Taco Shops – Page 9

Is that Don or Dan…Diego that is: First up let’s try Don Diego

March 18, 2013 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

*** Don Diego's is no more

A strange thing occurred round these parts over the last couple of months. Two restaurants with similar names opened up, Don Diego and Dan Diego. At first I thought they were possibly related, but they couldn't be more different….one is a "Taco Bar" and the other is a "Euro Cafe and Pub". Both of them have one thing in common…..a huge selection of beer. I believe each has over a hundred different bottled and a good amount on draft.

Actually, I really wasn't too motivated to try the place out. But the Missus was working one evening and gave me a list of stuff She needed me to pick up. The last stop was from Sprouts (formerly Henry's) on Genesee. It was kind of late and I was both tired and hungry, so I thought why not check out this place.

The place looks more like a sports bar than a taco shop. They've really brightened up the place. You might remember it as being Trattoria Firenze.

There were ten beers on tap and at least a hundred bottled, with a good selection of local beers. I decided to try the various proteins in mini taco form, each ran about $1.85… and got a Yellowtail.

They quickly ran me out a basket of chips, which were thin and crumbly, not really that great, but hey, it's gratis, right?

The salsas are pretty straight-forward. I also noticed that the folks who seem to be running this "Taco Bar" didn't seem to be Hispanic. Which factored a bit into my ordering.

I've developed a bit of a habit when it comes to tacos….I always taste the protein on it's own first, just to see how it tastes. And the Adobada wasn't a good start as the meat was mushy and the marinade very bland.

The carnitas followed the same bland profile.

The carne asada took things one step further and was not only very bland, but also tough as heck.

I think the folks running the place are Middle Eastern, though the guy manning the grill is Hispanic. With this in mind, I ordered the birria just out of curiosity since it was listed as lamb on the menu. This was more like an asado of mutton as it was pretty tough. It did have a surprisingly decent gamey flavor to it.

One out of three ain't a bad batting average for bland meats in store bought tortillas with what seemed like store bought chips. The guys working here were very nice however, they even offered me more chips (I passed). So I thought it only fair to visit one more time.

While the place was pretty busy on my previous visit, things were pretty quiet on this day. Same nice group of guys working though.

I did notice something curious about the salsa bar on this trip…notice the olives and sliced pepperoncini.

I decided just to go off the deep end and try a gyro taco (gasp!), along with the birria this time out.

It was some very dry gyro meat on cold tortillas, topped with a tasteless under ripe tomato slice, topped with a sorta-tzaziki sauce that was too thick. Man, this was just plain bad.

The birria tasted just like what I had before.

I also tried one of the TJ style bacon wrapped hot dogs….ketchup and all.

So let us take this apart, shall we? A mushy hot dog, wrapped with burnt bacon, looking like a certain charred body part in a dry, cold, hot dog bun. I'll go out on a limb here and say the ketchup and mustard were the best part of this…..

No mas……

I will again say how nice the guys here are and I was told that they were going to soon have 32 beers on tap. As for what I ate……well, you can figure that out, right?

Don Diego's Taco Bar
4421 Genesee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117
Hours:
Daily 10am – 10pm

Yesenia’s Taco Shop (Kearny Mesa)

August 12, 2012 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

Right before I left for my trip home, I met my good friend Candice for lunch. I was really swamped and having lunch with someone who's great company like Candice just makes the whole day better. With so much on my mind, I really drew blanks when it came to where we'd grab lunch. Luckily, one of Candice's friends recommended a place I'd driven past dozens of times on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard….a taco shop called Yesenia's.

I gotta say…..this place sure is a bright orange…..

The menu seemed fairly huge and overwhelming, though the young lady behind the counter was very friendly. There were several interesting items on the menu and we ordered a bunch of stuff.

Starting with some Aguachile.

First off, the slices of avocado looked like it was headed South. Not a bad sign, but somewhat ominous if you'll be eating raw shrimp "cooked" in lime. The shrimp indeed tasted a bit fishy, it hadn't gone bad yet, but it seemed headed in that direction. The marinade was very mild with regards to aguachile….I expect bracing citrus tones and a good deal of heat, but this was almost bland. To be perfectly fair, this tasted much better at the end of the meal when the shrimp had been in the marinade for about half an hour.

