Mexican Restaurants – Page 21

Burgers and Beer in Yuma for Breakfast?!!

October 11, 2014 ed fromyuma Breakfast/Brunch, Mexican Restaurants, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Kirk is somewhere traveling. Cathy is in San Diego County, but she's busy today. So it's another post from Ed (from Yuma).

A few weeks ago, Tina and I were discussing breakfasts in Yuma with some good friends of ours who told us that the best breakfasts in town were at Burgers and Beer. My response was "Huh?"

It's not that I didn't know about Burgers and Beer – this large restaurant has been on 20th St. just east of Fourth Avenue in Yuma since before I moved to town:

This location is part of a small chain in the desert Southwest stretching from Yuma all the way up to Rancho Mirage, but I have only been to the one in Yuma.

Until recently, I thought of it as a good sports bar with a lot of memorabilia:

It is a large space with many booths and tables available:

There is even a small patio space that's great now that the weather around here has gotten very pleasant:

But breakfasts – at a sports bar most known for a wide variety of burgers, a decent selection of beers, and mixed drinks? I have to say I was skeptical, particularly since I rarely have a Bloody Mary with breakfast these days. However, Greg and Loidene insisted that we would like it so Tina and I showed up one morning the following weekend, and we have probably gone back for at least one breakfast every weekend since then.

One thing we love is the large carafe of coffee that shows up automatically when you order coffee ($2.65):

While the coffee itself is nothing special, the carafe is very convenient. Also a nice touch are the sea salt grinder and black pepper grinder on every table:

Over these few weeks, we have had a chance to sample a good variety of breakfast choices, though the breakfast menu is very extensive. For example, in addition to regular pancakes, you can order sweet potato pancakes (two pancakes with a side of ham $5.95):

These were good, a little denser than regular pancakes with a light sweet potato flavor. The ham slice is my least favorite breakfast meat option at Burgers and Beer, being a little too salty and overprocessed for my taste.

On the other hand, the sausage patties are very savory and fully flavored with herbs and spices. They were the star of a waffle combination plate that also included two over-easy eggs ($9.09):

While the eggs were perfectly cooked, the waffle was pretty standard, even though the soft butter and warm syrup provided the perfect complement.

In contrast to the waffle, Tina and I both loved the French toast – again with sausage ($8.19):

The thick soft warm eggy bread dusted with tasty cinnamon is what French toast should taste like.

Another favorite of Tina's is the vegetarian omelet ($8.99), really more like a thin frittata made with egg whites, feta cheese, and perfectly cooked vegetables:

I don't normally think of squash and broccoli for breakfast, but this was tasty and well prepared, a very flavorful and healthy breakfast option. In addition, Burgers and Beer does a great job serving crispy hash browns when you order them that way.

Those hash browns were just as good with this standard two egg breakfast plate with bacon ($8.19):

I was very pleased with this basic breakfast. Not only where the hash browns audibly crunchy and the eggs perfectly cooked, but I also liked getting five strips of bacon.

The crowning touch, however, was other component of the breakfast:

The toast choices included wheat berry, which is my favorite, and the strawberry jam that was available was Dickinson's strawberry preserves. While not as good as what my grandmother used to make, it is way more better than Smuckers. Another nice touch.

Along with the standard American breakfast items, Burgers and Beer may have the largest selection of Mexican breakfasts in town. Look at this chorizo and egg plate with refried beans and chips ($7.35):

The corn tortillas are also stellar:

Even better to my mind is the machaca egg plate ($8.35):

Usually machaca and eggs in Yuma contains a lot more egg then machaca. Not here, however:

Note the onions, peppers, and fresh tomatoes as well.

The chilaquiles breakfast also hit a home run ($7.99):

Here the excellent refried beans and eggs are served on the side and were both good, the scrambled eggs being sufficiently fluffy for my tastes. But the corn chips, still crunchy and covered in spicy red sauce, were outstanding:

Nothing from a can here – slices of poblano pepper and onion in a fresh tomato sauce – from the growers to the kitchen to my plate.

One of the more unusual Mexican egg dishes is Huevos Divorciados ($6.99):

Each sunnyside egg is perched on a corn tortilla and topped with a spicy fresh sauce, one red and one green. The eggs are divided by a row of refried beans covered with melted white cheese. Divorced eggs. I was pleased that each sauce was unique and matched and enhanced the egg beneath it.

