Los Toros Meat Market, Rosemead: All I Ever Need For A Lazy Weekend At Home In The San Gabriel Valley

Everyone in Southern California seems to have their favorite carneceria. Mine just happens to be Los Toros Meat Market in Rosemead. When I'm feeling particularly lazy but am still craving some serious grub, it has everything I need for a weekend at home in the San Gabriel Valley.

What I love about many ethnic markets in Southern California is that they carry a wealth of delicious prepared foods along with their normal grocery selections. Los Toros is no exception. Whoever said "Never go grocery shopping when you're hungry" obviously never lived in L.A. In L.A., we buy the groceries for the stuff we're gonna cook later but get instant gratification from the stuff we can eat now. That's how we roll.

A typical Lazy Los Toros Weekend goes something like this:

1) Put in order for tacos or combination plates at the food counter located in the back of the store. If it's early on a weekend morning, make sure menudo is included in that order 'cause families will come in with pots and scoop all of it up before mid-morning.

2) Pick up some of the market's own tortilla chips and habanera salsa, which, by the way, is my own form of crack as of late. If you like spicy foods, you'll love the slight smokiness of this salsa that burns in a just-enough-to-clear-your-sinuses-a-little way instead of the literally-kick-your-ass way that we often associate habanera anything with.

3) Then you'll wanna go to the meat counter to pick up some carne asada and other marinated meats for grilling that night.


4) Go to cashier to pay for all your stuff.

5) Upon seeing the glass case of carnitas and house-made chicharrones near the door, realize that you want some of those too.


6) Repeat Step 4.

7) Eat the tacos you just bought in your car before leaving the parking lot. Pick up any pieces of cabeza or lengua that may have fallen onto your lap and eat them before you get too many oil stains on your pants.

8) Immediately upon arriving home, put meat & other perishables in fridge. Then bust open the habanera salsa and tortilla chips while you prepare your menudo with lime, oregano, chili flakes and other accoutrements.

9) Savor that bowl of deep reddish-orange broth in front of you. It's got good flavor depth with a nice kick, a good balance of tripe and hominy, and they even throw in a gelatinous pata (foot) or two. No wonder the stuff sells out so quickly.

10) Go about the rest of your morning business, which for me means watching an energetic 2 year old tear up my house.

11) Eat delicious, tender, but slightly crispy hunks of carnitas and rice and beans in combination plate for lunch.


12) Crack a beer open and watch Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew or similar marathon on V-H1 while snacking on more chips and salsa.

13) Take a nap.

14) Fire up grill to cook that meat you purchased.

15) Have a good time at dinner with your loved ones.

16) Wake up hungover, tired and/or lazy, either from what you drank the night before or from life in general. Hungover, that is, in a good way.

17) Crave menudo.

18) Repeat steps 1-16, and 17 if applicable.

Los Toros Meat Market
8210 Garvey Ave.
Rosemead, CA 91770
626.573.8305
www.lostorosmeatmarket.com

Singing The Braises Of Guisados, Boyle Heights

While trying to keep yourself toasty this winter, think outside the Ugg boots and heater. Staying warm in the winter for me means doing it low and slow, which translated into Get-Your-Mind-Out-Of-The-Gutterese means braising and stewing. When that thermometer dips, there's nothing better to eat than some hearty, tender food that's full of flavor, falls apart easily yet still maintains integrity. So while you're searching for something to warm your stomach and soul, why not try some Latin stews and braises at Guisados, the latest venture from the people who brought us Cook's Tortas?

For those of us who have been to Cooks Tortas, a few things at this brand new Boyle Heights eatery are familiar: the floor-to-ceiling chalkboard that tells us what's on the menu that day, big jars of aguas frescas that make you feel refreshed by simply looking at them grace the counter, and wall decor like this menudo sign that reflects chef and co-owner Ricardo Díaz's easy going nature and sense of humor.

Díaz found the abandoned sign nearby and thought it was hilarious that whoever made it ran out of space when writing "menudo" but didn't bother taking it out. [Word and print geeks laugh now.]

Tacos de guisado--tacos topped with the restaurant's daily selection of stews and braises-- are what Guisados is all about. At $2-$3-something a pop, they're more expensive than the buck-to-buck-fifty tacos we're used to picking up at our favorite taquerias, trucks, and stands, but they're also a lot more filling. And as with Cooks, the carby outside of the offerings at Guisados doesn't overshadow the fillings but rather, really lets them shine. Slightly coarse around the edges and slightly thicker than the tortilla I'm normally used to, the handmade tortillas here have an unrefined quality which is actually a good thing in this case.