I really didn't care for the Chicken Mole either.

The chicken was quite dry and the mole lacked the wonderful complex spice tones that I enjoy in a mole poblano.

I liked the beans, though….nicely seasoned.

Things started looking up when we tried the menudo.

As far as I can recall, this was full on tripe and not much else. It was also the least funky menudo that I've ever had. The tripe was well prepared, light crunch, but not tough or hard. I wish the broth had been seasoned more aggressively…..it needed salt, hot sauce, and a good amount of oregano would have helped too. Nice tripe though…….

In my opinion, the last item was the best…….fish rolled tacos, something I'd usually not think of ordering.

It really didn't look like much, but the fish had a nice flavor which came through very clearly. The shell was nice and crisp and the fish moist. Cabbage instead of lettuce is a good choice, it added a mild earthy-bitterness to the whole deal. I'd have this again…….

The funniest little snippet of a conversation we had was when I asked what her friends favorite item here was…..Candice smiled and sheepishly replied, "Carne Asada fries……" Ha! It just cracked me up…… I did tell her that, if her foodie……or in this case beerie (??? what do you call those folks?) buddy really thought this was the best carne asada fries I'd check them out….really.

So…..being a man of my word, I returned after my trip, and stepped into the wonderful orange glow of Yesenia's.

And ordered up something I hadn't had in maybe….I dunno, five years???

Carne Asada fries ($6.55). The carne asada was fairly tough, though decently flavored…perhaps better than your friendly neigborhood 'berto's. The guac was decent, it added some creaminess to the whole deal….I'm still not a real big fan of sour cream on this. I really did like the fries, which were very competently fried……not greasy and crisp. For some reason, this didn't feel like the gut-busting, hollow-leg filling, burp fest that I recall CAFs being. I enjoyed the various salsas here as well…….

This location of Yesenia's gets really busy around noon and after looking over all the breakfast items, I read they open at like 530 in the morning. That said, I'm not sure if I'll return anytime soon…..though I'm now curious, since I've gotten a couple of CAF recommendations over the years……what shop makes the best CAFs???? Just for future reference of course……

Yesenia's Taco Shop
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Shopping and eating on University Avenue: Penzey’s Spices, La Casa del Maiz and Carnitas Las Michoacanas

July 24, 2012 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

La Casa del Maiz has closed.

This is the food blog called mmm-yoso!!! The bloggers here are usually Kirk, sometimes ed(from Yuma) and sometimes Cathy. Today is one of those sometimes Cathy days.

Well. This has been a crazy summer so far. The Mister and I seem to have something scheduled every day, but aren't overly busy…just home-type chores, which includes gardening and the occasional Home Depot and food runs. We have been cooking at home a lot and were thrilled when we found out that Penzey's Spices was opening a San Diego location. Kirk posted about one of his Penzey's stops during a Torrance Road Trip in 2010. The Mister and I get excited when the Penzeys catalog shows up every couple of months and usually make two orders a year, to save on shipping charges. The spices, herbs and blends are so fresh and interesting. We decided to take a drive West, to the Hillcrest area of town to see "our" new Penzey's store.

The store is located on University Avenue one block East of the Ralphs/Trader Joe's Center, in the same parking area that has the Starbucks. Apparently that little mall is named Hillcrest Colonnade.

The display area inside is mostly stacked wooden crates and even this kitchen vignette (I grew up with a Kelvinator refrigerator just like this one; a common sight in Detroit). See the larger jar in the middle on top of that fridge? That's a sample jar. There is one with just about every product in the store- you can smell the herbs, spices, whole chilis and blends (there are even glass bottles with the liquid extracts for you to sniff). It was like reading the catalog but live!

As I said, we have purchased items from here before and sort of knew what we wanted… but of course we got more than that. The blends are very convenient and have all the flavors we like and would end up mixing anyhow. (The Mitchell Street Steak Seasoning was our 'gift' when we presented a coupon from the catalog which we had received in the mail.)