Perhaps the most magnificent single breakfast item is the chile relleno omelet ($7.99):

Look at that gigantic poblano chili, roasted at the restaurant, wrapped in egg, and topped off with the great fresh red sauce. On this morning, the thinner end of the poblano was butterflied so that the omelet could lie flatter on the plate:

In this picture, you can see the fresh poblano, the cheese, the egg layers, and the salsa topping.

All in all, I think Greg and Loidene are probably right. Burgers and Beer has some of the best and most creative breakfasts in town. I love the attention to detail and the freshness of some dishes. Funny thing, as I was starting work on this post, I was watching a playoff MLB game. One commercial caught my attention. It was from Burgers and Beer advertising “The Best Breakfasts in Town.” Well if they say that on TV, it must be true.

Burgers and Beer, 321 W. 20th St., Yuma, AZ, (928) 783-3987. Open for breakfasts daily 7 AM-11 AM.

Aqui Es Texcoco (Revisit) (Chula Vista)

October 4, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Here you are again, at mmm-yoso!!!, a blog about food. Once again, Kirk is soaring while Ed (from Yuma) is hovering and Cathy is drifting around the county, writing another post about another meal.

One morning I woke up craving anything but a 'normal' breakfast. I knew what I wanted and that at 8 a.m. my cravings could be satisfied. Heading South on the 805, going against traffic, was a breeze. My other post about visits here noted that there was a line out the door by 10 a.m.; the above photo shows people filling out the wait list around 9:15 a.m., when we were leaving. [This outpost of a long time (since 1990) Tijuana based restaurant opened in Chula Vista in 2008, when mmm-yoso!!! guest poster, Miz Ducky wrote about it. CC had introduced me to Aqui es Texcoco. Another U.S based location opened in July in City of Commerce.]After ordering, a freshly made, refreshingly tasty not too sweet Jamaica drink ($2.25) was brought to the table, along with the side order of refried beans ($3.25) we requested. Each order came with a medium size cup of consomme; a lamb broth made with lamb drippings and garbanzo beans; savory but not gamey in flavor. Order of 1/2 pound lamb barbacoa ($9.50), the pit roasted meat came with the aforementioned consomme as well as many corn tortillas and was accompanied by the above herb, papalo, instead of cilantro. The flavor of papalo is amazing: sort of a minty cilantro. {It was a quite strong flavor that at first I used sparingly, to not detract from the flavorful interspersed charred and gelled bits of lamb, which I crave.} I found this herb for sale at Northgate Gonzalez Market and look for it at other Mexican markets when shopping: it's something new to me. The Mister has wanted to try the mixiotes here and he chose the rabbit version ($12.50)The rabbit stew, which is almost a chili after all the baking in parchment with chilis, herbs and spices as well as a chunk of agave leaf (which you don't/can't eat) was moist and tender and just so flavorful. Since we were here anyhow, we also ordered a squash blossom quesataco as a side ($3.25) which was wonderful; crispy, cheesy, a bit crunchy from the burned cheese and just nice. (It also was not blurry in person. Sorry.)Finally, we also ordered flan ($3) for dessert. This isn't like any flan you've had before, unless you've had it in Mexico. Thick and viscous custard, made with subtle vanilla with a caramel soaked top in puddle of flavor. Just a perfect ending.

Aqui Es Texcoco 1043 Broadway, Suite 108, Chula Vista 91911 (619)427-4045 Website open 8a.m.-9 p.m. daily

Negro Durazo- more visits

September 14, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! a food blog with random food based posts from the City, County, various States and the world. Kirk is working-in the City, Ed(from Yuma) is relaxing-in another State and Cathy is writing-in the County.