The tinga de pollo was chicken stewed with a chorizo-based sofrito, onions, and cabbage. Sweet and slightly spicy, its heartiness made me think of a Sunday supper with family at home. A chunk of cool avocado was a nice cooling compliment to such a warming dish.

The steak picado had tender chunks of skirt steak cooked a la mexicana with peppers and onions. It wasn't my favorite of what we tried that day but it was still a solid choice.

But the dishes that reminded me of why I adore braising so much were Guisados' chicharrón and mole de pollo. Chicharrón, or fried pork skin, is amazing on its own but add it to a tasty braise and it takes on a whole other level of deliciousness. The crackly rinds are like a sponge, soaking in the salsa verde and taking on an airy yet al dente consistency while also adding a funky smokiness to the whole thing.

Mole de pollo was everything you'd expect in a good mole: hints of spiciness, sweetness, bitterness and nuttiness working in unison. Sesame and pumpkin seeds added a nice contrasting crunch.

The calabacitas featured a succotash of zucchini, corn, tomatoes and pepper. As a veggie whore, I appreciated that there was a vegetable option, and the tangy and slightly spicy flavors of the succotash were just fine. I did, however, find the consistency to be too watery for a taco. I ended up eating most of this one with a fork.

But wait, there's more! Guisados makes tamales with their stews like the tamal shown above with that mole de pollo I loved so much. And they're only a buck-fifty each. If I lived closer to Guisados, I'd buy one of these for breakfast or lunch or a snack every day. And I'd probably weigh 500 pounds as well.

There were no desserts on the menu yet, but Díaz told us he was experimenting with possible offerings. We were lucky enough to test drive a brown sugar, mascarpone cheese and sweetened condensed milk mixture that Díaz had slathered on a handmade sweet tortilla; I don't recall if it had a name, but whatever it's called, I certainly hope it lands a spot on the chalkboard soon!

With so many delicious, hearty options available at Guisados, and with its namesake, a Mexico City specialty, becoming more widely available in LA (check out Elina Shatkin/LA Weekly's and Bill Esparza/Street Gourmet LA's posts here and here about Tacos Carmelita in MacArthur Park to see what I'm talkin' bout) I see many tacos de guisado warming my gut this winter or heck, even after I've packed the Uggs away.

Guisados
2100 Cesar Chavez
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 264-7201
Become a fan of Guisados on Facebook

Tita's Pupuseria Truck, Buttonwillow: The Anti-Fast Food Food

Thanks to a post by the Glutster a while back, my latest road trip to Northern California didn't involve a food pitstop at one of the several usual fast food chain suspects. Located in lovely Buttonwillow, a less-than-bustling town popular amongst Highway 5 road travellers, Tita's Pupuseria was a delicious way to refuel ourselves after refueling our car.

Although standard taco truck fare is available at the truck, why would I get anything but a pupusa from a pupuseria? And I'm so glad I did! The perfectly grilled discs of masa had a slightly crispy exterior, weren't at all overly greasy (a pupusa pet peeve of mine), and gave way to fluffy interiors oozing with delicious pork and cheese in this particular case. A heaping mound of curtido--a tangy and spicy cabbage slaw--and a couple dashes of salsa roja made them that much better. Pupusas filled with loroco, squash, beans, and/or cheese are also available for $2.75 each or around 9 bucks for a combo of two pupusas and a generous side of rice and beans.

Service can be a little slow, but really, what do you expect when your pupusas are made to order? Stretch your legs out, then sit back and relax at one of the picnic tables set up under the shaded canopy and be thankful that you didn't have to endure another roadtrip meal at McJack In The Crack.

Tita's Pupuseria Truck
Tracy Avenue (you'll see it from the highway, I promise)
Buttonwillow, CA 93206
(661) 378-5644

Tita's Pupuseria also has a restaurant located at 20643 Tracy Ave in Buttonwillow. Phone (661) 764-5111.
According to their business card, the locations are open from 6am to 11pm.

Welcome Back, Mofongos: The Grand Reopening of LA's Only Puerto Rican Restaurant

Imagine the delight of finally eating at a Puerto Rican restaurant in Los Angeles County.

But imagine the disappointment of finding out that the first time may have been the last, at least for a long while.

When Mofongos closed about three months ago, I thought for sure that Los Angeles just wasn't meant to have a Puerto Rican restaurant. Ever. Fortunately, Chef/Owner AC knew that his customers weren't going to take no for an answer and kept us updated via a Facebook fan page. "Mofongos will be back..." he wrote, asking his 600+ fans for prayers over the span of the last couple of months as he hunted down a new location for his restaurant. Then one day in October I read the following post: "Wild change of fate! We'll be back at the old cafe but this time it's gonna say Mofongos en frente!" Wow, who would've thought...Facebook can be useful!

