The Town Tart

*Saturday Eating in Los Angeles* Los Antojitos

Los Antojitos is placed smack-dab in the middle of the Mexican restaurant-row of an East L.A neighborhood called Boyle Heights, which is best known to be Mariachi central and also where the movie, "Real Women Have Curves" is based.

On our list of 25 restaurants, three are located on this stretch of 1st Street.  Bienvenidos a Los Antojitos.  Positioned directly across the street from the LAPD Hollenbeck Police Station, I can imagine this tiny place packed with officers during breakfast and lunch.

This being number four on this list, I had high hopes.  And I guess that's one of the big problems with lists such as these:  you really have to manage your expectations.  The review told us that Los Antojitos served a "definitive" version of machaca, a dried shredded beef and egg scramble that I ate practically every Sunday when I was a kid, when the folks would take me to our little hole-in-the-wall, El Mexicano No. 2 on Euclid Boulevard.

There was certainly nothing wrong with Los Antojitos' version, but to me, this was certainly not definitive. It was nothing special, nothing like I remembered machaca to be like -- and it certainly had to be something spectacular for me to order it week after week, month after month when I was young.  The beef was tender enough, the portion was ample and the price, $6.50, was reasonable.  But I didn't get that "wow" thing that I feel like I should have got for being at the number four.

As The Mayor was looking at the menu, he asked the lovely waitress how big the burritos were -- they were only $4.00.  The waitress replied that they were small, so he ordered two -- one stuffed chile colorado and one with carnitas.  When the huge plate of food was set before him, we laughed and laughed... these were hardly piqueño!

The Mayor packed one up immediately and went to work on the other.  Again, nothing spectacular here.  The prices were certainly cheap, and the staff sweet and accomodating, but this is not something I will be able to coax The Mayor out of bed for on another Saturday morning.

The best thing I had here which was new to me was the Agua de Melon -- cantaloupe water.  My beloved Jamaica was not ready on this particular morning, so I branched out and was delighted.  Made with fresh melon, water and sugar, it's thirst-quenching and refreshing.  I won't give up the Jamaica for it, but I'm going to test out recipes to try and recreate this at home.  I'd love a jug of this on hand instead of orange or cranberry juice once in a while.

So, all was not lost and that's what I love about these adventures.  Even if the food isn't worth the trip, we always seem to learn something new and have a great time doing it. 

Los Antojitos
2112 East 1st Street
Boyle Heights, CA
(323) 264-4750

*Saturday Eating in Los Angeles* Comida Divina #3: El Sazon Oaxaqueño

El Sazon Oaxaqueño is located in a mini-strip mall next to a laundromat.  I am thinking since The Mayor and I are without laundry facilities we might get out and do our laundry more often if we come here.  I can hear the conversation now:

"We really need to wash some clothes."

"Nah.  Not today."

"Mole!"

"I'll grab the laundry!"

Number Tres on Patrick Kuh's list of the Top 25 Mexican Restaurants in LA, this little restaurant is different than the ones that have come before.  Namely, the food comes from the region of Oaxaca, which means you get to experience the great regional export: mole.

El Sazon features two types of mole on their menu:  an amarillo mole, which is served in a large bowl like soup, with huge hunks of roast beef bathing in golden goodness.  The other is the infamous mole negro -- black mole -- which is rich and thick and tastes of dark chiles, chocolate, raisins and spices.  I have no idea what really goes into it -- all I know is that we ordered a bowl of it on the side and dipped fresh tortillas into it, sopping up every last drop. Normally, they serve the mole negro with pollo, but you know The Mayor and pollo don't mix so...

I went with the Amarillo Mole con Res and The Mayor ordered Enfrijoladas con Chorizo, which were corn tortillas soaked in a black bean sauce, rolled up on a plate, covered in more sauce, and topped with queso fresco and little balls of chorizo sausage.

Both plates were absolutely lovely. Neither was the spicy-hot Mexican food that we are used to, nor was it the greasy, cheesy, heavy type we often get (which I am a big fan of -- The Mayor, not so much). Oaxacan food is a different taste altogether. It's flavorful and rich but doesn't feel heavy.

