mmm-yoso!!!

COMC: La Playita

La Playita has been well covered in two separate posts by the one and only Cathy. But I thought, since it's getting a bit warm out, this would be a nice chance to "COMC" (Clear Out the Memory Card), and do a short post of mostly photos on La Playita.

   

If you've read the previous posts you'll have good description of La Playita. A little family run shop with, one table, doing most of their business off a counter with six stools.

  

Most discussions center around two main items served at La Playita, the Ceviche:

 

Which is refreshing, if a bit too heavy on the lime for me.

The other item often discussed are the various Cocktel (Seafood Cocktails), which uses the home made hot sauce concoction as part of it's base.

The Missus's favorite is the Vuelve a la Vida ("Back to Life"), She always goes with the large sized cocktail ($13).

 

This wonderful seafood ambrosia is topped off with freshly shucked oysters. The only problem was trying to explain to the Missus that it wasn't the seafood that was coming "back to life", but the term is meant to be the effect of this wonderful concoction on the individual. I've read that this cocktail has a history as a hangover remedy, and brought many a bleary eyed, cotton mouthed, individual back to life.

It would be quite easy to stop at this point on the menu.

 

But I thought you might want to see a few of the other offerings.

The Taco Gobernador ($3), does not quite hold a candle to the version at Mariscos German, but is quite acceptable.

  

It is a bit less heavy.

The Pescadillas ($3) is a molten fried mixed seafood taco.

 

The Aguachili ($14), is a large portion of raw shrimp, "cooked" with lime juice, mixed with red onions which add a nice bite. Speaking of bite, everything is covered with a good amount of sweat inducing chili, especially if you order it spicy like I did.

 

The Caramones a la Diabla (Shrimp Diablo - $14) is a good portion of shrimp sauteed in a spiced up chipotle based sauce.

 

The colorfully named Pulpo Enamorado - "Octopus in love" (Spicy Octopus - $14) is another dish utilizing a tangy-spicy chipotle based sauce.

 

Just in case it's a bit too cold for ceviche, one of these dishes will be sure to warm you up. After all wouldn't it be nice to meet up with an Octopus in Love? Well, maybe not........

Of course, it may never be too cold for Ceviche.....

 

I've always been served seafood of good quality at La Playita.

Don't forget the tostadas and crackers.......

La Playita Seafood
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

The Torta Factory

This little shop on El Cajon Boulevard opened up about three weeks ago. The balloons, and "Grand Opening Banner" beckoned me in.

 

The menu is simple, but growing everyday. On my first visit it had Tortas, Quesadillas, breakfast items, and Cemitas. They have now added tacos and huaraches, and I watch with glee as the ball of masa is formed and a tortilla is pressed out for its destiny as a huarache (huarache = "slipper", and is a slipper sized "tortilla" of sorts, topped with any number of items). The restaurant is pretty clean, and simply attired.

 

The salsa bar is standard, with all of the usual suspects.

 

My first visit was fun, the gentleman, who I believe is the owner is very friendly, and is eager to please. The prices are a bit higher than your regular taco shop, and watching the tortas being assembled, I knew this wasn't "just another taco shop."

I had Torta Milanesa de Res (breaded beef torta - $5.29):

 

What struck me about this torta was the bolillo (bread), it was light and airy, the crust was, well crusty, without being hard, and it was not overtoasted.

The milanesa was light and moist, but very mild in flavor. The smear of beans was just right, and most of all, this wasn't dredged in mayo.

 

It was a very balanced sandwich, one in which the sum of the parts worked together well. I can't say if it was the best Torta I've ever had, but I really enjoyed it. I left feeling satisfied, not like I'd been weighed down by a ton of grease and saturated fat, which has it's own rightful place in (and around) my heart, but this was very pleasant.

Which meant that I had to bring the Missus along on my next trip. The Missus wasn't very hungry, and is a bit picky about the amount of cheese (minimal) and sour cream (none) on Her Mexican food. She decided on the Quesadilla de Flour de Calabasa (zucchini blossom quesadilla - $3.99), and requested it light on the cheese, and with no sour cream. I watched as the tortilla was again formed by hand. It was a simple, but delicious looking dish:

 

And it was a good idea to get this easy on the cheese...since it was mozzarella cheese. The Missus loved the Guacamole, and told me She could really taste every ingredient in the Quesadilla clearly.