Really, I only came here for the peppers- they are unusually moist and fresh…they smell 'rich' and almost buttery in the sample jars; that's the only way I can explain it. They are not all dry like the stuff from dusty packages on store shelves that need to be reconstituted or added to liquid to get at the flavor. I don't use much for the flavors I like and the smaller size portions available are just right for a few months.

We then headed East on University and in the newer City Heights mall area (with the Albertsons, McDonald's, Starbucks among other stores) made a stop (for the second time now) at this clean, modern tortilleria, La Casa del Maiz.

Basically a tortilla factory

which sells a few other related items

shelf stable milk, eggs, cheeses, salsas and a refrigerator of beverages, mostly Jarritos.

On this visit, we went all crazy and purchased a dozen flour and a dozen corn (you are given a choice of white or yellow) tortillas. The corn are wrapped in paper and are sold by weight. How much are these still warm , fresh made tortillas?

Yes. A dozen fresh, hot corn tortillas *and* a dozen fresh, nicely thin and flaky flour tortillas…that's the price.

Since it was close to lunch time, we continued East on University, down to one block West of the Kroc Center. This sign is on what used to be a Starbucks and can be seen from the street. The restaurant is just to the left in this photo.

Walk in and that's the menu: Burritos, carnitas by the pound, quesedillas, sopes, soups, tacos, plates, posole, tortas, tostadas maravilla and chilaquiles. The by the pound carnitas are not at all the only meat here, although (so far) I like it very much.

Neat and clean, there is seating for 60 inside.

If you order to eat in, sides are brought to your table when you order.

As well as a salsa bar at the front, if you are buying something 'to go'. As an aside, the green hot sauce tastes green-and is hot/spicy. The orange hot sauce is very pleasant and has a mild, if any, heat.

On our first visit we ordered one pound of carnitas ($10.99). It comes with rice, beans(cooked with lard and runny, in a good way) and a dozen corn tortillas.

The carnitas are just filled with flavor, moist with a little crispness, not fatty and just right. This serving of one pound was substantial for the two of us; we had leftovers (especially of the tortillas, which are good, but not when compared to those from La Casa del Maiz)

This was the recent meal- a carnitas taco ($2.39) and a cheese quesedila ($2.79)-filled with all white cheese and very good with the hot sauces offered.

The al Pastor burrito ($4.99). The marinated meat is tender, flavorful and plenty in the burrito, which has some rice and the wonderful wet beans, the al pastor marinade and avocado. This was a wonderful surprise and I now want to order the other meats on the menu…

All in all, a nice drive, great food and shopping and we were almost home. I hope all of you are having a good week.

Penzey's Spices 1274 University Avenue San Diego 92104 (619) 297-2777

La Casa Del Maiz 4403 University, Suite 100 San Diego, 92105 (619) 283-3566

Carnitas Las Michoacanas 6503 University Avenue San Diego 92115 (619)229-9574

El Zarape seven years later…….

July 20, 2012 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops

Ed from Yuma recently mentioned in his post on Sea Rocket Bistro, that we've been doing this for over seven years…..sheesh! I recently saw a comment on an old post of mine wondering why I hadn't posted on El Zarape(the original) in over seven years. so I thought I'd better get this done before another seven passes…….

Seven years is a fairly long time. I'm trying to think what was going on back in 2005…..it sure was a different landscape back then, social media was in it's infancy, we thought Flickr was the best thing since sliced bread…it was "BiP"….."Before iPhone". And that was also the last time I'd eaten at El Zarape.

This was before I'd eaten at all those lonchera's, before I'd experienced birria, before I'd had decent mariscos. I couldn't help but wonder how El Zarape as aged over those years. Curiousity warranted a visit.

And the place looked just about the same……….. I know that the "purists" now sneer at El Zarape, at the soy, wasabi, and buffalo chicken burritos. For some reason, the thought of having an "Aloha Burrito" sends shivers up my spine. Yet, I recall, many of those who now criticize El Zarape were head over heels when Luche Libre opened…….