I've written about Negro Durazo three other times already. It's relatively close to home, serves great seafood and during the recent heat wave, the almost windowless interior is wonderfully cool and comfortable. We don't come here in the evenings; there are some pay per view events, live music and sometimes a cover charge; it can be very loud.The decor has a nautical theme, there is a modern juke box, some remnants of the recent World Cup contests, a few televisions and the skylights are enough to illuminate the room in the late morning.The overly condimented tables are further enhanced with cut limes, fresh made salsa and warm chips when you begin perusing the extensive menu. Our recent "M.O." (Method of Ordering) has been to order one item from the "hot kitchen" and one item from the "cold kitchen", in addition, we have our own self made rule that one item must be 'new' to us.The camarones culichi ($15) (sauteed shrimp covered with a sauce made of chicken broth, poblano peppers, garlic, onion and cream then topped with a soft (Manchegoo/Chihuahua/Monterey Jack-like) cheese and baked in the small casserole serving plate). Culichi sauced anything is a favorite of ours.Above, Ceviche Mixto appetizer plate: shrimp, octopus and fish ceviche, made to order. Meant as a shareable appetizer, this is a flavorful, filling meal. The combination of the lime juice, tomato, cucumber, cilantro and mild onion doesn't overpower each of the seafood items.

A few weeks after that visit, we returned…and ordered similar items.

Above, a filete relleno de mariscos($16.50). Fish filet (a firm white fish; not tilapia) stuffed with a seafood mixture of shrimp, octopus and marlin (a smoked fish) and topped with culichi sauce.

Jaiba (crab) ceviche appetizer plate ($12). Again, a large, shareable serving, marinated in fresh lime juice and mixed with cucumber, tomato, cilantro and mild onion. Tasty and filling. Refreshing. I'm going to have to have a separate post about breakfasts. No culichi nor lime marinade on that menu.Our most recent visit, the central dining room was very loud, with the weekend Band setting up, so we sat in the bar area. (Only one television here and we could have a conversation). This time the 'hot' dish we chose was a whole fried tilapia ($11). Even though I sort of wanted the Zarandeado preparation, this was quite a large tilapia and perfectly prepared, tasting good warm or cool. (I like the Zarandeado Sauce warm). The "Ceviche Tropical"($15) was the 'something new' menu choice. Served in a hollowed pineapple, with chunks of pineapple, coconut and mango, along with a freshly (lime 'cooked') shrimp, axe scallops, clams, snail and octopus. This slightly spicy ceviche really hit the spot.

Hope you're keeping cool!

Mariscos Negro Durazo 6954 Federal Blvd Lemon Grove CA 91945 (619)337-7704 Website

Mon-Th 9am-10 pm, Fri 9 am-midnight, Sat 8-midnight, Sun 8-11:30

Sunday Sandwiches: El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas revisited

August 24, 2014 mmm-yoso Food Trucks, Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches

**** El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas is no longer

On a recent weekend, I drove down to the parking lot of RTA/Toys R Us in Chula Vista. It had been a while since I had a chance to check out the Mariscos el Pescador truck, once our favorite. Unfortunately, when I arrived at 10am, there was already a line……good for them, bad for me, as I wasn’t willing to stand in line. Instead, I headed to the other end of the parking lot. To the El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas truck.

I remember first coming here when they actually had a lonchera, which has since turned into a trailer. As you can see, they really push on the fact that Andrew Zimmern has been here……I hope it has brought them a ton of customers, though I’m thinking, the serious torta ahogada lovers, those who love the real deal from Guadalajara wouldn’t really care…..

I had a traditional torta ahogadas at heat level “9”. This is what I got.

On this visit, the pork in the sandwich was moist and nicely flavored. The chili de arbol sauce, while singular in tone, delivered a slow crescendo of heat…. it truly grows on you. The birote, the “roll” was much harder and less crusty than I recalled….it was once my favorite part of the sandwich.

I consider eating this “dipped sandwich” a challenge, packing extra napkins….. always thinking it was some kind of personal short-coming, I felt some vindication on this day as I saw several locals struggling with the sandwich….somehow it made me feel better.

This ended up being quite the “wake-up call” for a late breakfast. The woman working here was so very nice, even checking on me to make sure I hadn’t dropped dead while eating my sandwich, then offering more hot sauce!

So, if you’re in the area and looking for something more than some caffeine on a late morning…..perhaps you should have a tortas ahogadas, heat level 9. I’m sure it’ll eventually get your attention.

El Gallito Tortas Ahogadas
1008 Industrial Blvd
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Fruitmania – A Fruiteria and more(Lemon Grove)

August 14, 2014 Cathy Desserts, Fruiterias, Mexican Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

You have navigated your way to mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog. Kirk is taking a break from posting, Ed(from Yuma) is taking a break from retirement and Cathy is posting and not quite retired.

