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mexican food

Casa Chocolate - Mid-City Los Angeles

September 13, 2016

I know a lot of people that hate LA because of traffic. People who live on the west side would take an our or more just to get to work that's a few miles away. And on the weekends, you are lucky if there isn't any traffic. All native LA residents know what it's like to drive out to Santa Monica, West Hollywood (oh god), Beverly Hills, Culver City, and so on. So when I am actually out towards that area, it gives me an incentive to find a local restaurant to eat.

I had to run some errands one Sunday morning and found a small cafe tucked in a small plaza. It's called Casa Chocolate.

5450 W Pico Blvd, Ste 501 Los Angeles, CA 90019

I instantly fell in love with their displays. It's simple yet catchy. From the photos of the doors, to the self serving water with lemon and orange slices, to the ketchup, and the array of classic hot sauce and sweeteners.

They have a huge menu with tons of variety. Prices are also very decent especially for the location. I stuck with their traditional house favorites.

Ordered 2 cappuccinos. One for John and one for, well, me. Espresso from Groundworks.

Amazing take on the classic dish - 2 farm eggs cooked to your liking, I had mine over easy. Black pinto beans cooked perfectly and not overly starched, everything served over a corn tostada, topped with ranchero sauce, green tomatillo salsa, avocado salsa, sour cream and queso fresca. So flavorful and so delicious. Loved the char onion and serrano on the side. A must order.

Ranchero steak omelette. FULL of flavor. The beef was perfectly marinaded, extremely tender, and smokey from the char. Cooked with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, folded inside the egg with monterey jack, ranchero salsa and queso fresco. John ordered this, but I am going to make sure I get dibs on this next time. Served with a side of fruit, ranchero sauce and green tomatillo.

Enjoy when you are in the area or passing.

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Tacos Ensenada - East Los Angeles

August 15, 2016

A lot of people won't even know where East LA is. To some people, this area may be extremely foreign. And it's true. East LA is known to have crime from time to time so I'm not surprised people don't pick this as their destination. But there are also a lot of love. A lot of families. And a lot of hungry people wanting good food at an affordable price. East LA is heavily populated with Hispanics, but with that said, there are some great mom and pop joints out here that I consider some of my top go-tos. That's when I stumbled upon Tacos Ensenada. And if it wasn't for taking a trip on the Metro Gold Line, this place would probably still be incognito on my radar.

5161 E Pomona Blvd
East Los Angeles, CA 90022

Here were some amazing eats:

Poppy shrimp, citrus from the lime, sharpness of the onions, sweetness of the tomatoes, herbiness of the cilantro, creaminess of the avocado, and the toasty flavors of the tostada. For around $2, why even bother making this at home.

Fish tostada is my favorite ceviche to have. I love the texture of citrus cooked fish. It really infuses the flavor and tastes that much fresher cold with fresh chopped ingredients. Another must order.

Crunchy fresh fish tacos with shredded cabbage, pico, red sauce and crema. Finger licking good so you better chomp on these quick. Large lumps of seafood around $1.75 a pop, and well worth it.

Better than some street carne asada tacos. Meat was juicy, flavorful, and tons of umami in my mouth. I hope it's not lard... but a part of me loves that it might be.

Unlimited condiments. Be mindful, not wasteful.

Total for 1 bottle of coke, 4 fish tacos, 1 shrimp taco, 1 asada taco, and 2 tostadas... $20.ish dollars. Yeah you bet it was good. And guess what? They also accept credit cards, Double that what now.

5161 E Pomona BlvdEast Los Angeles, CA 90022

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Tacos Tu Madre

October 31, 2015

Hello,

Today I've gotten the opportunity to enjoy an amazing treat hosted by Damon Eats (@damoneats) for the soft opening of Tacos Tu Madre.

Tacos Tu Madre is a little shack with dia de los muertos art outside of the restaurant. Being a taco lover all my life, this was definitely a tasting I am excited about. I grew up eating street tacos such as: lengua, cabeza, buche, chicharron, Suadero, and tripas. So you can imagine my appreciation for the craft.

Tacos Tu Madre is a contemporary take on the classic tacos with a few spins on ingredients such as Duck Foie Gras.

Menu

Prices are still unknown at the moment, but you can see a large variety of tacos to test. Come with a group. Or someone who is really hungry that can eat. Like me. I always like to eat. So you can try a lot of them.