I was pretty pleased to see that EZ's loss leader, the fish taco is still 99 cents, the same price it was when I first ate here in 2001.

Heck, Mariscos el Prieto couldn't even hold their price at a buck for more than a couple of months and the tacos de pescado at Mariscos el Pescador hasn't seen that price in my memory. Truth be told, I'd still pay quarter more to eat at those two trucks than the fish tacos at El Zarape. I'm still not a fan of the crema and the fish was o the dry side with a not so tasty blood line in it. Still, it's hard to argue with 99 cents……..

El Zarape makes up their profit margin with their other menu items. I decided to have a scallop and shrimp taco ($3.25/each) here as well.

The scallops seemed kind of sparse and were really bland and rubbery…..it doesn't even stand up to the tortilla in flavor. Not a good value at over three bucks as well.

I've always enjoyed the shrimp at El Zarape, so I wondered how that would be.

I counted six shrimp, which looked like 41/50, maybe about 2-3 ounces. They were nicely browned on the griddle, moist and tender. Decent shrimp flavor…….maybe better than I had back in '05, though that was a looooong time ago.

I'm hoping not to take another seven years before I'm back at El Zarape. Thought it's been far surpassed, they're still truckin' along and they still have a faithful neighborhood following.

El Zarape
4642 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92116

Hours:
Mon 8 am – 11 pm
Tue-Sun 8 am – 2 am

Pasadena Road Trip-An early 2013 Rose Parade event and breakfast at Lucky Boy

July 19, 2012 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Festivals & Events, Los Angeles County, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Hi there, person reading the blog called mmm-yoso!!! Sometimes Kirk writes here about meals and events and sometimes ed (from Yuma) writes about meals and events. Today, Cathy is writing about an event and a meal.

Well, it's been a hot and busy summer so far, probably for everyone. There are events every weekend it seems. Last weekend, San Diego was hosting both Comic-Con and Over the Line, the Orange County Fair opened and on Saturday, The Mister and I woke at 4:30 a.m., let the dogs out and back in the house, grabbed some snacks and coffee and jumped in the car and headed North, to Pasadena. In less than two hours, we were greeted by this sign.

Our reason for the trip and being here before 7 a.m.. Some of the floats that will appear in the 2013 Tournament of Roses parade were going to be road tested! There are at least three road tests for each float before the parade. This road test was mentioned on the Phoenix Decorating Company Facebook page and not on the website. The Rose Parade has fascinated both of us since we were children, watching it on television every New Year Day from our snow-bound homes back East and we are so happy to be able live here and be able to help decorate floats and also watch the progression of their creation every year.

This will be the Trader Joe's entry. You can see a few of the many kitchen gadgets (and cupcake holders) that will be part of the float. There will be some animation and those parts seemed to be the ones tested.

This is the initial sketch of the float. You can see the photo is facing the opposite of this drawing. It will be interesting to see the final product, which I am sure will be great.

Another float was being driven, with the Observer in front, directing the driver (who will be in an enclosed area in the middle of the float) down the street using headsets and microphones and then directing to a 180 degree turn at the end of the street to get back to the barn.

You can see the driver in this photo.

Other floats have the rebar skeletons covered and are almost ready to be marked for colors. This is the Shriners Hospital float. One bear depicts the Shriners Open Golf Tournament and the other bear depicts the Shriners Football Classic:

The rectangle cut into the belly of that bear will be where the Observer for this float will be looking out along the parade route.

Some of the floats are essentially ready for decorating, covered with foam and painted the colors where the various live and dried materials will be placed and glued. This is the 'off side' of the Nurses' float-the side the television cameras won't show.

This is the "camera side" you will see when you watch the parade on television. So beautiful.

The Rotary International float is very animated- that screw knob in the back spins and so do all of the gears! It was tested with nine riders.

The City of Hope float looks like a Chemistry Laboratory, complete with a spiral bound notebook and microscope.