Broadway in Lemon Grove. A street filled with small storefronts and feeder road parking. Looks like small town America. Every fifth store with a similar footprint. Large side display windows leading into the main area.The inventory is behind the counter, not on display as at some other Fruiterias where The Mister and I enjoy various snacks and meals throughout the year. Fruitmania has been here almost ten years. Family run. Not air conditioned. Friendly people. Great food. We are so lucky to live here.The signage is self explanatory. Eight tables and a couple of couches with clean, comfy seating.Choices are almost overwhelming.

Raspado Tamarindo ($3)- shaved ice filled with fresh made tamarind 'tea', (including the pods) and a more authentic flavor than most syrups. Refreshing and a new favorite during this hot summer.

A small pico de gallo ($5.50). Watermelon, cucumber, jicama and mango, topped with fresh squeezed lime and Tajin make this an automatic order whenever I stop in. You may have noticed one of the front window signs mentioned 'monster sandwich'. They all are – enough to share. Above is a Cuban Torta ($7-worth it). A toasted torta roll, sliced pork, sliced ham, pickles, cilantro, cheese and Dijon mustard. It's served with the extra large pickled jalapenos and the slices of Tajin topped orange..truly a perfect meal.One recent humid day, The Mister and I decided we wanted a dessert…and not one made of fresh fruit nor a beverage. A scoop of ice cream here is $2- and it is a quality ice cream: the vanilla has specks of vanilla in it, the strawberry has real strawberries in the ice cream and the chocolate is very rich and not too sweet. However, a banana split is $6. So we did. It was good.

I hope everyone is staying cool!!!

Fruitmania 7941 Broadway Lemon Grove CA 91945 (619)463-0241 Open M-F 9-6:30, Sat/Sun 10-7

Antojitos in El Centro Again

July 24, 2014 ed fromyuma El Centro, Imperial Valley, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

This is Ed (from Yuma) writing again today. A big thanks to Kirk (and Cathy) for letting me post stuff here and a big thanks to you for reading it.

I have already blogged about this small Mexican restaurant recently. It feels strange to do two posts about the same place, particularly when it is not even in Yuma, even though Tina and I have had two more interesting meals heresince my last post. So I promise this is my final post about Antojitos Como en Casa. Even if Anthony Bourdain asked me to meet him here for lunch, I would not blog about it; you would just have to see it on Parts Unknown.

The plain exterior has not changed:

The bright and colorful interior is the same as well, but here is a picture of a wall in the side room:

And this is the area that is a tribute to Jorge Negrete (or is that Pedro Infante?):

The service at Antojitos has always been excellent, the waitstaff attentive, friendly, and helpful. On every visit, chips and salsa arrive in an instant:

Here is a close-up of the brightly spicy green salsa, largely mashed roasted green chiles:

And a close-up of the rounder and deeper dried red chili salsa:

Again, the aguasfrescas ($3 large, $1.75 small) have been outstanding; in particular, on our visit in June, the watermelon fruitwater, which we had never had before, was crisp and flvaorful without being a sugar overload:

On that June visit, Tina and I both had soup. She chose the chicken soup whose name I can never remember:

Remarkably, this excellent and rich soup was different from the chicken soup I had a few months previously. Mine had had abundant chickpeas – Tina’s was more like a caldo de pollo, full of vegetables as well as tortilla strips, cheese, and red onion slices.

The broth in my menudo ($8.50) was fully flavored, savory and rich. In it, soft, succulent, yielding little pillows of tripe contrasted perfectly with abundant nixtamal:

On our next visit, we ordered two different aguasfrescas (Antojitos always has 3 choices, but the choices have never been the same on any two visits). Tina had the cucumber/pineapple:

I had lemon/strawberry:

As good as hers was, I loved my lemon accented, intensely strawberry water even more. This place has the best aguasfrescas I have ever tasted – by far.