 

This time I went for the Torta de Bistec Ranchero ($5.29):

 

Thin sliced beef (a la Carne Asada) browned, than simmered in a mild tomato based sauce. the flavor of the onions and garlic came through. And the beef was very tender. As you can see this was dressed a bit differently from my previous Torta:

 

No chredded lettuce this time, and the cheese was pretty much an afterthought and added nothing to the sandwich. Again the bolillo was light and airy. In fact, I enjoyed this more than the Torta Milanesa. It could be because the gentleman told me to try some of his "chili paste", which is not on the salsa bar. He gave us a small container of what I believe is a Chipotle based paste.

 

It was smokey with a nice slow burn.......

On my last visit, I was determined to try something different, and went with the Cemita de Pata ($7.99). Cemitas are a type of sandwich which differentiates itself from Tortas mainly by the type of roll used. It is a round sesame seed crusted roll. The cemita I had previously was toasted, but nice and fluffy. This one was toasted, and on the crumbly side. It was pretty big......

 

The roll was also fairly dry, I prefer the bolillos here. If you read the menu, and think this is beef shank...be aware.....this is gelatinous, tendon like material from cows feet.

 

It had been cooked low and slow in a very potent vinegar and citrus mixture, making it very puckery and sour. There was a good deal of bitterness going on as well. On this day, all the customers were Hispanic, and one of them took an interest in what I had ordered. when my Cemita arrived, he asked me what I ordered. when I informed him that it was the Cemita de Pata, he laughed and told me that he is from Puebla, where Cemitas originated. He loves his Cemitas, but even he won't eat this. He did tell me that, "this place makes good stuff." So I'll take his word for it.

To me, The Torta Factory is not the place to revive yourself with a greasebomb from an all day drinking binge, or to kill your hang-over with protein overload. It does a nice job with light and well prepared food. For the other stuff, perhaps you'll do best grabbing your California Burrito from one of those 'Berto places.

The Torta Factory
4595 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115
Open Daily - 7am - 8pm

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Birrieria Don Rafa

Brrrr, it was a pretty cold weekend! The first day of  Spring (March 20th this year) brought in some cold, wet, and windy weather. I really needed something to warm me up, and I think I knew the spot. On my visit to Pho 888, I noticed this sign:

   

No, it wasn't the Mobile Auto Glass shop that caught my attention, but the colorful little shop in the same strip mall.

 

As I entered, the wonderful and intoxicating smells of Birria filled the air. The menu was small, with just three basic items Birria de Res, Birria de Chivo, and Menudo. The sign also says "Estilo Jalisco"......."Jalisco style." It is said that the Mexican State of Jalisco is the birthplace of birria. This made ordering easy.....Birria de Chivo of course($8). Well not that easy, the two really nice ladies working the place didn't speak English. They understood "Birria de Chivo", but then asked me a few (probably) basic questions, which was answered through pointing and nodding. The hardest one was when I was told to have a seat, and pay after my meal...... Finally, they called upon the very nice, tall gentleman in the back, who explained everything to me.

I took a seat on one of the stools, and soon enough, all the accouterments arrived.

 

Finely minced onion, chopped cilantro, lime, a "muy picante" salsa, and a shaker of oregano. Some pretty decent corn tortillas, nice and warm, were dropped off as well.

 

And soon enough a steaming plate of Birria de Chivo arrived....the brime of the plate spilling over at the edges. It smelled heavenly. I did notice the beans were also totally immersed in the broth along with the meat.

 

  I knew instantly that I was going to enjoy this. Rich and hearty, with a wonderful gamey flavor, a hint of smokiness, with onions and the upfront heat of the salsa to cut the richness this was a perfect remedy for a cold day. For my tastebuds, no lime or salt was needed.

I even enjoyed the beans!

 

This was one hearty meal. And unlike some of the Birria de Chivo I've had in the last year, this one didn't fall short. Watch out for the sneaky bones though. It could have been the perfect dish at the perfect time, but I really enjoyed this. Also, not having been to Jalisco, I couldn't tell you if this was the real deal or not. But it sure hit the spot. It's just a matter of time before Masa Assassin eats here, and I'm looking forward to hearing his opinion. 

 Not much English spoken, but everyone is very nice and helpful. Only a few items on the menu. Generous portion sizes. I can only tell you that after this meal, I was ready to tackle my first really big chore of the weekend......a nice nap!