There were eleven floats in all, all in different levels of being finished and tested for safety. It was fun to watch…and was all over before 9 a.m. There will be another road test on August 18. Dry decorating of the floats begins December 1. Volunteers are always welcome, but you have to sign up. Here are three links about decorating opportunities.

So, it was breakfast time and The Mister and I walked half a block North and over the Metro Gold Line tracks (this is the Fillmore Station)

to Arroyo Parkway and took a left,

and stopped at about two blocks North, at Lucky Boy…which is right at the corner with
the *Original* Trader Joe's location (the logo under the main sign is "Your neighborhood grocery store").

Anyhow, Lucky Boy. Walk up, order…

pay and wait for your number to be called…

A little peek inside the cooking area. The tortillas are cooked on a grill- and have grill marks.

This is a cross section of the famous Breakfast Burrito ($5.80). It weighs about one pound. Really. Hash browns, cheese, scrambled eggs and, in this case, ham-which was warm from the grill; nice. The salsa which came with was tasty and unique, a tomatillo based with some green chili and also a red chili with some heat.

We have been here before, but for lunch and dinner, and I usually order a pastrami something, but this time I decided to try a simple breakfast…

An egg sandwich, on rye toast. ($3.25)(not a typo). Soft scrambled eggs with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a really nice rye bread.

A perfect day. We stopped at a few places and were home by noon. The day had just begun!

Lucky Boy Drive In 640 S. Arroyo Parkway Pasadena, CA 91105 Website It is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, otherwise it's open.

Los Palmitos Taco Shop-Salads, Soup and Fish

June 6, 2012 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Yes, you're reading mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk is enjoying a vacation and doesn't have the bandwidth to blog. ed (from Yuma) is doing lots of things (in Yuma) and blogging isn't one of them. Cathy is the blogger for today.

Hello. I blogged about Los Palmitos in 2008 and thought the food was really good, but the taco shop did not become part of the "regular rotation" for The Mister or me, since it is not near home or work for either of us. However, I do have friends who give me recommendations about their favorite places and items to try and so when driving around town, I have stopped here on a more regular basis have found some standout selections for the times when I don't want a taco or burrito.

You can tell by the architecture of the building that Los Palmitos used to be a Taco Bell. The kitchen is intact and used as a kitchen. There are no other similarities.

This is the poster in the side window, if you need a reason or want an excuse to stop here. Yes, beer. At a Taco Shop.

The salsa bar, which has rules, is filled with four fresh made salsas and other condiments.

The brown-ish salsa is habañero. It is *very* good; there is heat but the other flavors come through. The next hottest is the green salsa, which has a touch of garlic in the flavor. The darker red one is my favorite: it is a chipotle- a roasted jalapeño- and tastes 'full' and rich, almost creamy to me. The lightest red one is very mild; almost like just tomato sauce with a bit of onion, especially after you taste the stronger flavors and then go back to this mildest salsa. Fresh chips come with all orders.

Ground Beef Tostada ($6.10)- simple meal that isn't a burrito. Beans on the bottom, ground beef, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa fresca (chopped tomato/onion/cilantro) all inside an edible flour tortilla bowl. This is very good. However, for a few pennies more-

The Carne Asada Salad ($6.25) is beautifully presented. It isn't in a flour tortilla bowl and there are no beans (less carbohydrates!). It is flavorful and quite large and filling. Lettuce topped with a mild, creamy house dressing, cucumbers, carne asada, cheese and shredded tortilla strips. This is a healthy, filling choice for a meal here.

Caldo de Res ($6.99) Beef soup, with add ins. Rich beefy broth, corn,carrots, squash and a lot of tender pieces of beef. I usually eat half the soup 'as is' and then add in the lime, onions and cilantro and rice…it's like having two different main courses.

Whole fish, fried ($10.05). Usually listed on menus as mojarra frita, this traditional Mexican tilapia preparation is perfectly done at Los Palmitos. The cleaned fish is slit (so it won't curl when being fried) and then rubbed with a marinade of lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Then the fish is pan fried in olive oil. The fish is served with rice, beans (the beans are really good here), tomatoes, salsa fresca, cucumbers, pickled onions, sour cream, guacamole and tortillas.

