets de-pantsed by a fashion show to plug the GAP's line of pants.

There's nothing nifty nor hip about the Gap truck, but the Pico de Gap Truck has some interesting things you might not have known.

Here are the Top Ten things you didn't know about the Pico de Gap Truck.

1) Chef Marcel will resonate with Mexicans as they remember the valiant Wolverine and his brave visit to DF during the swine flu panic. "Mira, el taquero parece como el pinche Wolverine, que no?"

2)Chef Marcel's turn as a taquero inspired a traditional taquero in Mexico City to start a molecular gastronomy cart.

3)The Pico de Gap truck will always arrive fashionably late to "design" an authentic Mexican feel.

4)Chef Marcel will now incorporate nixtamalization into his avant-garde techniques.

5)The actual uniforms used on the truck are by Banana Republic.

6)Pico de Gap employees got lectured for nicknaming the truck "the sweatshop ".

7)The original name for the Pico de Gap truck was "A Day Without a Mexican".

8)Chef Marcel will be replaced on the second leg of the Pico de Gap truck by a street vendor from Mumbai.

9)The Pico de Old Navy will be hitting up high school campuses and Citywalk in the fall.

10)If there is a Hell, then Pico de Gap is its truck!

Pico de GAP! Stop your awful sweatshop and child labor abuses. Leave our Redwoods and our tacos alone.

Street Gourmet LA on Bizarre Food Baja,Mexico is Finally Online

2011-08-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Bizarre Foods Baja, Part 1

Bizarre Foods Baja, Part 2

Bizarre Foods Baja, Part 3

Last year I had the honor of consulting and appearing on Bizarre Foods Baja , Mexico. I'm in part 1, but stay tuned for my favorite restaurants, stands, markets, and chefs in this episode including: Benito Molina's Manzanilla,Mariscos Ruben, La Cahua del Yeyo, Buffalo BBQ, La Diferencia,Taqueria del Sur, Kentucky Fried Buches, Mercado Hidalgo, and much more.

This is the Baja I love as shown through the daring palate of world citizen-Andrew Zimmern. Provecho!

Plate by Plate:Project by Project LA's 9th Annual Tasting Benefit this Saturday!

2011-08-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

This Saturday August 6th Project by Project LA's 9th Annual Tasting Benefit to raise funds for AYC Youth and Family Services will take place at Downtown Los Angeles' Vibiana. Tickets for this year's event are available here. General admission is $150. This event brings one of the most eclectic gathering of restaurants and chefs in Los Angeles:Chef Walter Manzke, Sotto,Chaya Brasserie, Chef Laurent Quenioux,Guelaguetza, Jitlada,Maximiliano(debut!),Picca, Night and Market,Starry Kitchen, and many more.

Check out Plate by Plate's 2011 preview video

I had a fantastic evening at last year's Plate by Plate tasting at the California Science Center. It's a chance to sample a broad range of restaurants with the movers and shakers of LA's asian community. Check out my experience at Plate by Plate 2010.It's one of my favorite nights in Los Angeles.See you there this Saturday.

Plate by Plate: Project by Project LA's
9th Annual Tasting Benefit

Saturday, August 6, 2011
at VIBIANA
7-10PM
214 South Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Beating the Heat in Havana, Cuba: Granizados and Guarapo-Lifesaving Shots of Cool on the Streets of Havana

2011-07-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Frank delivers Cuban slushes with gusto at Havana's Parque Central

There's no escape from the oppressive heat of summer in Cuba. Its brutal forces of humidity and sweltering temperatures dog you from the moment you wake 'til the point in which you are able to find enough relief to sleep. At night you remove all clothes and search for the coolest part of your bed with old fans blasting directly on your sun-beaten body. In the mornings the sweating begins once you get out of the shower.

You know it's bad when all day long you hear the locals moaning about the heat. Between the hours of 2 and 4pm those who can retreat indoors are fortunate souls. We are all in varying degrees of sweatiness, or are among those waiting to sweat. One day, I actually sweated the entire day, soaking my shirt so bad I alarmed the Havana residents I encountered that day, " Oye hermano, esta sudando mucho!" (Hey brother, you're sweating alot)Spoken in a melodic and rythmic Cuban spanish. My evening that day was spent with embarrassing salt streaks all over my shirt where the sweat had finally dried.

Among the many liquids Cubans consume during the day to stay hydrated and get a reprieve from the torturing sun are two divine interventions:granizados and guarapos. Slushes and fresh pressed sugar cane juice.

The granizados, or Cuban slushes are flavored shaved ices available with the national currency of Cuba. It costs between 4 and 8 cents.The flavors are simple:strawberry, pineapple, orange, and lime. Most carts have only 1 or 2 flavors, some have as many as 6.

These small shots of Cuban air-conditioning are perfect, a little bit of ice with the pleasures of a sweet, syrupy gulp. Cubans have a serious sweet tooth.

These bottles on the sides of the carts become beacons of hope. Oh, strawberry, that'll do just fine.

They're found all over town like this vendor here at La Rampa, a popular hang-out for Cuba's young and restless.

Here in Parque Central--where you'll always find granizados--young Cubanas employing a few heat defense strategies of Havana(an umbrella and short pants)seek to lower their body temperatures a few degrees--deliciously.

Once the flavoring is poured your body relaxes knowing that help is on the way.

A mandarin refreshment of is just the remedy to keep you going in Havana, Cuba. Throughout the day the carts will serve as necessary pit stops in taking on the hot Havana days and nights.

An even sweeter proposition is guarapo, or sugar cane juice.These small stands take stalks of sugar cane and squeeze the juice into a pitcher,also for pennies using monedas nacionales.

Guarapos are sold from guaraperos found usually next to agropecuarios(farmer's markets).

These small stands take stalks of sugar cane and squeeze the juice into a pitcher. The juice is poured into glasses pre-loaded with ice cubes, unfiltered, giving it a nice touch of grassy stalk.

I found a spot in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Havana--think the Bronx of the Cuban capitol. While I've always enjoyed fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice in other countries, the intense hell-fire sun that saps the energy and spirit of Cubans gives this cooler a whole other purpose. It's a practical pleasure. It's tropical paradise in a glass that revives and comforts. For me, these were moments to regroup. I would now be free to forget about the handicapping solar beams that exasperated me all over town."Alright, so where was I?" "Ah, off to Partagas for some cigars!"

Customers often go back for seconds, yelling,"el ultimo?" This means "who's last?" We need to get in the right place in line, get our juice, and get the hell out.It's too hot for mistakes.

During the rush, the vendors are cranking the juicer, and the cashier is calling for clean glasses. A small collection of glasses are washed as we turn them in--there's no space or budget here for too many drinking glasses. No plastic cups will do, guarapos are best in a cold glass.

Think of walking in Havana in August as a battle against the elements, but you're not alone. The guaraperos and granizados vendors are there when you need them.

One of my last and truly special memories of this trip was with Frank, the granizado vendor in Parque Central. As soon as I was down to just a cup with ice, he poured over some more grape flavoring. He said,"mi amigo, pa recordar de Cuba--amigos!" Thanks to the cool street vendors of Cuba for helping me through my journey.