Birrieria Don Rafa
631 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910

El Sol Mexican Restaurant

Claims of the best burger in San Diego are spoken by the patrons of this little shop on University, just North of Park Boulevard.

 

The Owner, whose claim to fame is making burgers for former President Clinton at his former place of employment(Danny's Palm Bar), runs this little Mom and Pop shop with a menu full of variety. Serving everything from Chimichangas and Quesadillas, to Veggie Burgers.

The cozy interior is full of knick-knacks and memorabilia, much of which follows "the Sun" (El Sol) motif:

 

You can figure out what I ordered..... a burger of course. Hamburger with Cheese and Onion Rings($7.99). First up came some chips and salsa:

 

Nothing special, but for free so who's going to complain?

I ordered some Iced Tea, and for $2.50 expected a large glass......but got a full glass, and a pitcher.

And a Tecate six pack holder also arrived at the same time with the various dressings....mustard, mayo, salsa, etc... nice job of "recycling".

 

And soon enough my burger arrived.

 

The onion rings were a 100% pure Sysco-fied, and no big deal. The lettuce, tomato, and pickles are provided on the side, and just as with the iced tea, and dressings, you can add what you desire. Freedom of choice reigns supreme here.

The bun for the burger had been placed on the grill, and was a bit dried out. The cheese was also very mundane. The burger had an interesting taste....mildly peppery, and you could definitely taste the oregano. I found the burger to be dry, and on the mealy side.... I think it had been pressed pretty hard on the griddle, and much of the juices had escaped.

Maybe not the best burger in San Diego, but not too bad. What about Bill Clinton? Well, you gotta remember that 'ol Bubba loved his McDonalds burgers...... Still, not bad.

I returned a few weeks later, earlier in the day, and decided to grab some breakfast. This time I went with the Nopales and Eggs ($5.99).  Nopalitos are the prepared pads of the prickly pear cactus.

 

  This was, in essense, a Nopalito Scramble, and was quite a bit of food. From the salsa and pickled carrots and peppers, a bit too mild fo my taste. To the beans, of which a whole plate was provided.... lots of bulk, but a bit short on the salt end.

 

However, the eggs were not short on salt......

 

And though the Nopalitos were canned, and much of the mild tartness was gone, the flavor was very much like green beans. I like the way this was cooked, not too runny, and not dry. A perfect amount of salt was used. The corn tortillas were packaged mass produced, but I expected as much.

In the end, this was a lot of food, and bang-for-the-buck, this was well worth the $5.99.

While you may not experience any culinary epiphanies at El Sol, you get a pretty good value for your money. I consider it a pretty solid Mom-and-Pop eatery. I'm still trying to figure out what a "Nayarit Burger" is.......

El Sol Mexican Restaurant
2037 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

Open 9am - 9pm Daily.

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Mr Choby's, San Luis R.C., Sonora

Well folks, since Kirk has been sharing stories about his international travel, it is only fair that ed (from Yuma) should share his latest foreign adventure with mmm-yoso readers.

What with the sick economy and the exchange rate at 12 pesos to the dollar, it seemed like a good time for Tina and I to cross the border for a night of, we hoped, reasonably priced fine dining.

Our taxi driver actually had to stop and ask directions (and he was a man) because Mr Choby's is fairly far from the border on Calle Obregon and not a common tourist destination. Since we were driven directly into the parking lot, I have no exterior picture, but it is on the north side of the street and its logo features a lighthouse and a Mariner's wheel. The inside is modestly and tastefully decorated, though you will find no white tablecloths:

 Using our best Spanglish (a pretty feeble excuse for communication) and a lot of pointing at the menu, we were able to order. We started with margaritas on the rocks:

Along with the drinks, arrived some rather ordinary yellow cheese spread thing and some rather good crackers:
 Both Tina and I preferred dipping the crackers into the complex and spicy table salsa:

For our first course, we decided on steamed clams. They arrived dripping in butter on top of some grains of rice on a large plate. This was a generous portion and the clams were fresh and balanced between tender and chewy: While not the best rendition of steamed clams that I have ever had (I would've liked a little garlic), they were quite serviceable and their flavor was enhanced by squeezes of lime juice:
 Along with the clams came our bottle of L.A. Cetto chenin blanc. This dry and fruity white wine from the Guadalupe Valley, which we chose from the modest list of about a dozen Mexican wines, paired nicely with our meal:

We then each had a marlin taco. While not much resembling the smoked marlin tacos at Mariscos German, these were things of culinary craftsmanship in their own way. The lightly smoked marlin had been cooked with green chilies and a bit of onion and was balanced in the soft grilled flour tortilla  by typical Sonoran white melty cheese. This picture shows the taco opened up just before I spooned in the flavorful salsa:

This taco was very good, but not "in your face" powerful. What I mean  is that the flavor was complex, multilayered, and subtle, adjectives that I do not often use when describing Mexican food. The next time I have this, and I sure hope there is a next time, I will simply spoon salsa all over the taco and eat it as if it were a mini marlin quesadilla.

For her main course, Tina chose the camarones chipocludos, which turned out to be eight large shrimp in a wondrous rich and creamy sauce with just a hint of smoky chipotle flavor in the background:
 The shrimp were of excellent size and quality and perfectly cooked, and the sauce was a wonderful complement to them. The main courses were accompanied by okay coleslaw and a tasty truncated cone of buttery rice. We also received a basket of toasty bread, which was great dipped into the that great creamy chipotle sauce:

Since Tina and I habitually pass plates back and forth, I wanted a dish that would balance hers. When I saw combinacion jarocha on the menu, I thought that would be a good choice. In addition, it would let me see how the restaurant approached the traditional Veracruz presentation:
 I was very impressed by both the look and the taste of this dish. Sometimes Veracruz sauces can be much like an Italian pasta sauce, with green peppers, olives, and capers in a thick tomato sauce. At Mr. Choby's, the chef had decided to present the mariscos integrated with  an assortment of vegetables. The fish fillet pieces were fresh and tender as was the octopus, and the shrimp, while smaller than Tina's, were also very good. Fresh tomatoes, seafood juices, and olive oil were the basis of the brothy sauce. Even with the frozen peas and carrots, the collection of vegetables (in particular the seeded and deveined jalapeno slices) was excellent and provided color balance and textual variation as well as a variety of tastes. The jalapeno flavor, in particular, added a nice touch of picante spice and capsicum flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients:

We were happy. Our mouths were happy. And when we got the check, our pocketbooks were not too unhappy:

Even adding a generous tip for the friendly service and $3 each way for the cab rides to and from the border, and we'd had a pretty economical night out.

Tacos at Taqueria San Pedro

Well Kirk is off in Thailand - eating and taking pics so we can enjoy his trip also - and Cathy is scampering about sharing her meals and ideas with us too.  But today, ed (from Yuma) wants to talk tacos.

If you remember my post about a taco reconnaissance, we ended that night with hot dogs at Taqueria San Pedro. Everything about that place called for a return visit, but this time we wanted to focus on the tacos.

The menu is easy to find as there is one on each table:

The only items missing from this list are the wonderful aguas frescas and the hot dogs, which are only prepared on weekends. We each ordered up three tacos - a volcanes, a San Pedro, and a pastor.

While we were waiting a complete cafeteria tray covered with condiments arrived with our aguas frescas:

Although the cucumber slices are pretty ordinary, the three salsas (one smoky, probably chipotle, one arbol that's thick with chile chunks, and one pico de gallo) are each good, if not outstanding. The grilled onions and jalapenos are fiery enough to bring tears to one's eyes. The pickled carrots and jalapenos, on the other hand, were relatively mild. The highlight of the tray was the real guacamole, nearly pure avocado purée:

We also tried an order of the frijoles, and they were served whole bean style, not refritos. Good but nothing special:

The tacos, when they arrived, were things of beauty. The taco San Pedro, at the upper right, is a soft corn tortilla topped with a split whole roasted chile covered with cheese and carne asada. As you eat this, the greenness of the chile permeates every bite, without making the flavors too picante.  Many of the same pleasures as green chile cheeseburgers:

Even though I saw no trompo, the al pastor was very good. The spice rub/marinade added sweet and picant red chili notes to the sliced pork steak. The onions and cilantro provided complexity and contrast. This close-up shows the porky freshness of the meat:

The highlights of the tacos, nonetheless, were the volcanes. Based on the few words of Spanish I recognized in my conversation with Pedro, the owner, I thought that these might be vampiros hiding under an alias. And indeed, that's what they were.  This close-up shows all of the usual suspects. The moist and flavorful carne asada, covered with a blanket of melty white cheese, lay on a bed provided by a thick, desiccated, charred, crunchy  corn tortilla:

On another visit, I discovered that Pedro will make volcanes with al pastor. This is how that looks:

Add salsa and guacamole and you have a tasty thing of beauty decorated with enough red and green to make one think about Christmas:

Taqueria San Pedro seems to be open every evening around five o'clock. They close long after I've gone to bed. The folks are friendly and the ambience is as sophisticated and elegant as is possible at a taco stand.

