Its cold- we want soup- and not Pho! Los Michoacaños

Los Michocanos has closed. 

mmm-yoso is not on vacation.  Kirk is taking a day off and Cathy is blogging.  Its been brought to our attention that we are in a rut, as far as blogging about Pho goes, so here's some variety in your day.

Hi.  It's so cold today, isn't it?  I love this kind of weather, but I need to keep warm also.  It is, what we call back East, "soup weather".

You know the main soup/meal Kirk and I blog about, Pho...and I do love the variations we can get around town, with the various ingredients as well as such varying broths and so many variations of add-ins....buuut, today, I'm just not in a Pho mood.  I am sort of in a Mexican/taco shop mood...but still I want soup.  hmmmm....

Los Michoacaños is on Mission Gorge Road, a block away from where Trattoria Di IV used to be located. They are a taco joint (and a good one; the Mailman and the UPS guy eat there) but they also have a special menu:

with daily soup specials. Perfect! Similar prices to other meal in a bowl places, the soup includes a can of pop along with corn or flour tortillas.

The Mister got the Caldo de Pollo (Chicken soup) and flour tortillas.  There were hunks of dark meat chicken (leg (chopped into two pieces), thigh and wing), along with chayote squash, potatoes, carrots, corn cob chunks and onions.  The broth was particularly rich.  It is also served with a side of rice and lime wedges.

I *had* to try the chile relleño soup.  The stock is vegetable based and was rich and definitely NOT the same stock as The Mister had, although I also had potatoes, chayote , onions, carrots, corn cob pieces and tomato chunks.  The chile relleños (2) were home made...I took them out of the bowl and cut them up so I could eat with the broth. 

Mild California chiles, slit open, filled with a soft Cotija-like Mexican cheese and then dipped in egg batter and fried.  There is just a bit of heat in the chilis, making the flavors just right.

The next time you feel the urge for soup, try a taco shop.  You might *really* like it.

Los Michoacaños 8001 Mission Gorge Road Santee 92071 (619)449-9032

Comments

[Captain Jack]

Wow, that Chile Relleno soup looks great. I also saw the Albondigas on the menu. That is one of my favorite Mexican soups. These soups would be good on a rainy day if we ever get one. ;)

[mizducky]

Now that looks like some excellent soup. Wonder how the menudo and posole are ...

[cathy]

Hi CJ- All of the soups here are excellent...and I think this is true at most taco shops. But I had never heard of, much less tried chile relleño soup..so you know I *had* to. Yes, fine weather we are having, isn't it?
Mizducky- All of the soups are good, with rich broths. All of the photos on our blog will enlarge if you click onto them. The pozole and menudo are both $5.35.

[sher]

Boy!! Those are some really nice soups!!!!!! Right now, with the cold weather--soup is the thing to eat.

[cathy]

...and more filling than Football Watching munchies, too, Sher...:(

[nhbilly]

That looks good...I assume you're not a menudo fan? Me either but any other sopas is fine with me.

[cathy]

Hi Bill...I will eat meñudo, but it isn't anything I have a craving for and I don't have enough of a discerning palate to be able to 'rate' a good from a great meñdo. Also, The Mister and I went on a Friday and I don't eat meat on that day of the week, so it was either vegetable or the Chile Relleños...

[The Office Goat]

Wow ... looks great! My wife drives right by it (on the 52) every day, hopefully the soups all travel well so she can pick some up for dinner!

[cathy]

It is good...and there isn't much that could mush up n a drive (the rice would be packed separately). It should be fine. If you do go inside to eat, even though its a taco shop, they bring it to your table. The guys who work here were particularly nice to me when I had my cast(to my shoulder, for 5 weeks, if I haven't stressed that enough). After one (of 5)of my cast changes/wrist manipulations, I came here for a burrito and both of them came out and helped me with salsa, the door, my car...good food and nice people. Perfect!

[Chubbypanda]

The only Mexican soup I've tried so far is menudo, but I really love it. Oh, how I love it!

[cathy]

I am seeing more of the seafood and shrimp soups available daily around here, usually meñudo is available only on Fri-Sat-Sun and then this place had a home made chicken soup, the veggie one and then, well chile relleños...ever since the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that Chile Relleños are the worst possible Mexican food you can eat, well, its been an obsession with me...like coconut oil popcorn....go ahead, tell me what I am not supposed to eat, and I will develop a craving for it...