LA Street Food Fest Summer Tasting Event, Pasadena,CA, Saturday, July 16, 2011: Baja Cuisine Comes to the Rose Bowl for Street Food's Biggest Day

2011-07-13T01:42:00.000-07:00

This Saturday July 16th, the LA Street Food Fest presents its 2nd Annual Summer Tasting Event at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. Attendees can choose the afternoon session(2-5pm) or the party session(6-9pm). $60 gets you in for an all-inclusive experience,$75 for the VIP tent; all you need are your tickets and the bus fare home!

The LA Street Food Fest is bringing the most intensive street food experience ever to Los Angeles. This is the first festival to feature traditional food trucks, veteran carts and stands from the streets and sidewalks of Los Angeles, select survivors of the gourmet truck wars, and the best of LA's ice cream shops. Top LA chefs like chef Ricardo Zarate, chef Andre Guerrero, and chef Dan Moody are rolling up their sleeves and and mixing it up with the likes of Flor de Yucatan, Cocina del Camaguey,and Mariscos Chente's for some old school head cutting. Oh yeah, we are having a cook-off to see who is King, or Queen of the hard-catered streets of Los Angeles.

The all-star judges will be LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold, Food Network's chef Marcela Valladolid, Los Angeles Magazine's Lesley Bargar Suter, chef Walter Manzke, and chef Michael Voltaggio.

This is the fulfillment of all the hard work and ideals put in by the LASFF team, a real street food experience. Close to 70 vendors!

If that weren't enough, they're something no other festival in town could ever even dream of doing. Shawna Dawson of the LASFF asked if I might bring some friends, well, the LASFF has gone international. We're bringing up 3 stars from the most exciting food destination in Mexico in years, Baja California.

Chef Javier Plascencia brings his cutting edge Baja cuisine--a veteran restaurateur with 9 successful restaurants in his portfolio--from Tijuana's Mison 19, Casa Plascencia, Villa Saverios, and Cebicheria Erizo. He is considered one of the best chefs in all of Mexico and was recently featured in the New York Times. Plascencia will appear on the new season of Mexico:One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless.

Chef Benito Molina is leading the charge in Ensenada's own culinary scene, employing minimalist cooking using the wealth of fine seafood products found in Baja along with local wine and olive oil. He is also considered one of the top chefs in Mexico, and his restaurant Manzanilla is now the set for Molina's hit cooking show on the Utilisima Network, Benito y Solange. Chef Benito Molina was featured on Bizarre Foods Baja with Andrew Zimmern and will also appear on Rick Baylesses PBS program.

But the ultimate score is Ensenada's La Guerrerense. This is a world champion street food stand, and no chef I can think of can create anything more memorable than this humble street cart.

Sabina Bandera has over 50 years at her street cart, forget Kate Middleton, real street food royalty is coming to Los Angeles. This is the woman that does those sea urchin tostadas, sea cucumber, cod, mussels, pismo clams, fish pate, and the best local oysters and clams from top purveyors in Baja.

Sabina on Benito y Solange.

Like chefs make sure to visit El Bulli in Barcelona, or Noma in Copenhagen, they all come to La Guerrerense when in Ensenada.

And Sabina's sea urchin tostada topped with pismo clam, buttery avocado, and her mysterious salsa, chiles de mi jardin? It's unforgettable, it permeates your dreams constantly, dreams of the sublime. It's an urge that makes many customers decide to just drive--because nothing else will do.It's just a little a street cart named desire.

There's no place I'd rather be than the LASFF this Saturday, and nothing is stopping me from getting that tostada. See you on the field.

LA Street Food Fest
Saturday July 16, 2011
Pasadena Rose Bowl
2 sessions: 2-5PM and 6-9PM
$60 All-Inclusive, get your tickets today.

Izote by Patricia Quintana, Mexico City: Four Unforgettable Meals with the First Lady of Mexican Cuisine

2011-07-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

On the 7th of June after spending two magical weeks on the road with Patricia Quintana and Aromas y Sabores 2011, La Ruta del Norte, we arrived in DF with an hour to freshen up before attending the reopening of Izote by Patricia Quintana. On July 8th at East LA Meets Napa it was the 1-year anniversary of the day I met Patricia at a private dinner in the Sangre room at Rivera. So much has passed since meeting one of the most important people in my life, chef Patricia Quintana.

Izote features the best in Mexican fine dining, located for more than 10 years in Mexico City's Polanco district. Izote is tradition and refinement perfected.

Chef Patricia Quintana speaks with Raramuri women, more commonly known as Tarahumara in Divisadero, Chihuahua.Aromas y Sabores 2011.

At the Mercado Municipal Revolucion in Morelia, Michoacan chef Patricia Quintana cradles symbols of Mexico's pre-hispanic cuisine, squash blossoms and corn smut. Aromas y Sabores 2011.

Chef Patricia Quintana:Mexico's culinary ambassador, chef, cookbook author, historian, and the first lady of Mexican gastronomy continues her mission to preserve the culinary traditions and heritage of Mexico's culinary treasures.Pictured here at the Cerro de la Estrella in Iztapalapa Department in DF.Aromas y Sabores 2011.

Chef Patricia Quintana has penned numerous cookbooks, runs the Mexico City destination restaurant, Izote, and founded Mexico's first culinary institute. She studied in Europe under chefs Paul Bocuse, Gaston Lenôtre, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers. She brought back different techniques and ideas but has remained 100% dedicated to education and preservation of the 32 distinct regional cuisines of Mexico.

My friend Patricia loves the chile, she finds delight in the aromatic herbs of the markets, and deeply breathes in the essence of northern cheeses, of fresh tortillas. She never misses an opportunity to sample a market product,"we're like little birds, always eating tiny bites", She tells me.

One of my favorite moments with her was in Iztapalapa at the Central de Abastos. I pointed put this cool tortilla machine and she left the cameras and reporters to go make us some tacos de sal, fresh tortillas with salt. "Can you believe this flavor", said Patricia."ummmm"."Here, taste!" It's as though she was having a tortilla for the first time, with the curiosity and eyes of a child. Patricia is driven by this, and has the exhuberance and energy of a teenager. Great Mexican food will keep you young!

Chefs John Sedlar and Patricia Quintana with Rivera staff at a private dinner given on July 8,2011.

From the moment I met chef Patricia Quintana at the Rivera dinner--I was introduced to her by mutual friend chef John Sedlar--we talked as if we'd known each other for years. I spoke of the northern traditions being equal to any southern traditions of Mexico. She stared at me with a serious look at said,"Bill, we will go to the north together!" Finally, another traveler through Mexico that shared the same experience and belief, and from the highest authority. The American promoters of Mexico have traditionally followed in each other's footsteps to just a handful of southern states, replicating the same experiences, while completely failing to visit and comprehend the north.

This was a defining moment for me, this night, this dinner. I had used every trick and wile to get into this dinner so I could meet Paty and all my hopes for this fateful encounter have come to pass.

