Guero's Profile
Tejocotes. Anyone know where I cand find some?
This article mentions a couple of markets where you may find them:
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-tejocote9-2009dec09,0,2369735.story
Costco - Mexico coke
So how do you ID Mexican coke? Does it taste different or is it just better (less bad) for you?
Corned beef hash??? ANyone??!
I have not tried CBH in many places, but if I am at Langers in the early AM, I will sometimes get it. I think it is pretty good. Then again, there is no law against having a pastrami sandwich for breakfast; 10:00 AM is the cutoff for me.
Where can I buy Bundaberg ginger beer in LA?
BevMo carries it. Not sure if there is one near you, but you can check out this link and find out: http://www.bevmo.com/
New at King Taco -- molleja and suadero?
I didn't know the Long Beach King Taco was closed. I ate there just last week. It is on Long Beach Blvd I believe.
Tito's Tacos--what is going on?
I used to go to Tito's Tacos regularly back in the 1980's. While it was never my favorite "Mexican" food, it was habit forming in its own way. I had been craving Tito's for a while and recently, I decided to stop by. After reading the mostly negative comments on this board, I wanted to see if Tito's had changed, if my tastes have changed, or perhaps neither. I ordered what I always used to order: one all beef burrito and two beef tacos with cheese, and an extra order of both red and green salsa. They still give you a mountain of decent tortilla chips. Their red salsa is still a watery pico de gallo with no detectable chiles or cilantro. Although this salsa is watery and somewhat bland, it does provide a cool and contrasting flavor/texture to the hot crisp tacos and chips. The green salsa appears to be nothing more than canned jalapenos and carrots in escabeche run through a blender. Again, nothing innovative or authentic, but somehow, it works well with their food and allows you to add a little heat if you wish. The burritos again are simple enough, with a nice sturdy warm tortilla and their take on chile colorado. I guess that is what you would call it, although as I was eating it, it occurred to me that it almost has a tex-mex chile con carne type seasoning as opposed to the typical chile colorados.
After my visit, I came to the following conclusions. NOTHING has changed since I last ate there more than 10 years ago. I think the predominant flavor brings people back to Tito's is nostalgia. It is still not my favorite "Mexican" food but it still scratches an itch, especially if you enjoyed Tito's in your youth. I have read a lot of posts debating whether or not Tito's is good or authentic Mexican food. It is what it is, and that is not a bad thing. Go and enjoy, but don't expect any revelations.
VICKMAN BAKERY RUM CAKES
I dearly miss the Chocolate Rum Torte from Sarno's Bakery? Has anyone had both the Sarno's Chocolate Rum Torte and Vickman's rum cake? Were they similar? If so, I would be very interested in trying the Vickman's rum cake.
Guilty pleasure - Where to find Hostess Berry Fruit Pies
Thank to all for your suggestions and comments. I particularly appreciate the goodhealthgourmet's mail order info and suggestion. I might give it a try, although the minimum order is 10 it would be dangerous to have that many in hand at one time.
I decided to call Hostess/Interstate Bakery back East. They were very polite and after taking my question, told me that a salesperson in the LA area would get back to me, which they actually did. The bad news is that the Hostess Blackberry Pies are no longer available in So Cal due to slow sales. I guess I should have bought more. Anyway, I guess wanted to close the loop. Thanks again.
Guilty pleasure - Where to find Hostess Berry Fruit Pies
I have secretly enjoyed the occasional Hostess Fruit Pie for many years. I always considered the berry version/flavor to be the best by far. Strangely, I not seen any in a few months, and believe it or not, I have looked. Is anyone else willing to admit liking these? More importantly, does anyone know where I can find these?
I am only looking for the berry version; other flavors, such as apple, cherry, and lemon are a dime a dozen buy my beloved berry is nowhere to be seen. Thanks.
Pristine fresh fish, where art thou?
If you are looking for shellfish, Quality Seafood in Redondo Beach has an excellent selection of shellfish which seems to be of good quality. If you are looking for cut fish (filets or steaks) I would suggest Captain Kidd's just a short walk from Quality Seafood. Quality Seafood has a larger selection, including whole fish, however their quality and freshness is not as reliable as Captain Kidd's. I have never seen any fish for sale at Captain Kidd's that I would be reluctant to eat or serve. Some of the fish at Quality Seafood looks to be past its prime.
prickly pear information/sources?
When in season, they are generally available in most Mexican markets. I believe they are in season during our summer months. The red variety is more attractive but I think the green variety is much tastier. Try chilled and sliced with a squirt of lime and a sprinkle of salt.
Sarno's Rum Cake
For many years, my birthday cake of choice was a rum cake from Sarno's. I think they called it a Chocolate Rum Torte or maybe a French Chocolate Rum Torte. For me, the frosting was key. It was very dense. Maybe a ganache. Does anyone in the LA area currently make something comparable? My birthday is coming up. Thanks for your help.