Since this visit was on a Saturday, Tina and I were looking forward to sharing an order of the lamb mixiote, available only Friday through Sunday. It soon arrived at the table:

We decided on the option with beans and rice ($18.50), so we got a small bowl of soupy but tasty frijoles and plenty of Mexican Rice:

The lamb also came with homemade yellow corn tortillas, smaller than regular corn tortillas with the bright golden color and a very corny taste:

When we peeled the tinfoil back, we saw a whole lamb shoulder with a bone protruding at one end, the meat covered with parchment paper and surrounded by a rich and flavorful consommé:

With the paper removed, we could see the moist braised shoulder, laden with herbs and spices, looking tender and inviting:

The meat made wonderful simple tacos:

Maybe the most flavorful braised lamb I have ever savored, and I have eaten (and cooked) a lot of lamb shacks over the years. One of the reasons for the savory complexity of the dish was the layer of maguey leaves we found underneath the mixiote:

The owner/manager of the restaurant said that their particular version of the dish is native to Hidalgo, a state in central Mexico just east and north of Mexico City. This restaurant’s roots in central Mexico help explain the cuisine here and why this place seems unique in the American Southwest border region.

Since Tina and I happened onto Antojitos, we have been finding excuses to go to El Centro – there are some different stores in their mall; there's a Costco; it's a convenient stop on the way to LA. I never realized how many reasons there were to visit El Centro. However, since I will not be blogging about this place again (at least not in the immediate future), you now have a reason to visit El Centro yourselves – to find out more about Antojitos Como en Casa.

Antijitos Como en Casa, 425 Desert Gardens Dr, El Centro, CA 92243, (760) 482-5621, open 8 am – 8 pm every day, except Mondays. website

Mariscos Monday: Oscar’s Mexican Seafood – Hillcrest

July 21, 2014 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

It seems like more than a bit over two years ago that the Missus and I had a meal at Oscar's Mexican Seafood. While the meal was decent, we didn't find it especially great, at least in comparison with other Mariscos restaurants and trucks we eat at. I think the major draw was the location; there was nothing quite like it in the area. Since then, Oscar's has expanded. To PB and Hillcrest. I'd always been meaning to return and revisit, but having a location in Hillcrest is pretty easy since I'm in the area quite often for work.

One really great thing is that they open at 8am. I often have meetings at odd hours and the early opening was a big plus for getting me here….also, the parking here can be a nightmare during prime time.

Like the decor, though the regular seating is nd of uncomfortable. The menu is very gringo friendly…everything fully explained.

I decided on the Smoked Fish Taco (Taco de Marlyn – $4.25) and the Fresh Fish of the Day ($4.50) which was Yellowtail….actually I ordered a Battered Fish Taco ($1.99), but they just rang up the grilled fish….which I probably should have ordered anyway.

There was much to like about the Smoked Fish Taco, loved the way the queso was melted onto the tortilla (very routine mass-produced) to prevent breakage and add a mild milky edge. The fish was a bit too mild in terms of smokey flavor and even salt….I consider this "bacon of the sea". On the good side; it was less fishy than some versions I've had recently. I do think the portion was pretty small…..

I also thought these tacos were a bit under-dressed, though I do understand wanting to make the rather mild yellowtail the star of the show. The fish was a bit overcooked for me…..yellowtail can dry out pretty quickly. I also thought it needed to be seasoned a bit more. This was on the bland side and really needed more….also, there wasn't enough onion or anything else to give it some textural contrast.

A quick word about the salsas…the Chipotle is nice and mild….I thought that white salsa was crema…but whoa, I believe it's habanero based, which I really thought added a nice kick.

In total, not bad, perhaps priced on the high side….but of course, there's the location.

I had an odd hour meeting and another scheduled over lunch so I headed back to Oscar's before traveling back to the office. This time I did order the Battered Fish Taco ($1.99).

The batter was light, but could have been a bit more crisp it got soggy fairly quickly. The fish was moist, though the whole thing lacked flavor. Still, definitely worth a buck ninety-nine.

Curious about both the shrimp and non-seafood items, I ordered the Surf and Turf Taco ($4.50). This was a nice two-fisted taco.

The shrimp was well seasoned, cooked to the edge of being overcooked, but didn't go over that line. The skirt steak was too tough and chewy, which I don't mind if there some nice assertive flavors to obscure the texture, but that wasn't the case here. Overall, a decent taco.

I'll probably return to Oscar's because of the location and hours. I think I'll go with some shrimp tacos and maybe the Cucarachas which we enjoyed last time, but is now like $11.

Oscar’s Mexican Seafood
646 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 8am – 9pm
Fri – Sat 8am – 10pm

Carnitas El Botanero (Lemon Grove)

June 30, 2014 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food. Today, Kirk is busy with work as well as eating and photographing his meals, Ed(from Yuma) is busy with retirement and eating and photographing his meals and Cathy is writing, because she is finally not busy and has time to write and organize her photos.