Dinner No. 1-Patricia Quintana at Rivera.July 8,2010

The meal at Rivera would be my first glimpse into the mastery of chef Patricia Quintana's cooking. Los chiles. Patricia is a walking encyclopedia of chiles, with know how in cooking and there complicated regional names and uses. Some chiles are only used dry in one part of Mexico, go by a different name, and the same chile will be used fresh somewhere else. Very few people know this much about Mexican chiles, I mean, regional cooks usually can't tell you about chiles outside their part of Mexico, and even supermarkets in the US mislabel chiles, Patricia knows them all.

A chile relleno using the chocolate flavored chile mulato showed Patricia's finesse with stuffed peppers. The mulato is almost exclusively used in its dry form in Mexico. The filling was queso fresco and the tender mulato was paired with a sour salsa of xoconostle(cactus fruit). The chile was marinated piloncillo(Mexican brown sugar), sherry and olive oil to give this dish such pleasure in its range of flavors.

Chefs John Sedlar and Patricia Quintana have been friends for decades.Here they prepare the private event to promote East LA Meets Napa(2010) in Rivera's kitchen.

Here she prepares Santa Barbara spot prawns using flavors of the Yucatan, her own achiote sauce was rubbed on the shrimp alongside unbelievable black beans sweetened by onions and slow cooking. I insisted there were other ingredients in the beans and she just shook her head.

This dish was an adaption of a similar dish she cooks at Izote.

Patricia loves to explore the genre of ceviches, always maintaining the simplicity that makes this Mexican seafood tradition so illusive outside of the country's ocean side communities. Keep it simple, start with superb ingredients, flawless citrus, and show restraint. Our ceviche of crab with pomegranate juice was inspired, and splashed into my memory with bright, sweet expression.

Escamoles, ant eggs, on the menu tonight.

The iconic tortillas florales at Rivera were wrapped around chef Patricia's sautee of escamoles. What a treat to enjoy the rare escamoles in Downtown Los Angeles!

The last savory course consisted of steamed fish stacked on top of a tamale of huitlacoche(corn smut).The finishing touch was the product of a blend of three chiles, chile meco(smoked jalapeno), mora(dried jalapeno) and morita (dried jalapeno from Chihuahua).This garnished the fish and a cream sauce and was layered with multiple flavors. My eyes jumped out of my skull when I tasted this blend in the kitchen.

There were so many nuances between chiles, fish, herbs, and huitlacoche that came together to form luxurious bite after bite.

I was hooked. I had to see chef Patricia again, and a month later I would have my chance in Mexico City.

Dinner No. 2-Izote by Patricia Quintana. August 10, 2010.

My first visit to Izote by Patricia Quintana almost didn't happen. I arrived late and they were shutting down the kitchen.My charm in full effect and soon I had the entire restaurant to myself, but Patricia wasn't in that night.

Fortunately, I had a shot of Oaxacan mezcal to keep me company.

Chef Patricia Quintana is a perfectionist. Every dish achieves a balance that allows all flavors to be present without needing aggressiveness, this is the hardest thing to do in haute cuisine, to coax refinement and elegance.

The sopa tarasca(Tarascan soup) is one of Patricia's lifelong companions in this pursuit of harmonious plates.

First the tortilla strips, avocado, chile guajillo, Mexican cream, and crumbled cheese are placed around the bowl.

The fragrant bean soup is poured over tableside while you anxiously salivate in anticipation.

Give it all a moment to meld its components into this comforting taste of Mexico, only as Patricia Quintana could summon.

Chiles en nogada.The famed Pueblan dish and the Giant Steps of Mexican haute cuisine. It's a difficult dish to master:a savory-seet picadillo of pork, beef, and seasonal fruit, a white walnut sauce, and a topping of fresh pomegranate seeds in a chile relleno of roasted poblano.

I've had this in Puebla, and various parts of Mexico. Patricia follows the original recipe and uses no egg batter on the chile.

As much as this dish excites--it's only available for a couple months out of the year(around September and October)--I often find the combination of savory and sweet ingredients to be overwhelming. I don't always feel so hot after one of these.

From the moment my fork breached the various elements and met my skeptical mouth--pure heaven.Nothing too sweet or heavy, nothing that clashed in the picadillo, or ground meat and fruit filling. I sometimes find the sauce to be perfect but the picadillo is too contentious with the rest of the dish. The best chiles en nogada I've tasted.

Dinner No. 3-Izote de Patrica Quintana,Casa Chapultepec.Patricia's House!May 20,2011.

Big Night at the house of Chef Patricia Quintana for Izote en casa. Aromas y Sabores 2011.

On the first night of our sojourn through Mexico for Aromas y Sabores led by Patricia Quintana our group of 90 was divided up between all the fine dining restaurants in Polanco, the upscale dining neighborhood in Mexico City.

Chef John Sedlar asked me where I was dining, he had been given a place neither of us knew. We had hoped to dine together and hang out a bit, but I said I'd be going to Izote. "Izote is closed for remodeling!", said John. "You're going to Patricia's house." "Really?"

I was blown away. I can't even describe how special I felt at that moment.It would be state tourism representatives, editors of magazines, fine dining aficionados from Madrid, a sommelier from DF, and me, this little street food blogger from Hollywood.Anyone wanna sing "One of These Things, is Not Like the Others" with me? Even John Sedlar was saying,"wow, look at you now....wow."

I have never feigned cool quite so deftly as when I arrived at her beautiful house in Chapultepec.

I sat next to sommelier Carmen Esquitin, who along with cookbook translator, Rosa from Madrid became my 2 tias on this trip. It was a beautiful night.

Our first snack was cebiche de pescado playero con salsa mexicana, a zesty, tangy ceviche that I stealthly drank the juice to the last drop, using the dim light to hide my uncouth behavior.

Savory empanadas san luis, turnovers filled with a stew of cheeses, chiles, and tomatoes as good as any on the streets of San Luis Potosi.

Tacos de canasta de chicharrones, one of Mexico City's essential street eats with all the power of pork skin in a salsa verde, with steamy, moist exterior but without the greasiness you find in the vendors that prepare these basket tacos on the street.

Patricia shows here how authenticity and light cooking can coexist.

The tamalitos de requeson was a fun presentation.Blue corn masa filled with Mexican style ricotta cheese where formed into 2 small tacos of masa, then steamed inside a banana leaf.

Since we would be going to Sinaloa, chef Patricia Quintana showed her prowess once again in the school of ceviches with a Sinaloan style aguachile. An aguachile is a spicy style of ceviche with only chiles, lime, and raw seafood. Our dish had raw scallops and shrimp in a mild green salsa.

The next course delighted the group of 10 diners, we all know the love and attention chef Patricia Quintana invests in soups. Sopa campirana was served in the pour over delivery so familiar at Izote. Did I mention we had the entire Izote staff at Patricia's house?

A soulful,tangy broth with wild mushrooms and squash blossoms was lavished upon us.

Red snapper in a spicy chipotle sauce, pescado en tinga, was our main dish of the evening. This dish was steamed in natural parchment from the maguey plant. This was raw beach-side cooking, with big flavors. Yes, Patricia can open all the stops if she wants.Every morsel of red snapper begged to be covered in this sauce.

Tamal de ganache de chocolate con natilla a la canela, a merengue of dark chocolate with a cinnamon custard, a variation on one of Patricia's favorite desserts. Divine.