Palos Verdes B-day meal Question
Trump National Golf course could be a good option to consider. I have dined there on a number of occasions and I have never been disappointed. It is in Palos Verdes so the proximity is great. The restaurant is very nice and if the weather cooperates, you can't beat the view. Get there before sunset and walk around the grounds overlooking the ocean. I think you can see the menu with the link below, but if not, go to their website.
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Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles
1 Ocean Trails Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
nice thing to know about Bombay Grocery in Lomita
Is that the new market/restaurant near PCH and Western? I have been waiting for it to open.
Al Pastor from Wood Fired Spit?
I have never seen Al Pastor cooked using wood or charcoal in LA. In Mexico, they often use a combination of wood and gas but sometimes just gas. More important in my opinion is that Al Pastor be cooked on a rotating spit. Sliced pork with an "Al Pastor" seasoning/marinade that is then cooked on a flattop grill (a la plancha) is not Al Pastor. Unfortunately, some restaurants offer this variation of "Al Pastor". I have learned to ask to see the spit before ordering.
Stone crabs in LA?
Fortunately for us fisherman, marlin cannot be harvested commercially in California so you won't find it for sale in fish markets or restaurants here. You are not missing much as it can be pretty strong and fishy. Not bad smoked. The yellowtail season is starting here, so you should be able to find some fresh yellowtail in California.
Strange Fruit - Lima
Does anyone know where I can find fresh lima fruit. This is a citrus fruit popular in Mexico and used mostly for fruit juice drinks known as "aguas frescas". They are the size and shape of an orange. When ripe, their color is yellow/green, similar to an unripe lemon. The flavor is somewhere between an orange and a lime. I am craving a lima agua fresca but I can't find the fruit anywhere. Thanks for your help!
Where is the best Red Velvet Cake?
I don't claim to have tried them all, but I have tried several. My favorite Red Velvet cake so far is from Jongewaard’s Bake and Broil in Long Beach. They make a cream cheese based frosting which is definitely on the sweet side.
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Jongewaard’s Bake 'n Broil
3697 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807
Off to San Pedro -- any suggestions?
I don't know when you are going, but here are my thoughts if it is not too late. Pavich's has good pizza although it is definitely more take out than a restaurant; I think there is one small table in front. Gaffey St. Diner has good quality food a fair prices but I would not call it "interesting". San Pedro Fish market certainly meets most of your criteria: fish, interesting, kid friendly, and ethnic. I don't think it would qualify as cheap. Unless you have been to San Pedro Fish Market, you should know that many would consider it too interesting, ethnic and kid friendly. I love the place, but it is not for everyone and for me the ambience is better than the food. You might try Ante's, which is an old school Yugoslavian restaurant. They usually have a seafood special that is good. We like to split the Yugoslav sampler plate. I would suggest you do what most locals do; go to Busy Bee and get some sandwiches. Then, go to a nearby park or beach and enjoy an impromptu picnic.
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Busy Bee Market
2413 S Walker Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731
Mariscos Chente, the king of Mexican sashimi reopens on the Westside w/pics
My wife and I just got back from my first visit to Mariscos Chente (MC) based on the reviews here and in the LA Times. We shared the shrimp agua chile and a 1.5 kilo pescado zarandeado (PZ) and we were not disappointed. Service was friendly and prompt, perhaps because when we got there at 2:00 pm on a Sunday, there were only a few tables occupied. My wife is from Mexico (Nayarit) and I lived there for six years and we both miss the seafood. The menu was very typical of the seafood restaurants in that part of Mexico and I mean that in the best possible way. Shrimp prepared several different ways and fish prepared a few different ways. I fell in love with PZ while in Mexico and I have been looking for a fix here. I don't need to look any further. The shrimp were excellent, large and fresh with a very tasty and authentic green sauce "chile water". The fish used for PZ was a snook, also known as a robalo. This is an excellent fish that for some reason is under-utilized at least in the Western US.
Every region and restaurant has their own version of dishes. The PZ at MC was excellent although a little different than my favorite version which is La Laguna in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit. La Laguna typically uses huachinango or red snapper (not to be confused with the red rockfish commonly marketed as red snapper here in the US). Sometimes, they also use pargo and occasionally snook/robalo. All of these fish are excellent and make for a fine PZ. In Mexico, the fish would be grilled over wood coals. I did not smell or see any smoke indicating a wood fire at MC, although I may have missed it. (Are they grilling over gas or wood?) A wood fire does add a subtle smokiness to the fish that I did not detect. Finally, the predominant flavor in the baste at MC was soy versus the achote based sauce that I first fell in love with. Nevertheless, there were only bones and skin left on that poor snook when we finished with him!
Weather you have enjoyed PZ in Mexico and are looking for somewhere in the LA area to satisfy your cravings or you have never tried it and want to give an excellent and authentic version a try, I would recommend a trip to MC.