El Sazon is also a bakery and while we were dining we saw many people come in just to buy an assortment for breads... I couldn't tell you what all of the different breads were, but they were beautiful and must be really good since the demand was so high. Since we are now completely without kitchen, I think it's a good time to start sampling these breads, one by one. I want to start with the loaf that had little chicken drumstick shapes baked onto the top.

My only wish for El Sazon is that they had more beef on the offer... the dishes are pollo heavy, so it's hard for The Mayor to get a good set of choices.  But, truth be told, I think we'll be happy just ordering another bowl of mole negro, then sidling up to the bread bar to pick out a fresh roll and dunk ourselves silly while watching our laundry spin.

Our bill came to under twenty bucks, which included our two requisite Jamaicas.

El Sazon Oaxaqueño
12131 Washington Place
Culver City, CA
(310) 391-4721

*Saturday Eating in Los Angeles* Comida Divina #2: Teresita's

My mouth is still on fire as I write this... even after dumping two sugar packets on to my tongue in an effort to squelch the flames.  Welcome to Teresita's Family Restaurant, Los Angeles Magazine's Numero Dos for the 25 Best Mexican Restaurants in LA.

The Mayor and I first visited Teresita's about a year ago, and we weren't so taken with it, so we never returned.  It is on the other end of town, so we would have to make a special trip to go, and it just didn't seem that special at the time.  We wondered about the magazine author, Patrick Kuh, and the rest of the list, if this was No.2.  Was this really the best there was?

Due to my efforts to recount this list in this blog, as I have mentioned before, The Mayor has agreed to revisit some of the establishments, but I couldn't wrestle him out of bed today to have breakfast at Teresita's.  Breakfast is tough for The Mayor -- he won't eat poultry or poultry by-products, so don't offer to take him to the Omelette Parlor -- it won't end well.  He said, "All they are going to offer me are huevos... " It turns out, they offered lots more than just eggs.

It's a glorious day in Los Angeles, so I hop in the Bird and head east, way east, on my own to Teresita's.  My waitress was so sweet and so polite.  She couldn't speak much English, and my español is fairly fractured, but we got by.  I told her I wanted a table "a la ventana, por el sol" -- she got it -- table by the window, for the sun.

I ordered Chilaquiles con Huevos, which Kuh wrote were sublime.  Chilaquiles are fried corn tortillas (really, basically just tortilla chips) topped with onions, cheese and spicy chile sauce.  My senorita asked me if I wanted rojo o verde -- I went with the green sauce.  She asked if I wanted carne asada -- I replied, "porque no?" -- why not?  It's Saturday!  Bring on the beef.  And I ordered my requisite Jamaica.

Since I was solamente, I was given plenty of opportunidad to eavesdrop on my eating compadres. Next to me was a table of five -- all men having some kind of reunion.  They all sounded like Cheeches and Chongs, peppering their English with Spanish phrases. I gathered from the way they were catching up that they had not seen each other in quite awhile.  They talked about all the dogs and cars and women they had loved before. 

They talked about poor Ernie --

"Remember Ernie?"

"The little guy?"

"Oh yeah, the cholito!  He was a chihuahua, man!  He had a bad temper!"

"Man, the last time I saw him was in the eighties when he just got out of the joint.  You know, he's so tiny, I think he still makes a living modeling baby clothes for those K-Mart flyers." [peals of laughter round the table]

They talked about the war and politics and how the Democrats need to get their acts together. They liked Hilary Clinton though --

"She's not too bad.  Put her in the right clothes, I'd take her out.  We'd have a good time. We'd go dancing."

What I loved about these men was again, their politeness.  Not one curse word... not even in Spanish.  There were a few "effing's" but not one full monty.  These guys were gentlemen.

So, my food arrives:

A plate full of steaming eggs, refried beans, potatoes, steak, and tortilla chips swimming is sauce. It was a sight to behold.

The tortillas were still hot and a bit crispy, but the verde salsa was soaking in to make them pliable and chewy. The steak was a thinly cut skirt steak, heavily spiced and cooked well-done.

I marveled at the dish in front of me.  Who could eat this whole thing?  I ate the eggs and had a bit of everything else, but I knew The Mayor was going to be happy to be on the receiving end of this meal.  Breakfast in bed, all the way from East LA.  This is about the time that my mouth spontaneously combusted, and I reached for the sugar packets.