The Izote staff did a marvelous job that night transforming Patricia's house into Izote. Upon our return of more than two weeks in Mexico they would have to get back to work when the newly fashioned Polanco hotspot reopened.

In the dining room we talked until the wee hours, discussing favorite Mexican dishes, and I received a bit of flack for my choices in low cantinas by the folks from a prominent magazine in Mexico. I don't think my new friend's wife is going to let him go out when I'm in town.

But alas, the night came to an end, and it was far past the rendezous hour I had set with John Sedlar. We were to go and check out Biko, rated one of the best restaurants in the world by Pellegrino. I left the group to attend sme business the next morning, and would rejoin the trip in Monterrey, Mexico before attending my most recent meal at Izote.

Dinner No. 4-The grand reopening of Izote by Patricia Quintana.

Literally, we had just landed in Df with 2 weeks of non-stop eating in our bellies, and we had an hour or so to freshen up and high-tail it over to Polanco.Only a dozen of us continued on to the state if Michoacan, including good friend Barbara Hansen. Lucky doesn't describe it!

Anette Handel from TV Azteca was at the scene of this exclusive look at the new Izote, she had been on Aromas y Sabores but wasn't able to do the Michoacan extension.

Patricia looked bright, cheery, and a vision of Mexican pride as she made the rounds. She showed no signs of wear from our exhausting food crawl all over Mexico. She is amazing.

The new design is more sleek and minimal with a banquette decorated with earth-toned pillows.

Sopecitos de camaron is a popular starter at the restaurant. The masa is so tasty and the shrimp with a mild chipotle just melts in you mouth.On this night we were served little sopes camerinos including one with cheese from Pijijiapan, Chiapas.The nixtamal is outstanding, you can't beat this masa.

Camaron en chia, why doesn't everyone do this dish? A shrimp ceviche with impeccable limes given to dreamy, smoky fragrance from mezcal and toasted chia seeds.Green chiles gave it a heat slightly beyond mild.

Ensalada de luchugas con esquites is street corn's "uptown girl." A light citrus dressing with fine field corn echoed the cries of street hawkers in the night air.

I first tasted Patricia's sopa tarasca on my initial visit to Izote and fell in love with this simple soup of bayo beans. Tonight I really tasted the earthen cookware and a slight edge in flavor, perhaps Patricia was still feeling the Purepecha spirit we had soaked up the week before in Michoacan. Whatever the reason, we loved this shot of soup and broke from our subject to discuss this intensity and warmth.

Pescado en tamal, fish tamale accompanied by sweet black beans and green chile. Chef Patricia Quintana is a consummate practitioner of the Mexican classics. Her command of tamales is unusual in fine dining, this is a discipline I usually rpefer from a specialist, but the hard work has been done, and the upmost respect given to this practice by Mexico's first lady of cuisine.

From the restaurant's regular menu, the superb custard,natilla, this time served with a truffle.

Another blissful night in Mexico City, dining with special people, enjoying sublime dishes prepared by a Mexican culinary living legend. I really do miss it all, everyday, but soon I'll be back with Patricia, and my tias Carmen and Rosa.In the meantime I follow my friend Patricia Quintana on twitter!

Chef Patricia Quintana is Mexico's true culinary ambassador, searching, studying, and revering all its unique scents and flavors. I recommend picking up one of her cook books, A Taste of Mexico is a great book to start with and is a part of my collection. It's such a drag to go to book stores and only see American cook book authors when I look for Mexican cook books, but we do have the internet. These other authors don't understand the cuisine with the depth, experience, and receptiveness of Patricia. You'll learn so much about all of Mexico.

At Izote by Patricia Quintana you'll encounter traditional Mexican cooking done with the care and attention to detail that remains rooted in tradition , elevating the cuisine without loosing a thing. This is authentic Mexican cuisine, this is the voice of Mexican gastronomy that I follow. Don't miss the new Izote bt Patricia Quintana, make it a requisite stop on your next Mexico City trip.

Restaurant Izote de Patricia Quintana
Presidente Masarik 513 Local 3
Polanco, Mexico City
Tel: 52-80-16-71.
Izote on twitter

Pacifico's Adventures on Tap: A Taste of Mazatlan

2011-07-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite beers in the world, and just about the only one I drink when in Sinaloa-here at El Conchal in Culiacan,Sinaloa.

About a month ago I attended Pacifico's Adventures on Tap promotional tour at Capsule Labs in LA to try Pacifico on tap, attend a live pressing of a vinyl recording, and party like an urban Mazatleco(someone from Mazatlan).

The event was somewhat peculiar for this regular Sinaloa visitor. There was a DJ spinning grooves while we all hit up the Pacifico tap, and activities in general that were alternative. For me, Pacifico means tambora, hot culichis at the beaches and the clubs, and un chingo de camarones.

I slipped out just as the vinyl pressing was about to happen. This may have been novel for some of the youngsters in attendance, but I grew up with vinyl and still have a sizable collection.When people started to say,"wow...cool..vinyl dude", I felt very old. Thanks Pacifico!

There was also a cool Pacifico pinata, but I missed that too. Man, I haven't taken a crack at a pinata in a long time.OK, this was more like it.

The Pacifico really hit the spot, and was an excellent start to my evening. But, to tell you the truth, I really prefer Pacifico in a bottle. It's not usually the case, but this isn't a bad thing as most bars have Pacifico in bottles.

Pacifico Clara is always in my fridge, and is one of my favorite Mexican pilseners. On a short beer list it's my go-to-beer, and when in the Pacific states of Mexico it becomes part of my Sinaloan dreams. It's great in a michelada, the umami-spiked Mexican beer cocktail.

Pacifico Clara has been around since 1900; it's part of the porfolio of Grupo Modelo, now co-owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

I recommend visiting the beautiful beaches and cities of Sinaloa, especially Mazatlan. In the meantime, let an ice cold Pacifico Clara cool you off in this summer's heat with some traditional air-conditioning, Mazatlan style.

Pacifico Cerveza Clara on Facebook

Takesos y Papas, Tijuana: A Cosmic Event Occurs in the Taco Center of the Universe

2011-07-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

It seems I've stopped at Tacos Salceados everytime I've been in Tijuana for several years now, especially when bringing some one new to this great street food capital of Mexico. A recent trip with Cathy of Gastronomy blog was to fulfill a much needed conclusion to her brief experience at the famed taqueria on a trip we took with 29 others in 2009.

When we were seated, I noticed and felt a huge change in the taqueria so esteemed it has been named La Ermita after its street, as to say the tacos and stretch of pavement need no other marker. You could open a hundred other taco stands on that same street and only one would be referred to as los tacos La Ermita.

The taqueros were all so young, they had new matching uniforms,the tacos were great but not quite the usual flair and power, and.....where's Marcos? "He left and opened another place", said a young runner. No need to shoot the messenger, because here at Street Gourmet LA, we have the ultimate taquero and street vendor rolodex. I gave Marcos a call and he let me know he would be opening in a week or so at the food court in the Plaza Monarcha.