It's the once every four years FIFA World Cup (Federation Internationale de Football Association) time of year, and going to most restaurants with televisions has been a challenge. The Mister and I try to go in between games or on days off, since the entire series of games started June 12 and won't end until July 13.

One of our favorite 'close by' restaurants is in Lemon Grove. It used to be the original location of Carnitas Uruapan, which moved to a smaller location after the original owner died. Still, it specializes in carnitas and has some other interesting menu items, in addition to breakfast and lunch specials:
The interior has remained unchanged from the Uruapan days. (Yes, that is a rerun of the morning World Cup match on the television).Even the old juke box is still here. The Mister and I both enjoy the chile based salsas, made fresh here daily. You can see the many ingredients. Above, the lunch green salad with carne asada ($7.75), which was a nice, light lunch a few weeks ago. The carne here is very good. The carnitas plate for one ($7.95), is (more than) a 1/2 pound of excellent carnitas, served with rice, beans (wonderful), cilantro, onions, corn tortillas and the salsa fresca.The slow cooked beef barbacoa plate ($8.50) here is served in the above manner – the lengthy steaming makes the meat tender and fork-ably easy to shred. It's served in/with the cooking sauce/juice, which is slightly salty and nicely smokey. The saltiness 'calms down' with the addition of onions, cilantro and pieces of corn tortillas. This is very comforting and excellent.

The shrimp ceviche tostada ($3.95) is quite large. It's made when you order. Part of the marinade is fresh oregano which compliments but does not overwhelm the quite large shrimp. I get cravings for this particular ceviche version.

The carnitas taquitos ($5.45) is part of the lunch special menu and the fried corn tortillas are just so delicate and thin/crispy; you can taste the meat. Topped with a considerable amount of sour cream, fresh made guacamole and a sort of salad, these four rolled tacos and accompaniments are a meal.

Carnitas Botanero 8035 Broadway Lemon Grove 91945 (619)462-3020 Mon-Thurs 8-8, Fri-Sat 8-10, Sun 8-9

In case you are following the World Cup, here's a great visual of the official logo and Groups participating. It's printed on an official FIFA souvenier grocery bag I purchased at Vallarta Supermarket ($2.99) a few weeks ago.

Mariscos Playa Hermosa in Phoenix

June 24, 2014 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, Phoenix/Scottsdale/Chandler/Central AZ, Road Trip, Seafood, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk and Cathy are busy today, but Ed (from Yuma) has had some free time lately, so here's his post from a recent road trip.

A friend of Tina's from grad school was retiring at the end of May, 2014, so we were in Phoenix for the weekend. On a previous trip, Tina had already located a Mexican seafood restaurant that she was sure I would enjoy – Playa Hermosa:

We arrived fairly early before the restaurant had begun to fill up, and I was immediately impressed by the brightly colorful decor:

The chairs were almost too beautiful to sit in:

Even the tabletops were decorative works of art:

The chips and salsa showed, however, that there was more to Playa Hermosa than met the eye:

The fresh chips were accompanied by a fiery red salsa full of chile seeds and an avocado/cilantro green salsa that was mild and smooth.

We also ordered margaritas ($5.99) that were very attractive, flavorful, and effective:

The menu featured a wide range of seafood choices and preparations. Tina chose the camarones culichi (shrimp in green sauce – $13.99), and I decided on the fish and shrimp combination with the poblano sauce ($15.99).

Both meals began with a ceviche de pulpo tostada:

Very tasty. The octopus was perfectly tender and the citrus flavor of the juice was not overpowering.

Tina's shrimp came in a little boat of a complex and tangy salsa verde – it was creamy and elegant, highlighted by green chili and citrus notes. We understood why one of Tina's friends had recommended this dish:

It came accompanied by tortillas, excellent vegetable rice, chopped lettuce and tomato, fresh red onion rings, and slightly refried pinto beans that Tina especially appreciated:

I also loved my dinner:

Next to the same side dishes, my lightly crusted, perfectly grilled fish was topped with numerous shrimp and a truly outstanding ranchero sauce dominated by grilled fresh poblano peppers:

The tender flaky fish was perfectly prepared, and the only real shortcoming of my entrée was that the shrimp were a little overcooked and chewy – as were Tina's.