As I was getting the food packed up para llevar, the men in the next table were saying their goodbyes. They all hugged and hopped into their cars -- Porsches, Lexus, Ford F-250s... and all were on their cellphones as they pulled out into the street.  Who were they each calling, I wondered, as I paid the bill.

I also wondered if I'd be back.  I certainly think I'd be a regular if I lived nearer.  But, it isn't really something I can't get closer to home.  Although, I wouldn't mind catching those five hombres at their next reunion.

My order:

Carne Asada con Chilaquiles $9.99
Jamaica $2.00
Tax $0.98
Grand total: $12.97

Teresita's Family Restaurant
3826 East 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90063
(323) 266-6045
Closed Mondays Recommended dishes: Chilaquiles. I hear the mole is great, too. And, Jamaica, of course.

*Saturday Eating in Los Angeles* Comida Divina #1: Baja Ensenada Tacos

In September 2004, Los Angeles Magazine published the Top 25 Mexican Restaurants in LA, according to author Patrick Kuh.

The Mayor and I can't let a list like that just go into the wastebin, untested, untried.  Oh no -- it is our civic duty to visit each one of these places to ensure that they are worthy of inclusion in such a list.  This has to be a pretty elite list after all, considering the proliferation of Mexican establishments in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

We have eaten at 18 out of the 25 listed so far, but for my blog's sake, The Mayor has agreed to revisit some, strictly for journalistic purposes only.

So, fine, let's start with Numero Uno: Baja Ensenada, touted to have the best fish tacos in estilo Ensenada -- Ensenada style. We first went to Baja not long after the magazine first published the list. This is now our third visit -- and nothing much has changed except they've snazzed the place up a bit and added banners declaring "#1 Mexican Restaurant According to LA Magazine!" Well, why not? They deserve it.

The Mayor and I hop in the Bird and head to the far eastern reaches of Los Angeles to arrive at the festive lime green little shack with plenty of parking and plenty of customers. In the article, Kuh writes that on really busy days, they might change their fry oil two to three times a day -- we notice only the smell of gorgeous food whafting from the kitchen.

They have a varied menu -- yes the requisite tacos, but also tostadas and ceviche. It is obvious by the neon sign out front, that the specialty here is pescado -- this is what they want to give us, and this is what we have come for.

Happily, they make it easy by listing the "pick your number" combo type menu -- you know:

"#1 -- Two Fish Tacos, Rice, Beans and Drink -- $4.50"

Right, that's all I need. That's what Patrick recommends, that's what the chef recommends, I'm set. On to the Mayor... sigh.  This is always a problem.  He is never content to follow the sheep.  He's got to order things a la carte. "What's a tostada again?" he asks. I patiently explain. "Right!" he says. The decision is painlessly made -- I was gearing up for an interminable wait -- I wanted my tacos!

He ordered a Ceviche Pescado Tostada, which is a crispy flat corn tortilla topped with fish ceviche and fresh tomatoes and avocado. He also took the fish tacos under advisement and ordered two of those as well.

And here is my combo: each taco has to fresh corn tortillas holding a huge piece of hot, lightly battered fresh haddock. On top of the fish is crispy green cabbage, juicy tomatoes, a little hot sauce and tangy crema, which is a bit like thinned-out sour cream. You pick this whole mess up and shove a corner in your mouth. The explosion happens instantly: the hot fish against the cool cabbage against the earthy tortillas against the sweet tomatoes against the sour crema. It is the perfect storm.

Almost an afterthought, the beans were soft and creamy, the rice was fluffy and light. The Mayor and I were beyond delighted -- and stuffed to the gills. It was also at Baja where we discovered a new treat: Jamaica. Pronounced "ha-ma-ike-ah" it is a drink made from Hibiscus flowers. It is sweet and tart and the perfect accompaniment to the food.

Our order:

#1 Combo: Two tacos, rice, beans, Jamaica $4.50
Ceviche Pescado Tostada $1.65
Taco Pescado $1.45
Taco Pescado $1.45
Medium Jamaica $1.25
Tax $0.85
Grand total: $11.15

Baja Ensenda
5385 Whittier Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90022
(323) 887-1980
Open daily for lunch and dinner. No alcohol. Lot parking. Cash only.
Recommended dishes: fish tacos, pescado ceviche and Jamaica