AC's mami greeted us with a loud and warm "¡Bienvenidos!" as we walked into the former La Espiga Cafe space which had since been revamped into a space that's much more characteristic of Boricua pride. The walls had been repainted a vibrant peach color that's reminiscent of the bright sherbety pastels literally seen all over La Isla Del Encanto itself. More specifically, she described it as the color of quenepas, a lychee-like fruit with peach-colored flesh that's common in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican mementos such as a pilón de madera, the wooden mortar and pestle traditionally used to make mofongo, and an old box of dominoes bearing the Puerto Rican flag are proudly showcased in a glass case in the corner. A menuboard carrying, chefs whites wearing ceramic pig sits atop the counter and is perhaps a bit cliché but its message "Mi Casa Es Su Casa" says everything about the homey, friendly vibe of this newly reopened restaurant.

The food, more importantly, was just as delicious as before. Mofongo con carne guisada satisfied my craving for garlicky, chicharrony (is that even a word?) goodness.

Pollo guisado was a hearty stew of chicken and sofrito was good by itself, but was even better with a side of arroz con habichuelas (rice with stewed pink beans) and tostones (fried green plantains) that I personally used to sop up extra sauce on my plate.

But the star of our meal was the restaurant's pernil, roasted pork shoulder, whose low-and-slow-cooked fork tender meat and perfectly browned garlicky crust were gobbled up before anyone could say "más."

A good sized hunk of budin (Puerto Rican bread pudding), subtley sweetened with evaporated milk and cinnamon and dotted with raisins, ended our meal.

Continuous streams of customers came through Mofongos during our lunch on the restaurant's grand reopening day. It was a sign that all things Puerto Rican--whether it be the food, the smiles, the music, the atmosphere, or anything else one may have at one point experienced on La Isla Del Encanto--were missed in LA, even if only for three months. Welcome back, Mofongos!


Mofongos
5757 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 754-1051
www.mofongosrestaurant.com
Now open from 10am-10pm daily!



**Please be sure to read my first post about Mofongos when it was still operating out of La Espiga Cafe!**

Some Long-Awaited Puerto Rican Sabor In LA: Mofongos Restaurant at La Espiga Cafe, North Hollywood

It has literally been 22 months since I've eaten Puerto Rican food. Why?

Well first of all, that's when I last visited La Isla Del Encanto.

Secondly, my Puerto Rican husband can't cook. (Shh, don't tell him I said that.)

And thirdly, although Southern California is probably one of the most ethnically diverse regions cuisine-wise, there is an undeniable lack of Puerto Rican restaurants here in the Southland. Yeah, yeah, Señor Big Ed's in Cypress does serve Puerto Rican food but they're a combination Mexican/Puerto Rican eatery that's also a bit of a drive for those of us located north of the 10 freeway. Sazon in Culver City has one or two Puerto Rican dishes sprinkled amongst a slew of other Latin fusion dishes. There used to be a pan-Caribbean restaurant called Sabor Y Sons Express in Inglewood that served Puerto Rican food but they closed a few years ago.

It hasn't been until this February that chef/owner Augusto of Mofongos Restaurant put Puerto Rico back on LA's gastronomic map. And I'm not talking in a half-assed way either: no part Mexican-part Puerto Rican, no Latin Fusion, no pan-Caribbean. This place is 100% Boricua, baby.

Operating six nights a week out of La Espiga Cafe, a cafe and coffeehouse by day, Mofongos would be a little difficult to find if you didn't know any better. But take one look at the dry-erase board outside listing the restaurant's daily Puerto Rican specials as well as the cars of Puerto Rican ex-pats proudly donning their flag that are likely to be parked out front and you'll know you're at the right place. Walk in and you're greeted with the same hospitality that my Mami-In-Law would have showered you with as a guest in her home back on the island.
I was most excited by the restaurant's several side dish offerings since they're the same snacks I remember noshing on when my husband and I crawled the various kioskos along the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico two years ago in search of between-beach eats. Our beef alcapurria, a totally tubular (no pun intended) fried snack made with plantains and yautia and stuffed with meat came fresh from the fryer and was made even more of a guilty snacking pleasure with a side of mayoketchup, a mayonnaise and ketchup hybrid that's popular in Puerto Rico. We also enjoyed a delicious pastelillo--a fried pastry in the likes of an empanada and filled with seasoned beef--and a cola champagne--a bright orange soda that tastes like someone mixed diet cream soda and root beer together--before our entrees arrived. We limited our appetizers to two selections this time, but can't wait to try the restaurant's other snacks such as pasteles, tostones, relleno de papa, and surollitos de maiz.