The day I ordered this fish, the chef from the kitchen brought it out to me. I think he was proud of this presentation, and the fact that someone had ordered something other than burritos. Usually the nice lady working the cash register will hand the fish to me over the counter. This fish was large and the meat was moist and had a good fresh flavor.

Once again, I ate every last bit.

I think Los Palmitos is a hidden gem.

Los Palmitos Taco Shop 5145 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard (between Limerick and Longford) San Diego 92117

(858)974-1946 Open 8 a.m.-midnight, daily Website

California’s Taco Shop (National City) Tostilocos!

May 19, 2012 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

You have somehow found your way to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) don’t have a post for today, but Cathy does.

Hi. Since January, friends have been casually telling me about where they like to eat and what I should try if I go there. Usually these places are either close to where they live or close to where they work and a number of those places are taco shops. I seem to have accumulated a plethora of Taco Shop posts, all of which have really good food. Here is one.

Located in a nondescript strip mall on Highland Avenue in National City, the signage for California’s Taco Shop should catch your eye.

The interior is neat and clean and has seven tables. The menu is a bit more than standard (there is a clearer photo coming up). After we ordered, I was more interested in the pinball machine over there to the right.

Yes, it’s a World Cup (Copa Mundial) machine, made in Spain and very fun to play.

There are even some cool prizes you can win if you get a high score. We played two games while our order was being prepared.

Two Del Mar enchiladas ($4.34) from the a la carte part of the menu. These were excellent. You can see one of the very large fresh shrimp on the top right. The green sauce is exceptional.

The plain quesedilla ($2.40) is GIGANTIC and filled with a lot of cheese. The house made hot sauce is unusually good.

Here is a bit of a better photo of the menu. The description on the sign of ingredients for Tostilocos is pretty accurate, except on this day there was no jicama in the mix.

Tostilocos has been a Tijuana street food for about about ten years now. Sometimes called a fruit-nut-nacho-lard salad, Tostilocos is a meal you can eat with a fork while walking, since it is self contained. Chips, garnished and sauced…loco. Open a bag of some sort of ‘base’ (you can see the choices of Churritos®, Ruffles®, Takis® and Dulces(an extruded masa snack in the shape of a wheel with spokes) in addition to the ‘traditional’ unlisted Tostitos®.

By ‘traditional’, I mean salsa verde Tostitos®, the flavor sold only in Mexico, not the USA. The bag is cut open and the ingredients added.

From the sign above- Cueritos are pickled pork skin (usually sold in kilo size jars; there is no fat and the flavor has a bit of vinegar, the consistency is soft chewy, like gummy candies-it’s those strips of white that look like onion on the left side of the bag in photo below)-Pepino is a fruit that is a cross between cucumber and melon -Chacahuate are peanuts coated in a soy powder (you can buy them at Mexican markets) -chaca-chaca is tamarind candy pieces –Chamoy is a liquid condiment-it is salty, sweet, sour and spiced with chiles and also chile and lime juice are added to the ingredient mix.

The first bite might be startling- all the flavors hit all of your taste buds at once. Then the textures of crunchy chips, gummy cueritos, soft tamarind candy, pepino/cucumber soft crunch and peanuts are amazing and awakening. The second and further bites are pleasant and cause cravings for the unusal combination of flavors. It’s an amazing snack-and really, a meal. I do like the version here.

If you look at the sign next to the Tostilocos description- it indicates that Sinaloa Style pozole, sopes, tacos and tostadas are only available after 6 pm Friday to Sunday. That’s another post. This is a great taco shop that is far from common.

California’s Taco Shop 51 N. Highland Avenue National City 91950 (619)263-3000

La Perla Cocina Mexicana

May 1, 2012 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

A short while ago JeffL emailed me, telling me that a little shop in PB made the best lamb tacos he's had in San Diego. So of course I had to check them out. The address on Emerald Street sounded kind of familiar……as it should have. It was right across the street from Mad Dog's Cafe and right around the corner from Bare Back Grill.