Course

This was one of our favorites, hence the first image. The chorizo had good flavor, and was not dry like a lot of chorizo I've had. The eggs were cooked perfectly over easy with a surprise ooey gooey center that became a finger licking madness. I was a bit intimidated by the size of the chorizo, but it was perfect with the eggs and handmade tortilla. I would definitely order this in a burrito.

Another favorite. I'm a huge fan of a simple tartare. Simple, some dishes should be left that way and they did a great job at this one. The tuna was plump, was perfectly seasoned and not overly dressed with the sesame oil, ripened avocado, with a touch of furikake. I would love them to make a LARGE crunchy taco out of this. Just saying.

Fried

Fried Chicken and Fried Shrimp. I love fried anything. Especially in a taco. I have to say, their tortillas held up really well for all the dishes. The chicken had a tangy worcestershire/katsu sauce. The shrimp had a good fresh take with crema, salsa and pickled onions. Both were perfectly fried, and seasoned ever so slightly.

Taco Porn

Top Left: Asada, carnitas. Bottom Left: Korean, Al Pastor.

Delicious everything. Though, I did feel some tacos didn't need cheese. It masked the flavors of the marinade and seasonings of some dishes, but the cotija that they used was very tasty.

Drinks

Don't forget to tip the bartender. At food events with open bar, people think the bartenders are just there to pour you drinks. No. It's common courtesy to tip the bartender even if it's free.

All drinks were exciting and fun. And Yes. I think I drank all 3 in less than an hour. No I am not an alcoholic, I just like cocktails. The one with the lime is their El Diablo: Tequila based, Ginger Beer, and Creme De Casis. Vampire Punch is the one with pomegranates: Gin Based, Compari, Orange Juice and Soda. Death before Dinner is the Vader looking one: Rum Based, Grapefruit, maraschino, lime, and a few drops of charcoal.

Sweets

This was so freaking amazing. I can't even tell you how good this was. It was a perfect warm day in Los Angeles in the high 80's and this will definitely be something I will be driving out here for. You taste the creaminess and roasty flavors of the rice, with the perfect amount of sugar and cinnamon ratio. I'm so glad this was something I did not miss and definitely something I don't regret going in my belly.

We waited a long time for these because they ran out. But it's ok. When there's a wait, it gives you every right to drink. These churros are denser than what I'm used to, but their cinnamon sugar and cream cheese frosting were delicious.

And then, it all came out at once.

When churros fly out of the kitchen, you need a photo bomb huddle. What's not to love right?

It was a very fun afternoon spent with local foodies, eat a shit load of tacos, and have plenty of drinks. The turnout for this event was great. This shack is small and quaint, so make sure you don't bring a family/friends of 10 and expect to find seats. Opening tomorrow, November 1, I am appreciative that I was invited to this social media event. What better way to snap photos of food, but with a group of foodies who get it.

I took over 200 shots today. Pretty impressive.

1945 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

By the way, they open late, so yeah. Drunk or Hungover, they will take care of you.

Happy Taco Hunting!

Daisy

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Antojitos Guerrero - Highland Park

September 7, 2015

Address: 5623 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042, United States

Celebrating the last of the 3 day Hoorah, we've decided to go to one of our favorite places in Highland Park. Nothing fancy, nothing stressful, and definitely nothing that will break your wallet. But, it's definitely something that is delicious.

Antojitos Guerrero is a small hole in the wall that you will probably miss driving down York blvd. My heart is set on a few of their dishes, but their tostadas is definitely on top of my list.

It was hot in Los Angeles today. Really hot. So sitting outdoors, closing my eyes pretending like I'm in Mexico wasn't so luxurious anymore after over 30 minutes of waiting for our food. There was a huge part of me that said I would never come back, NEVER! Especially because the table behind us got their food first even though we ordered before they even got there (don't you HATE that?). I didn't feel hungry, but my temper sure made me feel like I was. I was giving them the benefit of the doubt, that maybe they have to marinade the seafood. Over 30 minutes later, with sweat dripping down my back, shoving chips and spicy salsa down my throat, this baby and the others started flying out.