Taqueria San Pedro, 3445 8th St, Yuma AZ

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A Taco Reconnaissance

Mmm-yoso is the blog. Kirk has done most of the posts here, but sometimes he lets Cathy and a few others help him out. Today ed (from Yuma) is here to share a recent taco exploration with you.

As a result of my love affair/obsession with Pupuseria Cabañas, I have been driving at night on 8th St in Yuma more often than was my habit in the past - particularly back when the street was torn up for years. These days, an amazing number of taco stands, taco trucks, and even old houses, most of which I had never noticed before, are open serving food at nights. That meant it was time for a taco recon.

So recently one evening, Tina and I decided to try some of these  places. First, we chose one of four trucks parked in a large lot just west of Avenue C on the south side of 8th St.It reminded me of what Kirk had called a taco food court on his visit to Yuma several years ago, but this is a new congregation of trucks in a new location.

We were fairly early, so the only truck doing business was Asadero Los Compadres:

We ordered three tacos apiece, two cabezas, two pastors, and two asadas. We also decided to split a jamaica.

First to arrive was the jamaica, accompanied by two squeeze bottles, one containing guacamole sauce and the other salsa, and a small wheel of condiments, including sliced radishes and cucumbers, cabbage, lime wedges, and pico de gallo:

The jamaica was as good as I have had in Yuma, clearly homemade, deeply flavored, and nicely tart:

The tacos showed up quickly as well. We were somewhat disappointed in the pastor. While it had a nice flavor, it was a bit dry and tasted like it had been grilled once before:

Still, with a nice squeeze of guacamole sauce and a topping of condiments, the pastor tasted pretty good.

The other meat choices were better. The Asada had a nice light citrus marinade that brought out the beefy flavor. The meat had enough fat and had not been overcooked so that it was slightly chewy with a complex beefy flavor.

The Cabeza was even better, tender and very  juicy and full of the richness of the stewed beef cheeks.

The next place we checked out was Corona. Probably the king of 8th St taco stands, this has been in business since I moved to town. Years ago, I stopped here one evening, but on that night I preferred Lucy's tacos (another long time 8th Street purveyor) -- though at this distance I have no memory of why. Located across Date St from Pupuseria Cabañas, Corona, from the outside,  almost looks like a building, but instead it is walls and screens surrounding tables, chairs, and grills:

I was pleased that they offered pollo, and the chicken tacos here were outstanding. The meat was moist and flavorful, and the light marinade was a perfect complement, not dominating the meat:

Also outstanding was the wheel of condiments, the guacamole sauce was flavorful, the cucumbers were more evenly and thinly sliced, and the pico de gallo was outstanding, distinctly spiced with many chunks of fresh jalapenos:

On another evening, I would have been delighted by the limonade, which was clearly homemade and tasted of fresh lemon. However, on this evening, it was the least good of the agua frescas we tried. Also a bit disappointing was the Cabeza here. It was less moist than the version at los Compadres, though it still had a decent flavor:

We decided to end our evening at Taqueria San Pedro. While I had driven by its location on numerous occasions, I had never noticed it until I drove by at night:

Far beyond a fence adorned with the name of the establishment, sits a very nice Ramada with ceiling fans, leather chairs, and restaurant quality tables.

Maybe it was because we had already eaten five tacos apiece or maybe it was because the large sign on the Ramada proclaimed "HOT DOGS" and offered a full buffet of condiments, we couldn't resist a doggy change of pace. Soon we each had our own bacon wrapped hot dog covered with a range of various toppings -- amazingly, they even had sautéed mushrooms as an option. Mine looked like this:

"Dos Perros" (yes, that was what our waitperson called out to the grillmaster) don't get much better than these. The dogs were freshly cooked and cooked fully through. The bacon flavor, the snap of the dog, and the wonderful condiments -- why aren't all hot dogs served with pickled jalapenos? -- made these real winners. Only the unheated bun was a bummer.