After one premature visit I finally caught the brand new Takesos y Papas, lo mejor taco salseado(the best saucier taco). It's part of the food court right next to the Cinépolis movie theater in Plaza Monarcha.I'm thinking there shall be a movie and taco night in my near future.

If you thought you were adventurous by making it out to Tacos Salceados on your own, Plaza Monarcha shall be your next test.Head east on Paseo de Los Heroes and continue on as it turns into Federico Benitez Lopez, make a left on Manuel Clouthier, and another left on Gato Branco, the plaza will be on your left hand side. Look for the monarcha, or monarch butterfly.Or, tell the taxi driver, "a la Plaza Monarcha!"

The Plaza Monarcha is a new, middle-class mall, with an amusement park or play area in every hall. Each section is at a different elevation on the side of a hill. This has to be the most kid-friendly mall I've ever seen, so bring your little ones, they'll love it here.

Who is Marcos? Marcos Flores is just the guy who's been in charge of the kitchen at Tacos Salceados ever since I've been going.The founder of Tacos Salceados, Javier Campos Gutierrez is rumored to have been ill and unable to be in the kitchen all these years. In all the visits to Mr. Campos' taqueria, Marcos was the one putting the finishing touches on the tacos, supervising the kitchen, and providing excellence in customer service.For me, Tacos Salceados has always been about Marcos.

With Takesos y Papas, Marcos wants to bring back the quality and attention to detail that he loved about his former job. His new place is a small food court set-up, just Marcos as taquero, a tortilla maker, and a server/cashier.This is like the Sox losing Babe Ruth!!

The salsas are like the ones you had at Salceados with some twists and turns, but most importantly, Marcos is there to tell you which ones are which, and to keep them fresh. This wasn't the case at Salceados in the last year and a half where they were just set out,scattered,unkept at times, and you had to guess which salsa you were getting. These salsas and creams are emullsified with egg whites to give them that unique saucier touch that you've come to know and love.

Delicious chiles güeros prepared the northern way, in soy with seasoning are with generous spice balanced by strong fruit. This is one of the most tasty chile plates in Mexico, and it's on the house.Ask for some grilled green onions, too, called cebollitas.

Marcos remembers his customers and first sent out the New York steak and shrimp taco, always a favorite of mine.Melted cheese, Mexican cream, a medium salsa of chile de arbol, and panache are the final touches.Yes, this is how I remember these, the way they should always be.

The reverse quesataco invented at Tacos Salceados is now served at Takesos y Papas. This is traditionally done with melted cheese in side a taco, here cheese is fried on a flat top grill,proteins are tucked inside and pocket of fried cheese these served as is or atop a fresh tortilla.

You can get any of Takesos y Papas tacos done as a quesataco, don't leave here without trying one.

The taco dulce con piña(sweet taco with pineapple), a truly special treat of savory and sweet is amazing. Chicken or shrimp with pineapple is a good way to go here. It's a quesataco with your choice of protein and cheese, bathed in rasberry, mango, and strawberry sauces with an ample sprinkle of chopped pecans.

There's a full menu of interesting and delicious tacos that is similar to Tacos Salceados but Marcos plans to incorporate other items as they become more established.

Takesos y Papas means that the there is now being formed an original style of tacoing in Tijuana, the gospel is spreading. It won't be long before you see a fancy taqueria in the Condesa or La Roma neighborhoods of Mexico City serving tacos Tijuana style. This is a beautiful thing. there are now two places featuring this style of tacos. Contemporary presentation that is cool and hip without the sillyness that I've seen in so many US food magazines attempting to stylize tacos for home cooks.

As for Tacos Salceados, the word is out that the quality is slipping, and my last visit confirms this troubling news. Javier needs to get back to his kitchen and make sure his new people are doing their job, and train another leader to run his place if he can't be around. The kids aren't cutting it and it takes more than some sharp new uniforms.

In Tijuana, the taco center of the universe has a new orbit.

Takesos y Papas
Plaza Monarcha, Local C-89
Tijuana, B.C.
Mexico
7 days from 12PM-9PM
From US (011-52)664-361-5407

East LA Meets Napa 2011,Friday,July 8th at Union Station: Celebrating the Flavors of Michoacan

2011-07-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

A purepecha woman prepares lunch over an open fire in Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacan

On June 22, 2011 I was invited to lunch with Castulo de La Rocha,President and CEO of Alta Med,for a preview of East LA Meets Napa, The Flavors of Michoacan, on Friday July 8th.The reason to highlight Michoacan Castulo stated?, "Many of the Latino wine makers in Napa have roots in Michoacan.They came to Napa as part of the Bracero program which brought Mexican laborers to the US starting in 1942.This was established between Mexico and the US to meet America's labor shortage during World War II.

East LA Meets Napa is the premier Latino food event in Los Angeles that reflects a color,flavor, and spice of our local multicultural blend. It's where the movers and shakers of LA's Latino business and lifestyle move and shake to the sounds of mariachi, cumbia, and son.Our best East LA restaurants, Los Angeles originals, get together with the Latin winemakers for hot night at Union Station. Bring your dancing shoes.Get your tickets here.

About Alta Med
Alta Med has delivered quality care to the underserved communities of Southern California for more than 40 years! The proceeds of this event go towards helping those without proper health care, which is even more important during these tough economic times. Not only will you be attending the best party in town, you'll be indulging for a worthy cause. For more information on Alta Med go to their website.

At the preview, Jimmy Shaw made his mole verde, Michoacan style. Jimmy's Loteria Grill will be there along with Hugo Molina of Seta, local favorites Cook's Tortas and Dorados, and Phlight restaurant.At the preview lunch each of these restaurants played on the Michoacanan theme, and there will even be a woman there presenting traditional Michoacanan cuisine. Be sure to look her up, I have something put aside for me, hands off!

In all there are around 30 participating restaurants, and about the same number of wineries.

Famous Mexican chef of Izote restaurant in DF and cookbook author,Patricia Quintana was an honoree last year at East LA Meets Napa.

John Sedlar and I delivered invitations last year in person to Baja wineries,they were a big hit and the good news is they're back.Look for Vinedos Malagon, Vinisterra, Adobe Guadalupe,Cavas Valmar, L.A. Cetto, and Bodegas San Rafael at this year's event.So, grab a glass.

Mix and mingle under the Los Angeles skyline at DTLA's historic Union Station.

Sing along to the mariachis, that's how us Mexicans karaoke.

Put on your red shoes and dance.....

And, enjoy the Flavors of Michoacan at East LA Meets Napa, Latino LA's night of fine food and drink.Viva Michoacan!!

East LA Meets Napa
Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles
July 8, 2011
6:00 p.m.
Ticket prices
$125 pre-sale before June 3
$150 June 4 - June 30
$200 July 1 - July 8

Los Angeles Magazine Pupu Throwdown: Neal Fraser vs. Mark Gold-Let's Get Ready to Pupu!!!

2011-06-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I was invited by the Steve Valentine Group to attend Los Angeles Magazine's pupu throwdown at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica.Eric Greenspan of the Foundry and Brendan Collins of Waterloo and City had been handled by chefs Brendan Fraser of Grace/BLD and Mark Gold of Eva in previous match-ups. The challenge was to plate your best pupu--appetizers in the local lingo of the Hawaiian islands.

