Believe it or not, Christmas is only four weeks away. In LA, tamales are a huge part of the holiday season. Many people place their special orders with their favorite tamale vendor; others purchase masa (corn dough) and enjoy tamale-making as a family experience. I’ve tried a number of tamale vendors and my current favorite…
Mexican
Memorable Breakfast at Foxy’s Restaurant
I love breakfast. During my childhood, I was raised during the cholesterol scare. Because of that, my mom served boring breakfasts. It wasn’t until I lived on my own that I began experiencing truly delicious breakfasts at local area restaurants. Through Eater, I recently became aware of Foxy’s Restaurant in Glendale and I invited a…
El Barrio Opens in the South Bay
Chef/Owner Ulises Pineda-Alfaro (Tikifish, Umi by Hamasaku) didn’t waste any time when Angel City Grill closed. El Barrio quickly took its place and he and his co-owner Joe Lin transformed the location to a modern LA taqueria. This is not your typical taco restaurant that serves street tacos. The menu is chef-driven and it is…
Cemita Poblanas El Sapito for Unique Sandwiches
Los Angelenos are able to enjoy a wealth of authentic Mexican food. While Sonoran cuisine is quite plentiful across LA, you have to visit South LA and Boyle Heights to experience food from other states such as Oaxaca, Yucatan, and Puebla. My goal that day was to eat a cemita poblana at Cemita Poblanas El…
Visit 106 Seafood Underground For Amazing Mariscos
updated Aug 2004 Editors Note: Sergio Peñuelas closed his backyard operation and opened Checo’s Seafood, a brick-and-mortar on Imperial Hwy in Inglewood. The late Jonathan Gold passed away a couple of years ago, but his indelible presence in the food community is still felt. When he was alive, I asked him for advice on mariscos,…
Poca Madre, Modern Mexican in our Nation’s Capital
I recently traveled to our nation’s capital for business. I only had one night out for dinner and I had to make the most of it. Since I was traveling with two others, I had to select a place that would also satisfy my colleagues’ desire for something they wouldn’t mind eating. I selected Poca…
LA Times, The Taste, Returns Labor Day Weekend
Each year during Labor Day weekend, the LA Times hosts their annual “The Taste”. This event features food and beverage tastings from some of the hottest restaurants in LA. Attendees may also attend cooking and beverage demonstrations by some of the most notable chefs and mixologists in LA. My recap of last year’s opening night…
Papi’s Tacos and Churros Offers Birra de Res
Teddy’s Red Tacos made Birria de Res popular in LA. Unlike the traditional Mexican birria made with goat, their version is made with beef. The latest restaurant to feature beef birria de res is Papi’s Tacos and Churros in the Jefferson Park area of LA. They recently took over the space occupied by Taco Window. …
Holbox Delivers Delicious Baja California Seafood
I miss Jonathan Gold. While I appreciated how available he made himself for conversation, I long for his restaurant reviews in the LA Times. 2018 was the last complete “Top 101 Restaurants” list he assembled and I’ve been slowly making my way through the list. Holbox caught my attention when the review published in 2017…
Gringo Bandito Spicy Yellow Sauce Debuts
Dexter Holland of the multi-platinum band The Offspring created his first hot sauce as a Christmas present to his friends. The response to his hot sauce was so overwhelming that Holland decided to put it out commercially as Gringo Bandito. The company is based in Orange County. On May 5, 2019, Gringo Bandito released a…