Adding to our extreme culinary pleasure were the agua frescas, an horchata and a piña. The horchata was rich, thick, and cinamony. As good a Mexican horchata as I've had in Yuma, ever. Unbelievably, the piña was better. A fresh pineapple doesn't taste as much like pineapple as this beverage.

All in all, the evening was a great experience. While there were a few clunkers, we ate well. Oh, and the bill for everything (not counting tips, of course) was $22.50. What with the economy, I think we'll be going back -- soon.

One note, the last time I was on 8th St (about a week after this recon), Los Compadres had vanished. Who knows if (and where and when) it will return. Because these places can literally be "fly-by-night" operations, one of the reasons for a taco recon is to find out what is new and what's gone. Sad to say, Deliciosos del Mar disappeared last year, so no more stingray soup (that I can find) on 8th St. Also currently missing in action is Mariscos Nayarita. The place is still there, but they haven't been open since late last spring (or early last summer). I already have a shrimp empanado jones. (Late breaking news: Sign at Mariscos Nayarita "Abierto Oct 10.").
In any case, more evening visits to Calle Ocho are needed just to figure out what all is there now. Stay tuned.

Aqui Es Texcoco: Extreme lamb head action!

mmm-yoso guest blogger mizducky hasn't been heard from for a little while, but here she resurfaces to contribute once again to mmm-yoso-hood.

I've been so busy with other projects these past few months that my foodie-oriented activity had dropped to zero--a sad state of affairs indeed. So it was with especial enthusiasm that I welcomed a visit from my new New York-based foodie-friend Andrea as a perfect excuse to engage in the kind of Extreme Food Adventure one can only do with other food maniacs. For example: how about a whole barbecued lamb head, chopped while-u-wait? This is exactly what Candice suggested to our merry crew, and we all went wild at the idea.

The venue for this extreme lamb head action is a little strip-mall mom-n-pop in Chula Vista called Aqui Es Texcoco, and it's the newest outpost of an enterprise that's been going strong in Tijuana for close to 20 years. As the name implies, Aqui Es Texcoco specializes in barbacoa de borrego en el estilo de Texcoco, lamb barbecue in the style of Texcoco, a community a little to the east of Mexico City. I'd already had a taste of this style of cooking at El Borrego in City Heights (itself the subject of this post by Mr. mmm-yoso himself). But the raves about this Chula Vista joint from the Chowhound crew really got my juices flowing, so a recent Sunday afternoon saw a crew including Candice, Doug, Dale, Andrea, and myself descending on the place.

The place is really easy to find--except when the driver is having too damn much fun yakking with her passenger! So after getting turned around and backtracking a bit, Andrea and I arrived about ten minutes after the others--but I spaced getting a photo of the exterior. Sorry! It really is a tiny little place, but their corner space in the strip mall makes it seem a little roomier than it is--plus it's brand-spanking new and spic-and-span. Families with small kids--including that of one of the managers--were enjoying hanging out.

While some of us pored over the menu, others lined up a nice shot of the table condiments on offer:

From right to left, to the best of my memory: chopped onions, quartered limes, red and green hot sauces, a sweeter brown sauce (?), some funky red peppercorns way too big to pass through the holes of their little salt-shaker container, and an actual salt shaker.

Of course we had to get the whole lamb head. I was only slightly bummed that they do not serve the head intact--a skillful guy behind the counter chops all the meat off for you:

It arrives thusly, with all the meat (head, cheek, tongue, brain, etc.) all mixed together, and a big wad of tortillas on the side:

This was some serious lamb action--unapologetically rich and fatty, and thank goodness, it actually tasted like lamb! As a true lamb lover, I have been driven to distraction by lamb that has had all the gamy lamb character either bred or cooked out of it--I mean, what's the point then? This stuff, however, was real through and through. (Admittedly, its realness included the occasional stray piece of bone or tooth. I considered that a small price to pay for authenticity.)

In some ways I was even more excited about some of the other menu items, so we had to get some squash blossom quesadillas:

And some huitlacoche quesadillas:

Now huitlacoche is some really wild stuff. It helps to remember that it's really in the same family of living things as mushrooms, truffles and other such fungi ... only in this case, the fungus grows on developing ears of corn. Okay, let's be honest: huitlacoche is not a very attractive looking substance. So don't look at it--just eat it, it's yummy. Especially to the shroom lovers among us. The squash blossoms, to my taste, were so mild that eating them was more of a textural thing--hey, they're blossoms of a summer squash similar to zucchini so you know they're not going to have a huge flavor profile. But eating both them and the shrooms in gobs of melty mild Mexican cheese was exceedingly pleasant.