Jeff had advised me to call ahead to make sure they were serving lamb that day. Which is what I did…..and got an affirmative from a very friendly gentleman. I'm assuming the same guy who mans the counter. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that the menu consisted of standard San Diego taco shop (i.e. CABs and California Burritos) fare. Not complaining mind you, but I was in search of borrego. I also noticed that all the customers seemed to come from the hostel next door…filling up on calories and carbs. Sadly, the guy at the counter told me they were out of lamb on this day. But hey, I was here, right? So I ended up ordering a variety of tacos all priced between $2.25 – $2.75.

It ended up being a Al Pastor (adobado), Carne Asada, and a Carnitas. The worse of the bunch was the Al Pastor which had a nice texture, but was terribly bland. The carne asada was decent, but also under-seasoned, the two standard salsas were also pretty mild. These were not "street tacos" mind you, but pretty hefty in size. I quickly noted that every table was going to town with the salt shaker as well.

It was the carnitas that caught my attention. While it too needed a bit more seasoning for my tastes, it was super tender.

Based on the lack of caramelization, I'm thinking these are steamed in their own juices. Though I prefer some crunchy bits with my carnitas (and just about everything except cabeza and lengua), the texture was very nice.

The front desk guy apologized for not having the lamb and promised me they'd have it next time. And so I returned. This time I noticed the availability of lamb on the board outside and got my Barbacoa de Borrego tacos.

I was informed that the lamb is indeed steamed in it's own juices. The texture of the lamb was not quite as soft as the pork, but it was indeed tender. Loved the gamey flavor, but I think a bit more seasoning would lift the flavor up a bit. As it stands, in my opinion, it's a good taco that could be great with a bit more…..also, I ran into a couple of hard bits that need to taken out, especially if being served in a taco. Crunchy is ok, but hard can take your teeth out……

I found that the owner, who also runs the front counter is from Toluca, so if I recall (my geography sucks), this is more Barbacoa.

Still, these were good…

La Perla Cocina Mexicana
745 Emerald St
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 274-3038

Thanks for the rec Jeff!

Mariscos El Navegante: New Seafood Truck in Yuma

February 12, 2012 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, Seafood, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Believe it or not, ed (from Yuma) finally has finished a post and Kirk and Cathy can finally take a day off.

Navegante is no longer on Ave B. Currently (2014) Pacific Ave has become a new taco truck hotspot, with two stands across from each other at the intersection of 24th and Pacific, and several stands (4 or 5 some nights) in a large lot on the west side of Pacific a couple of blocks or so south of 16th.

Every fall, as the snowbirds, packers, and fieldworkers come back to Yuma, new mobile eateries – taco trucks if you prefer – open to serve the burgeoning population. This year, I was delighted to spot a new Mariscos truck, El Navegante, on the east side of Avenue B between 8th Street and 12th – just behind the location of Yuma's Best:
A meal there starts with complementary peel and eat shrimp:
The shrimp are served along side a container of spiced red onions and fresh sliced limes, both of which improve the flavor of the crustaceans:

Soon roasted yellow chilies also make an appearance. Spicy, smoky, and juicy:

Although the menu is limited, just about everything is well done. For example, the fish ceviche has all the right flavor notes, lightly fishy and citrusy. It is also crunchy and fresh flavored:

As good as fish ceviche tostada is, Tina and I think the ceviche de camaron tostada is even better:

The shrimp has not been cooked before marinating and has a very fresh flavor and a bit of chewy texture. The fish and shrimp tacos are also good:

The shrimp tacos have a bit more breading and a bit more crunch. The fish tacos are wonderfully fresh with moist real fish fillets. This fish has never seen a freezer and, after frying, hasn't sat under a heat lamp waiting for someone to order it.