Despite the requisite Hawaiian leis when we arrived, there were no tired jokes about getting leid, that was a release...I mean relief.

All guests proudly wore their leis, even at the valet station on the way out. Taking things up a notch was eco-stylist and organic cookbook author Ani Phyo, wearing an edible dress.To quote Pitbull,"como?"

Ok, it was a dress made of organic materials, and edible. Ani practices what she preaches.She's here to help us reduce our carbon footprint, and to bring sexy back to vegan living. Edible dress!!!I can't believe I asked her,"what do you mean by edible dress...could you repeat that,Ani?" She did clarify. I love blogging.

Chef Haru Kishi has been making the scene these days. He's having a great year over at Chaya Brasserie and was taking in the competition on this perfect light and breezy beachside evening. It's Wednesday night in LA!

The crowd was having fun drinking mosquitos, a Hawaiian themed mojito, Hawaiian beers, and wine while chasing down the chefs' pupus.It was fun watching the servers try to fill up their trays and make it out of the cooking stations. Sorry guys, but smile, it's less work to have people attack your tray like animals than have to stroll around with such a burden.

Just for fun, chef Ray Garcia of Fig, the host of the evening, roasted a whole pig for his signature pork tacos.

A crispy, and juicy pig-skin rug

The pork tacos were excellent in this tacorazzo's opinion, I went back for several and grabbed some of chicharrones torn from the carcass.

Chef Neal Fraser was loose and ready for battle.

His spam banh mi was full of Hawaiian funk and flavor.

His other bite was a Hawaiian tuna poke,with wasabi Tobiko, and sambal crème fraiche, clean and balanced, the tuna shone bright.

Very pupu-like, Mark Gold's kumamoto oyster with pineapple, toasted buckwheat, and "espama" was a bold and aggressive dish. The "espama" was canned food funky in the nose, but tasted better than it smelled. Strange but creative.

The roasted foie gras with sushi rice, tea smoked plum and grated yuzu by Mark Gold also showed an edge in construction, and was a hit with the crowd.

1...2..Freddy's cooking for you..3...4...better ask for more

At the judges table, no one was snickering nor making pupu jokes, it was all about the business for Los Angeles magazine dine editor Lesley Bargar Suter, Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s Restaurants, and Ed Kenney of Town Kaimuki restaurant in Honolulu.

When the event came to a close, it was Mark Gold who triumphed and will live to pupu another day.I was a little frightened by Mark's hat and stripped apron, if he had been holding some knives I would have ran....chef Freddy krueger.

Congrats to the winner, chef Mark Gold of Eva, and to chef Neal Fraser for a good show. Chef Ray Garcia, you make a mean taco, and LA Magazine always knows how to party. Big thanks to Steve Valentine for the invite.

Los Angeles Magazine Pupu Throwdown
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
June 29,2011

El Cuadrilatero, Mexico City:El Gladiador, El Super Astro's Ultimate Torta Throwdown

2011-06-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how we ended up at a torteria made famous by a giant sandwich developed by a luchador(wrestler) after two weeks of relentless, gluttony, but there we were.My plan was to stroll Mexico City and look around, and possibly grab a nibble somewhere. I had stayed another day just to recuperate from Aromas y Sabores, a 2-week long stretch of eating through 5 states in Mexico with 90 others. The trip was led by famous Mexican chef and dear friend, Patricia Quintana.

Colombian Chef Pablo Aya, a new friend I made on the trip wanted to check out a market, maybe the Merced? I couldn't believe how indecisive I was that day, wait, THAT'S how I ended up face to face with 1.3 kilos of sandwich,it was a moment of weakness!So much for a light salad and a stroll. We started at the Mercado Mercado Medellin to check out the produce and food stalls before heading off to Cafeteria El Cuadrilatero Jr.(the wrestling ring), a sandwich battleground.

The signature item here is El Gladiador(Gladiator), a recipe from a Lucha Libre wrestler from Tijuana called el Super Astro.

His ex-wife, Guadalupe runs the place now, with over 30 years in the business, el Super Astro is still jumpin' off the top rope in Tijuana,"Lucha Libre por la vida." I thought to talk the guys into a regular torta, another new friend Hernan had joined us, but the regular tortas are as big as the telera roll being held in Guadalupe's hand.Sheesh,there's no easy out here, it's go big or go home.

"We might as well share the Gladiador",said Pablo,"I mean...we're here." Makes sense to me.So much for the post-2 week feeding frenzy detox!

El Super Astro's son is definitely not up for the challenge,but was a good sport when mom made him put on the mask

The challenge, eat the Gladiador in 15 minutes or less and it's on the house. You also get your name added to the list of only 99 other mortals who've achieved this extreme eating feat. "About 2 try each week",teased Guadalaupe,"but only 99 have finished the torta in the 20 years we've been in business, the last one was in February." Oh yeah, 100 is up for grabs. You'll get a Cuadrilatero torta in addition to getting your Gladiador comped for being the 100th to eat this behemoth within 15 minutes,plus bragging rights.

On the walls are photos and memorabilia from el Super Astro's still relevant career.

He even keeps a vigilant watch, Juan Ramirez, Luchador and master tortero,El Super Astro.This is his arena, his recipe, think you can pin this torta?

A wrestling ring of 8 eggs with fistfuls of chorizo piled on. It's then cut into rectangular omelettes to fit on the subway-style telera roll.

Bacon sizzles, and wennies roast; a bed of ham for the egg-chorizo omelettes to rest upon is made.

Oaxacan cheese, practically a whole ball of it to make this torta seems to be plenty, but wait, there's more. There are avocadoes too, and some other vegetable hidden in the mound of ingredients.

Thin slices of chicken and steak are the final ingredients, delicately stacked on top along with the hotdogs.

In a triumphant double spautula hold, this seasoned tortero, 5 years with El Cuadrilatero, casually lifts the torta for us to snap a few pictures.Be sure to drop a bowl of their superb chipotle salsa on the sandwich, it's to die for.

The torta itself is delicious, nothing magical here, just a lot of greasy goodness under one roof.You really get to taste all the ingredients, there's so much of everything, you're sure not to miss any element.

Even dividing the torta into thirds, we still had a whole plate of food leftover. I can't even imagine that a person could finish this. My 1/3 Gladiador kicked my ass.

We sure tried, but El Super Astro, you're too much even for this tag team.

Here's Pablo demonstrating the power of the mighty Gladiador. It took us each a moment to figure out how to go about eating this beast.

Pablo and Hernan ponder the size of the Gladiador

1.3 kilos of uber-rich torta in 15 minutes,or, bring some friends and put your heads together, we think this can feed four, easily. It costs about $17 for the Gladiador.There are other tortas and food items on the menu, and even a Gladiador Jr.,(half a Gladiador) but you're in El Super Astro's house and he's calling you out. Think you got the stomach for this?

Cafeteria El Cuadrilatero
Luis Moya 73
Mexico City, Mexico
(55)5521-3060
7am-8pm Mon-Sat

Guatemalan Street Food,MacArthur Park,LA-Locals Hoof it on Over After Work for the $3.50 Special

2011-06-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Most street food on LA is Mexican, and Mexican-American, even with all the new trucks, but MacArthur Park is where Central-Americans hustle.Everything from clothes, to cell phone gear, to shady malls hidden from the casual pedestrian, to fake ID's, to street eats.