Oh, we also got some excellent lamb flautas (rolled tacos)--they came out first, and so we inhaled them so fast that this was the only picture I got of 'em:

Not pictured: the delicious consome (lamb broth) and flan the manager comped us to thank us for our enthusiastic enjoyment of their food. These guys were super-friendly and accommodating--even when one of our party accidentally knocked his big cup of horchata over and it spilled seemingly everywhere.

It may be awhile before I order another whole lamb head from these folks--that's enough food for three or four people, and frankly I can't get away with eating that way very often. But I am working on some dandy excuses, erm, reasons to head down to Chula Vista again real soon, for some more extreme taco and quesadilla action. And we completely forgot to get the ensalada de nopales! An oversight which must be corrected forthwith! Okay, that's my excuse--and I'm sticking to it.

Aqui Es Texcoco
1043 Broadway, Ste 108, Chula Vista
619-427-4045

Mutant Green Chilies

Today it's ed (from Yuma) posting at mmm-yoso.  Just a note, if you are researching genetic variations in pepper cultivars and you Googled some search terms and ended up here, you probably want to search again - unless you like eating chile verde.

When I moved to Yuma after having lived for most of the previous 15 years in California, I was sure I knew what green chile was - chunks of pork stewed in a mildly spicy green colored sauce consisting of tomatillos, green chilies, onions, garlic, and fresh cilantro.

My sense of green chile was challenged, however, soon after I arrived in Yuma and began eating at some of the "old school" long-time Yuma Mexican restaurants. I realized then that not all green chile was the same. Although it took me a while to get used to these mutant forms, nowadays I appreciate their unique flavors and their place in the traditional cuisine of this border community.

One of the best and most unusual examples of this old style of green chile is the version found at Yuma's oldest Mexican restaurant, one that has roots back into the 1930s, Chretin's. Recently relocating from a rather shabby building in the middle of an older residential section of town (see the first picture), Chretin's now occupies a large and fancy location at the intersection of Arizona Avenue and 16th St (second picture):

For $7.60 (or less as a lunch special), you can get Chretin's green chili burrito enchilada style (also known as saddle style or as a wet burrito):

This style of burrito is fairly simple but also very traditional in Yuma. One fills a flour tortilla with the green chile and then ladles more green chile on top of the burrito along with cheese. Of course, some of you must be saying, "Green? Green? There's nothing green about that chile." And you're right. Do not try adjusting the color balance on your screen, because Chretin's green chile is indeed brown in color. As near as I can tell, this style arose back in the day when fresh or frozen green chilies were not available year around. Therefore, the main source of chile flavor (rather minimal in actual fact) had to be dried green chile powder. One of my friends says that Chretin's green chile is just odd flavored brown gravy with meat, since the sauce is clearly thickened with flour and the main source of picante heat is black pepper:

A careful look at this close-up shows that the meat in the green chile is a very tender, coarsely ground beef, reflecting the Sonoran background of most of Yuma's citizens before World War II. The gravy sauce also contains flecks of tomato and bits of onion. While this is very far away from anything I would've considered green chile when I moved to Yuma, I have grown to like this unusual dish at Chretin's.

Another old-school Mexican restaurant in town is El Charro, a restaurant that has been managed by one branch of the Gutierrez family since  1949. For many native Yumans and numerous winter visitors, this restaurant on 8th St is the essence of Mexican food in Yuma. Personally, I have always found their large portions to be generally bland and low in flavor. One example of this blandness is their salsa, which tastes like a can of chopped tomatoes mixed with a can of diced mild green chilies:

Nevertheless, I have always been intrigued by their "El Green Saddle," as they call their version of a green chili burrito enchilada style. In fact, this dish is so much a part of the tradition here that it is only dish mentioned in the history of the restaurant painted on the wall:
When served,"El Green Saddle" looks like this:

Again, you would be right to say "this isn't green!" And yeh, the predominant color of this "green" chile is red. Even when one cuts into the burrito and looks at it up close, there is as much tomato red here as there is chile green:

So what is the secret to this dish? Having eaten it several times, I am convinced that El Charro's green chile is simply coarsely ground beef and onions cooked with left over table salsa. That would explain both how it tastes and how it looks. It would also explain why El Charro features this dish. You have to do something, I guess, with all that leftover salsa.