While we were eating a small mariachi band came in and began playing people's favorites. At first they stood between our table and most of the rest of the restaurant. At that point they sounded better than they looked:

They soon moved throughout the restaurant and we enjoyed their performance.

In fact, we enjoyed our entire meal. Our server was really superb, explaining dishes from the menu, always noticing when we needed something, and being professional and friendly throughout. While the decor and entertainment might make this place seem like a tourist restaurant, virtually everyone in the restaurant – except of course for Tina and me – seemed like a local. We would happily return.

Mariscos Playa Hermosa, 1605 E. Garfield, Phoenix AZ 85006, (602) 462-1563

Antojitos Como en Casa: El Centro CA

June 10, 2014 ed fromyuma El Centro, Imperial Valley, Mexican Restaurants, Road Trip, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Welcome to mmm-yoso. Most often Kirk blogs here about meals and food from San Diego and from multitudinous places around the country and the world. Cathy, based in eastern fringes of the San Diego area, also wanders widely and eats all kinds of things in all sorts of places and blogs about them here. Today, however, you can read Ed (from Yuma) posting about a place in exotic El Centro.

Last December Tina and I were beginning a road trip up to LA to eat interesting food and visit interesting museums. We figured to get going in the morning and then stop for lunch in El Centro, where Tina had found an interesting Mexican restaurant for us to try. Located on a small side street off of Fourth, the place was a little difficult to find, but iPads and electronic maps make just about anything findable these days:

Although the outside was pretty standard, the interior was bright, clean, and interesting:

I was immediately intrigued by the large jars of aguasfrescas on the counter:

We were quickly served chips with two different salsas: one based on roasted fresh green chilies and one with a good dried red chile flavor:

And the aguasfrescas were outstanding. I had a lemonade, but Tina's cucumber beverage was truly amazing ($1.75 or $3.00):

It tasted more like cucumber than a real cucumber does.

I ordered the daily soup special, which was a chicken tortilla soup that – if memory serves – also contained chickpeas. It was very tasty and looked good too ($6.50, I think):

Again Tina's choice was even better, the green pozole that is only prepared on Thursdays ($10.50):

The side dishes with the green pozole included a roasted chili, pork rinds, and a potato taco along with the standard chopped onions, shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, oregano, and chili flakes:

Since that meal, we have talked about driving over to El Centro just for the Mexican food at this restaurant – which seems kind of peculiar, considering that we live surrounded by Mexican food establishments.

However, El Centro also has the closest Costco to Yuma, so as soon as I had some free time, armed with two reasons for the drive, we headed off on a short road trip.

Again we were impressed by the service and the decor of the restaurant:

Tina had the cucumber aguasfrescas again – just as good as before – and I had a wonderful cantaloupe water:

The aguasfrescas are not overloaded with sugar here; the emphasis is squarely on the featured fruit (or vegetable).

As an appetizer, we ordered a potato tlacoyo, a thick grilled corn patty stuffed with mashed potato, drizzled with crema, covered with a tangy green cilantro/tomatillo sauce and dusted with cotija cheese($2.50):

Slightly reminiscent of a pupusa.

This time, Tina had the regular pozole, which was very good but not unusual ($10.50):

Topped with condiments, it looked like this:

I had an order of the chicken enfrijoladas, sort of like enchiladas except that the sauce covering the corn tortilla wrapped chicken is a bean sauce, not a dried chili flavored sauce ($8.99):

I was intrigued by this entrée because I still have fond memories of the enchiladas verdolagas that the late Danny Mendoza used to prepare with a similar frijole sauce at Viejo Loco in Yuma.

These were good, and I was impressed by the tasty rice and especially by the large chunks of chicken:

Anyway, Tina and I expect to be back for more meals – and more trips to Costco. On the weekends, Antojitos features lamb mixiote, specially marinated lamb wrapped in maguey leaf, and we really want to try that.

So if you are on I-8 in the Imperial Valley area and you need a great place for an interesting, unusual, and well prepared Mexican meal, check out Antojitos. We’re glad we did.

Antijitos Como en Casa, 425 Desert Gardens Dr, El Centro, CA 92243, (760) 482-5621, open 8 am – 8 pm every day, except Mondays. website