Tostada Mixta -  $7.99 — Tostada Mixta - $7.99

This is their tostada mixta. Their fish ceviche is one of my favorites and it's definitely something we order every time with extra avocados. But today, I wanted something with shrimp. Noticing their Mixta consisted of Shrimp, octopus and imitation crab meat, we've decided to go for it with their success of making a legit fish ceviche. What a treat this was to see fish mixed in. I am assuming they didn't have any imitation crab meat today. EVERY SINGLE seafood you see here, is executed to perfection. The octopus was tender, the shrimp had a snap, and the fish was plump and slightly tart from the lime. The cucumber and the avocado helps balance the citrus. From this day forward, I will always order this. And, this saved them because now I must return in the near future to devour. By the way, the best part of this tostada is how every ingredient is kept to it's integrity. A lot of tostadas I've had, is extremely finely minced where you can't appreciate texture and the full flavors of the seafood. You definitely know what's in your mouth with Antojitos tostadas.

Their handmade tortillas are to die for. Go ahead and get ready to die. I love the thickness, the chewiness, and how it soaks up all the juices and salsa that you load in. (If you want to find a similar tortilla, go to Trader Joes. They have a corn tortilla that is similar to this). My favorites from this place is their lengua and their adobada. The first time I had adobada was from Antojitos. Not knowing what it was of course. Adobada, here, is pork marinaded and cooked in a red chile (not spicy). The other you see is lengua (Beef tongue) which is also one of my favorite cuts stewed to perfection. Their handmade tortillas run for $1.99 each, and they are worth it. Like why wouldn't you go for handmade tortillas?

If you decide to come, be ready to wait for your food and don't blame me for it either. Not sure what magic happens in the kitchen, but I highly recommend their ceviche/tostadas which seems to be made to order. They have other items, but it's a hit or miss. I'm definitely going back again to try their Molcajete.

Eat well!

#Foodwithinreach

Daiisies

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Elote "Mexican Corn"

September 1, 2015

Elote is also known as Mexican corn. I grew eating this as a little kid. My brother and I would be playing PlayStation or Counter Strike 1.5 when we hear the bell. Sorry, it's the bell. If you grew up in this era, you would know there is that one moment of silence, to hear that bell ring again to make sure it's the corn man. Now hurry and find a dollar! One dollar can get you a corn on a stick, brushed with some mayonnaise, lime juice, cheese, cayenne and some yellow gooey cheddar cheese which we are skipping today. Though, I'm not sure how much it runs for nowadays... $1.50?! Blasphemy!

For this recipe, I got frozen corn instead, but feel free to use the cob. AND I also made this in a dish, because it's easier to eat and I don't want spicy cayenne pepper spreading around my face. You know how that is...

Recipe:

3 cups of frozen corn, microwaved till edible.
1/2 lime
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/4 cup of good mayonnaise (or 1/3), it really depends on how creamy you like it.
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne to mix
- Cotija cheese crumbled on top (I used Cacique)

The recipe is pretty straight forward. I got a plastic zip bag to microwave the corn kernels. Afterwards, by opening the zip a little bit, you are able to dumb out any excess water. I then squeezed in the lime and sprinkled with salt and cayenne. Now, you mix it all together. It might be hard with your hands because the corn is still hot, so I used a spoon.

Next is the mayonnaise. Don't get that olive oil base mayo. I get it. But you want to keep it classic. After it's done mixing, just pour it out onto a dish of your choice. It may be a little watery because of the heat melting the mayonnaise. If you want, you can always pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to make the mayonnaise clump up again, but I think its better hot. Crumble your cheese and top off with a dash of cayenne. If you don't use cayenne, and you know you are sensitive to spicy foods, then I would leave it out and just dash a little bit as you are eating this. Just adjust along the way. This is how it is if you get it on the streets. They ask you want on your corn so there isn't really a wrong way to do this if you stick to the right ingredients. Don't blame me for any butt fire incidents though...

I like to eat this with chicken, tortilla chips, tostadas, or just as it. By the way, cotija cheese is a little robust so if you are not a big fan of cheese, I recommend getting the Cacique queso fresco it's like my favorite for all my mexican dishes!

QUICK TIP: If you are using fresh corn on the cob, remove the silks but leave the husk. In the same bag that you loaded your corns in (clear plastic that is in the produce aisle), put your corns back in and just microwave it to cook! No need to boil water. If your husks are a little dry, just moist them a little with water. I normally microwave my corn for 3 minutes (one corn). Now thank me if I changed your life.

You can always serve it for parties like I did below:

enjoy the butt fires!

daiisies

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Wine & Dine

Casa Chocolate - Mid-City Los Angeles

Tacos Ensenada - East Los Angeles

Tacos Tu Madre

Antojitos Guerrero - Highland Park

Elote "Mexican Corn"