Another branch of the Gutierrez family (92 year old Bessie and her descendents) also began in the restaurant business back in the 1940s, although their oldest restaurant currently in operation is La Casa Gutierrez, which has been located in an old house on Orange Avenue since 1960:

Although their fast food outlets, Mr. G's and Chile Pepper, serve credible versions of their green chili recipe, its best incarnation is in a green chile dinner (Tuesday lunch special pictured) at La Casa Gutierrez:

Although this green chile is the most watery of any in town, I still love the fresh green chile flavor that arises from all these large pieces of green chile. Nonetheless, the use of ground beef and presence of chunks of tomato, instead of tomatillo, marks this as another Yuma mutant green chile:

While I have had the green chile burrito enchilada style at the restaurant (and it's good), the green chile lunch special on Tuesdays is one of the best meal deals in Yuma. For $5.25 (including tax), you get chips (store-bought, unfortunately), salsa, a good-sized portion of green chile, your choice of a beverage (the lemonade is killer), rice, beans, and a soft and flavorful flour tortilla almost the size of a bedsheet:

The newest of the restaurants serving atypical green chile in Yuma is Eduardo's, which dates back to 1964, meaning that it is less than 45 years old. Currently located in a strip mall on Avenue B between 16th and 17th, this small restaurant has its own unique take on green chile. The Chile Verde burrito, enchilada style, currently costs $5.50 and looks like this:

From the outside, this burrito looks a lot like the others, with almost as much red tomato color as green chile color. When you cut into the tortilla, you find beef, tomato, fresh green chile, cheeses, and sauce all mixed together:

It is only when you focus on the meat itself, that you can see one of the main differences between this green chile and the others in this post. Eduardo's does not use ground beef. Instead, numerous sizable chunks of stewing beef have been slowly cooked to utter tenderness:

These chunks of beef give this dish a wonderful deep beefiness. The other difference, one that you cannot see, is in the spiciness of the finished product. All of the other mutant green chilies are very mild in flavor and have virtually no picante heat. Eduardo's, on the other hand, sets your mouth afire with chili spice. While not a standard California-style green chile, I have to admit that this is one of the tastiest green chilies I have ever eaten.

I hope you folks have enjoyed reading about these unusual and weird green chilies in Yuma because I have enjoyed eating them.

El Portal Fresh Mexican Grill

mmm-yoso!!! is this.  The blog about food.  It is just Kirk and some friends writing a sort of diary about meals.  Really.  We tell you what we like and don't like.  That's it.  You  get to vicariously enjoy it. Or not.

Hi again.  It's still Cathy writing.  I happened to be on Genesse  and Balboa Avenues not too long ago and remember Kirk posted on El Portal and liked it...I just didn't remember what He liked, or when I had read the post.  So, anyhow, I walked in, ordered some "to go" stuff and came home and read the blog. 

Kirk really likes the salads.  I didn't order a salad. 

Then again, He posted about this place, like waaay back in November 2005...so this is pretty much a whole new post!

Anyhow, it was crowded, considering it was after 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night.

The menu looks interesting, but they had no paper menus nor a website- so you can look at it as I did...

I noticed that carnitas was listed as a "new" item, so decided to get a plate. ($8.45)

 

The plate comes with refried beans, rice and a small corn cake on top of the rice along with a choice of corn or flour tortillas.

  You can see the serving of pork is quite large and the meat is cut in large chunks and not shredded, as some servings of carnitas happen to be served.  The food here is more healthily prepared than I have had at taco shops, and the carnitas tasted dry and did not have much flavor to me.

I also decided to try the spinach enchiladas, one of the many vegetarian choices on the menu. (2 for $4.55).  These were excellent.  Fresh spinach, melted cotija cheese and a simple salsa (chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro) filled the corn tortillas, which were topped with a very good, slightly garlicy tomatillo (green) sauce.

I have to go back -soon- and try a salad.  El Portal has been in that location forever, and must be making money.

El Portal Fresh Mexican Grill 4104 Genesse Ave San Diego 92101 (858)571-7771 Fax (858)974-1448