On 8th and Alvarado there's always a cluster of people huddled around a couple of shopping carts, that are actually mobile kitchens featuring Guatemalan cuisine. There are sometimes 3 vendors after 5:30PM during the week only, this is for the Central-American blue collar crowd, a bite before catching the bus homeward.

The plates go for $3.50, all-inclusive. The carne guisada, a stewed beef with squash, beans, carrots, and a tomato broth is a steal, store-bought corn tortillas and a side of rice are included.

It's a good version of a rather simple plate, hearty and well-seasoned.

Even better is the pacaya rellena, egg-battered bamboo shoots covered with a tomato sauce, accompanied by beans and rice with ample tortillas thrown in. This is the Guatemalan version of the chile relleno without that Mexican heat; they also offer ejotes rellenos, egg-battered green beans.

But the real prize here is the sopa de pata, beef hoof soup. It is $3.50 as well as all plates here, packed with green beans, carrots, cilantro, chayotes, cabbage and a flavorful beef broth made silky by fatty oils.

And yes there is actually some beautiful hoof to be had, you can chew the soft meat from the coarse bone with devious delight.

Monday through Friday, you can enjoy delicious meals out within the most tight of budgets, not an easy feet these days.

Guatemalan Street Food
8th/Alvarado
evenings after 5:30PM Mon-Fri.

Street Gourmet LA:2011 LA Weekly Web Awards-Best Food Blog

2011-06-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

Last night at Bardot in Hollywood, I received my award for Best Food Blog in LA for LA Weekly's Web Awards, and partied the night away with fellow winners, Nguyen and Thi of Starry Kitchen(Best Restaurant Site,Maximalist),Daniel Djang of Thirsty in LA(Best Cocktail Blog), and the girl who always has a winning smile, Josie of Uncouth Gourmands. It was a very informal awards ceremony, LA Weekly style, the liquor flowed and there were plenty of nibbles to keep us from having any Sharon Stone moments.It was a Hollywood club party complete with assorted characters although fellow winners Perez Hilton and Alyssa Milano were no where to be found, that would have completed our victorious evening. Are you picturing Perez, Alyssa, and Nguyen in his banana suit posing with their awards?

I found out that my blog had been named Best Food Blog by LA Weekly just a few days before, as I was returning from 2 weeks on the road with Patrica Quintana's Aromas y Sabores tour to learn more about Mexican gastronomy and culture; it's been a great month!LA Weekly is a publication I fell in love with when I first moved to Los Angeles in '95, I always knew where the nearest stash of Weekly's would be every Thursday, and even had my spots that would get them first as well as where I could still find one on a Sunday night. I poured over Jonathan Gold's reviews in the food section, and enjoyed the fascinating feature stories, the one on former Tijuana mayor Hank Rhon is still a favorite.

There are many best food blog awards out there these days, but I'm overjoyed that this honor would come from the LA Weekly, host to the only Pulitzer Prize winning food writer in Jonathan Gold. It's meaningful-it has given me a moment to think about my evolving role in the food world, and my ever sharpening focus on Latin-American cuisine. It's a mere accident that has become good fortune.My sincerest thanks to the LA Weekly for recognizing my blog.

I started my blog in 2007, just 6 posts that year, about the same time I came on chowhound.The purpose was to keep track of the restaurants I found and keep notes for an adult ethnic dining class I was teaching at the time.The choice to specialize in Latin-American cuisine came as a natural result of my travels for work as a musician, and my family traditions from Aguascalientes, Mexico.It also allowed me to set myself apart from the vast bandwidth of blogs out there. Coincidently, I came into this as Latin-American cuisine has taken a greater place in the hearts and stomachs here in the US and globally, and Mexico's gastronomy has recently been deemed an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.It's a fortuitous occasion to be writing about Latin-American cuisine.

What this award means to me is that my efforts to find outstanding eateries, and educate people about traditional Latin-American food,chefs, and cooking are validated.The majority of what I cover here are meals and travel expenses paid for from my own pocket, with a sparse amount of media events, only those that I am comfortable supporting in an effort to preserve the integrity of the content on Street Gourmet LA.Countless hours spent exploring on foot, or by taxi, car, subway, bus, rent-a-car, or by any means necessary are invested to bring forth new finds and treasured eats.

Why street food?Because it's profoundly delicious when you arrive at the right place, and it's the most common dining experience we share among humans. Street food is the first restaurant experience of organized societies.

Aromas y Sabores 2011, journalist

But really, I'm just a zealous messenger. I'm happy to share the delights and pleasures of a rapturous afternoon at Ensenada's La Guerrerense, a random Argentine parrilla that will blow your mind, one of the best night's of my life at a Brazilian temple of north-eastern cuisine right next to a favela,or coming across perhaps one of the best tacos LA has ever tasted.

Michael Moore moment

At the same time, it means to me that with each accolade and achievement, I can continue to call a burro a burro with a notoriety that can't be completely ignored. I only have three soul-shredding posts, the mediocre and bad restaurants lie on the cutting room floor because they are easy targets, and bore, but let us not forget to smear a badge of shame with fresh paint when it must be said.To quote Bill the Butcher Cutting in Gangs of New York,"He ain't earned a death! He ain't earned a death at my hands! No, he'll walk amongst you marked with shame, a freak worthy of Barnum's Museum of Wonders. God's only man, spared by the Butcher." Just ask Rick Bayless!

Readers, friends, strangers, critics,and the people I meet in all of the Latin-American kitchens, I thank you for stopping by and sharing your passions; cheers, salud, saude, and all your meals be communal, memorable, and rich. Let's eat!!

Aromas y Sabores 2011: La Ruta del Norte Begins with the Mercado de Abastos and a Prehispanic Banquet

2011-05-24T23:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend began an epic journey of the scents, flavors, and products of Mexican gastronomy. The Aromas y Sabores 2011,Ruta del Norte, highlights the rich heritage of the north.This is the third such culinary tour of Mexico. I'm currently in Monterrey,Nuevo Leon on an 11-day run that will realize a much anticipated journey on El Chepe, the legendary train-ride on the the Copper Canyon Railroad. Been waiting all my life for this.

In a pre-dawn ribbon cutting ceremony, reknowned chef,cookbook author, and Mexican culinary ambassador, Patricia Quintana of Mexico City's Izote,presented an international group of chefs, journalists, writers, photographers,bloggers, and tourism representatives to a delicious endeavour:to know Mexico's cultural treasures and to imprint into our memories its aromas and flavors.

The symbol of the sacred New Fire of Mezoamerica, El Nuevo Fuego, was rather appropriate on this trip, as Mexico's gastronomy was recently formally recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

It's time for everyone to light the cultural fires in the fine dining restaurants of Condesa and Polanco, to save the treasures found in Mexico's markets from succumbing to commercialization, to document and promote the 32 distinct regional cuisines of Mexico found in its fondas, cenadurias, and street stands.Mexican cuisine is in its New Fire.