The aguachile at El Navegante is close to perfect. When Roger Naylor, the travel writer for the Arizona Republic (and other publications) was in town, I made sure he and I and some other local eaters dropped in on Navegante around 6 one evening, and the whole lot of us were impressed by the chile and lime marinated raw shrimp plate:

We had ordered it moderately picante, so the hot chili flavors did not overwhelm the freshness of the pristine shrimp. Unlike other aguachiles I have had in the past, the lime juice complemented the seafood instead of souring it. Spice, tang, and shrimpiness were perfectly balanced. Crunchy tostadas, avocado wedges, and mild slices of cucumber went with the camarones perfectly.

On a more recent visit, Tina and I tried their seafood soup, simply called caldo. This is the small size:

The clear mild natural tasting broth was filled with pieces of fish, two or three small shrimp, and a little bit of octopus. At three dollars, it was certainly a good value. I found that the soup got even better when I added the chopped onion and cilantro, squeezed in some lime juice and shot some house salsa into the Styrofoam cup.

We also had what they call chile relleno, a yellow chile stuffed with cheese and shrimp, breaded (or not if you prefer), and served with a chili mayonnaise dip:

While a little bit greasy, it was also crunchy and irresistible:

On this visit, the restaurant even had mantaraya, reconstituted dried giant stingray from the sea of Cortez. We had it in a taco:

Muy rico. I had never had stingray with such rich and concentrated taste before. Not overly salty, the smoky, almost sweet flavors filled the mouth. Amazingly good.

El Navegante also does take out. For example, I once brought home a good fresh tasting campechana (mixed seafood cocktail with onions and cucumber in complex tomato water). While lacking the seafood variety of Juanita's campechana, The mariscos were excellent in flavor and half of it filled a small soup bowl:

From that same day, here is a fish taco, a shrimp taco, a chile relleno, lime wedges, and marinated onions, making a tasty and attractive plate:

El Navegante seems to open around 10 AM and closes around 6:30 or 7 PM. The mantaraya is only available on the weekends and the aguachile takes a little while to marinate. Prices are extremely reasonable, and the family that operates this little truck is friendly and helpful. English (as well as Spanish, of course) is spoken. A little dining gemstone in the southwest corner of Arizona. Navigate yourself here.

Mariscos El Navegante, 1019 S Ave B, Yuma AZ, 928-261-6481

La Casa Maria – Good soup on a cold day

February 2, 2012 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

La Casa Maria is closed.

Well, you're back again, at mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog. Kirk and ed (from Yuma) are still crazy busy and Cathy found a moment to write a short post on her busy day.

Hi. We had some cold and rainy days a few weeks ago (and it looks like we'll have some more this weekend). On one of those days, I happened to be near SDSU -on El Cajon Boulevard just West of 70th- and decided to stop at La Casa Maria, because I wanted a nice bowl of soup.

I knew I could get soup here, because I have been getting soup and mariscos at this sit down shop for many, many, many years, just never blogged about it…the mariscos are excellent, by the way.

Usually people walk up, order to go items and sit down to wait. This family owned and run restaurant is efficient and makes some great food.

You can also eat in. When you do, fresh salsa and chips are brought to your table.

My tlalepeño soup ($7.99). Served with fresh corn tortillas. Tlalpeño is basically a pollo (chicken) soup with a chipotle kick. It is one of the more expensive soups on the menu, but I really wanted no rice and the flavor and heat of a smoked jalapeño.

This *very* large bowl of soup had two skinless (but still bone-in) chicken breasts, carrots, onions, flat beans, cauliflower and garbanzo beans in addition to the chipotle sauce. Of course, it's topped with sliced avocado. I like that it doesn't have rice (like most of the other soups) and the chipotle flavor was just the amount of heat I needed on such a chilly day. The chicken broth/stock here is very richly flavored.

There are quite a few menu items here, in addition to the wonderful Birria soup and all the mariscos- buche, lengua, cabeza and tripa tacos are realy good. In the summer there are several 'specials' which include a beer as part of the meal-you have to read all the outdoor signs.

Even if you don't stop here, you can find some great soups at most taco shops. It's another choice on these cold days when maybe you don't want pho…

La Casa Maria 6969 El Cajon Blvd (between 69th and 70th)San Diego 92115 (619) 444-5869 website