We started the tour with a visit to Mexico City's largest Mercado de Abastos, wholesale food and miscellaneous goods market, to have a look see, smell, and taste.

The Mercado de Abastos was completed in 1982 and is considered a city within a city at 810 acres of market.It was constructed to meet the food demands of the world's second largest city as the Mercado Merced wasn't big enough to satify the population, and was congested with traffic.

The market continues a spirit and tradition that has existed since prehispanic times.

We walked through the trail of tears, a football field length corridor of garlic and onions, so important in Mexican cookery. We took in the scents of countless chile varieties, all fighting for our nasal attention; hibiscus flowers from all over Mexico ready to be boiled and turned into one of the most famous aguas frescas in the world, agua de jamaica.

I lured Chef Patricia over to a fascinating tortilla machine where she ended up making us each a taco de sal, a tortilla with a little bit of salt, rolled into a taquito.

She was full of every and enthusiam the entire day, immaculately garbed in traditional Mexican regional dress.

The Mercado de Abastos, being a city within a city even had its own spokesmodels to accompany us on our market tour:Deborah, Cintia, Sandra, and Rebeca.

We saw a film about the market in its theater and were treated to a breakfast that reminded us of Mexico's culture of corn; quesadillas came in yellow, green, red, and blue corn.We were surrounded by Mexico's aromas and flavors, provoked by its colors, and entertained by its hard working vendors.This remarkable experience, a magical day in Mexico City would continue with a once in a lifetime lunch at a nearby convent.

The prehispanic buffet at the former Convent of Culhuacan.It was like going to market in the year 1518,give or take a few ingredients here and there. An unforgettable lunch in Iztapalapa.

The art of the comal and tortilla.

Oaxacan Mezcal made in earthen pots using a prehispanic distillery, following traditional methods. There's undeniable evidence that distilling practices existed before the Spanish came, but more on that at another time. This mezcal was gorgeous, earthy, and mineral.

Sopes de Chapulines, fresh masa sopes layered with beans, grasshoppers, and crumbled queso fresco.

Cerdo con Verdolagas, a Mexico City staple dish of pork with purslane in a tomatillo sauce. This is a must try when in Mexico City, but on this day just seemed ordinary when compared to the bounty of rare dishes at this feast.

Tortitas de Ahuautle, water bug larvae patties with nopales,tomato, green chile, onions,cilantro, and garlic bound by beaten eggs.

Ancas de Rana, frog's legs in tomatillo sauce with chilacoyote, a local squash.

Charales Iztapalapenses, small dried lake fish stewed in tomatillo sauce with nopales and potatoes.

Artichokes were brought to Mexico by the Spanish, but Alcachofas Iztapalapenses are a local invention; artichokes are fried with manchego and quesillo cheeses tucked inside, walnuts too, and bathed in a tomato sauce. Amazing!

Huevera de Gallina,hard-boiled hen egg yolks with menudencias(offal), nopales, onions, and garlic.

Pato en Pipian, duck in a thick, ingredient leaden pumpkin seed sauce.

Quesadilla de Quelites, a blue corn masa quesadilla filled with wild greens foraged nearby in Iztapalapa.

Tlapique de Pescado, found in the markets of Xochimilco, and Iztapalapa in Mexico City, also in Toluca. Normally a whole fish cooked over coals covered in epazote and chile guajillo using natural parchment, corn husks. This is a type of tamal.

Prior to this royal banquet, we ascended the Cerro de la Estrella, a prehispanic site where the Nuevo Fuego ritual is still performed we participated in a ceremony to pay respect to our ancestors, our heritage, our land.

It's time to know Mexico, it's culture, its wealth of sensorial gifts. Come with us as we continue this taste Odyssey, the revolucion shall be twitterized.

Aromas y Sabores on twitter
Chef Patricia Quintana on twitter

Taqueria Jaas Light, Hermosillo, Sonora: Carne Asada's Lightweight World Champ

2011-05-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

I have been a regular commuting customer of Taqueria Jaas Light since around 2002; they've been the place for carne asada tacos in Hermosillo since they first opened back in 1987. I'm there doing shows at least a couple of times a year, in Hermosillo, Sonora, where the greatest carne asada tradition in Mexico can be savored.

Carne asada is everywhere in Hermosillo, from the grand parrilladas to to taquerias to street stands marked by small chimneys atop their grills. It's all done with local beef from Angus steers and has to be roasted over mesquite. This is northern tradition.

At 6PM, the desert air rings with sounds of testosterone driven banda music and the scent of searing meat becomes a component of the atmosphere. That's when Jaas Light begins the steady stream of tacos that doesn't cease 'til almost 4AM. This is where the band goes after the show, to check out the attractive Sonoran women, and have amazing carne asada.

Sonoran women are famous in Mexico for their beauty, and they are everywhere here, so much that it overwhelms the senses. At the palenque(multi-purpose arena)they are stunning in pink and baby-blue cowgirl hats, boots, and tight Brazilian jeans singing along with their favorite hits while waving diva hands in the air--it must be the carne asada!

A team of professional and apprentice taqueros tend to the business of tacoing.

The house blend of Angus New York steak, top sirloin, and chuck are cut and trimmed prior to cooking. Blending allows for tremendous flavor and keeps the taco economical. Sonoran beef is sought after in top restaurants from Baja to Mexico City.

Sonorans love a plenteous salsa bar; here you'll find chilled cucumber and radishes, various salsas and guacamole, but be one must try the local heat:chiltepin.Chiltepin chiles are BB-sized balls of dried chile with a rattle of seeds inside that bring stinging heat that rides just below this chiles bold flavor.

The menu at Jaas Light gathers the local taco stylings of Sonora. You can start off with a carne asada taco, but it would be a shame to stop there.Request flour tortillas, they are the natural pairing for steak tacos.

Th pellizcada is a unique member of the taco family. A sope(masa disc) is covered with melted cheese and carne asada, finished with the usual toppings. An icing of fresh guacamole wets this hardy, gooey stag of the taco kingdom. This taco needs no explanation; it's a greatest flavor hits compilation.

The lorenza is the Sonoran version of the Sinaloan vampiro, a toasted-until-bone-dry tortilla covered with molten-cheese and the tri-steak blend.

The caramelo(caramel)is a flow of local cheese inside a flour tortilla with the house steak combination.

The marquee taco is the Taco Light, the proprietary blend of steak wrapped in a lettuce leaf, if you feel so inclined, but the Taco Jaas is the showstopper, a taco that has made its way to Tijuana under the nome de taco of the taco hass.A roasted anaheim chile, melted cheese, and Jaas's signature carne asada will seem familiar in concept, but this is all quality product and cookery.

Carne asada shines at Jaas Light, grass-fed steak, simply seasoned with coarse salt, and tenderized by the craft of polished taqueros.

This taqueria is the undisputed lightweight world champion of carne asada, a lighter charge into Sonoran steak culture. A few taco Lights and you'll still be ready to take on the heavyweights, the local parrilladas. Ladies and Gentlemen...let's get ready to taco, Sonoran style.

Jaas Light
Ignacio Mariscal #23 Esq. Gomez Farias
Col. Constitucion
662-214-0746