The restaurant's chuletas (porkchop) dish consists of a thinner chop that gives you more of its seasoned crusty sear with each bite. Although we found the chop a tad on the salty side, the meat itself was tasty and tender; any overzealousness with the salt was nothing that a hearty side of arroz con habichuelas (rice with pink beans) and maduros (sweet plantains) couldn't help to offset.
The star of our dinner show, however, was the restaurant's mofongo, a virtual molded bowl of mashed green plantain, garlic and chicharrones that in this particular instance, contained ropa vieja, a dish of stewed, shredded beef. The moist, mealy mixture has an appearance reminiscent of cornmeal or masa with a slightly coarser texture and bursts with garlicky, fried pork skin flavor. Depending on that day's specials, you can choose from different toppings for your mofongo as well as the type of cracklings your mofongo is made of. The restaurant's menu default is chicken mofongo--made with chicken and topped with chicken--but on this particular day they had pork mofongo as well as a shrimp and ropa vieja topping. And you know I love me some pig and cow so pig and cow it was. I gave my baby and husband a little bit of this mound that was the size of a small dog bowl, but it was so tasty that I was selfish with this one for the most part. I ate the whole thing. Plus the sweet plantains and salad that came with it.

The restaurant was by no means packed when we came for our early dinner, but the excitement and island pride buzzing from the handful of patrons who were dining there that evening was enough to fill the small space. Festive beats from the island greet you as soon as you walk up. A gentleman enjoying a bistec encebollado with a Coco Rico soda at one of the restaurant's two outdoor tables practically wiped his plate clean. Inside, an older couple chatted up a storm with our extremely friendly server Mercedes reminiscing about their old Nuyorican neighborhood. Chef/owner Augusto, wearing a Puerto Rican flag baseball cap, took his time cooking in the restaurant's small kitchen, a sign not of slow service, but of a lot of pride and care put into the food. Now if I'm excited about this place (me being Chinese and all), I can't imagine what the Puerto Rican community in Los Angeles must feel to finally have a taste of home in the Southland.

Mofongos at La Espiga Cafe
5757 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 754-1051
www.mofongosrestaurant.com
Open Tuesday-Sunday from 4-9 pm

Back To Basics: Breed Street Food Fair, Boyle Heights

In this crazy competitive, detail-driven world we live in where all our "I"s have to be dotted and "T"s crossed in order to make a good impression on others or to fulfill some obsessive-compulsive need of my own, I sometimes get a little tired. Umm, wasting perfectly good cardstock from throwing out wedding favor tags that weren't perfect? Guilty. Putting six pairs of destructed boyfriend jeans side by side to see which ones had the best holes? Now that's just insane. *Raises hand in shame*

Living in LA, our everyday lives are oftentimes wrapped around people and places that certainly don’t help curb the tendency to get caught up in small insignificant details. But at the same time, there are people to see and places to go in LA that can help one get away from all that craziness. On a recent weekend night, for example, my family and I met Jeni & Dylan from Oishii Eats and Eat, Drink & Be Merry, Anjali from Delicious Coma, and a handful of other foodies at the Breed Street Food Fair in Boyle Heights.

A place where cardboard signs and clip-on lamps are all one needs for advertisement.

A place where people of all ages, sizes and ethnicities are welcome...

...and where people smile and actually mean it.

A place where we use our hands as utensils and the top of my kid’s stroller and the bumper on a truck serve as a table.

A place where industrial gourmet kitchens are nowhere to be seen and food is scooped out of, prepared on and cooked in cardboard boxes, metal carts and plastic tubs. Where a very friendly woman pounded, filled and shaped masa for my pupusa revuelta over a cardboard box, and where she laughed at me and my crazy other half when when she asked “¿Con curtido?” and he answered “no” but I immediately flipped my head around and yelled “¡Si, con curtido!”



A place where I savored globules of cheeky, fatty goodness from the tacos de cabeza from the tacos al vapor cart and a place where I got to try a cemita for the first time. Where I watched a guy throw a couple of breaded steaks into a steel drum full of oil sitting on a portable burner and turn them into golden brown milanesa. Where I cringed at the pungent, cilantro-like taste of herb papalo inside but revelled at the sandwich made of milanesa, avocado, queso panela and chile once sliding the large leaf out.


A place where a perfect churro is made from what some people eating a churro for the first time at the latest rage in desserts might consider a most imperfect-looking contraption.

Losing sleep if the data in my Excel spreadsheets isn't formatted to a tee won't really matter in the long run will it? But bonding with family and friends on a weekend night over good food that's cooked, served, and enjoyed in a parking lot, hands orange and greasy from a delicious pambazo? You're damn right it will.

Breed Street Food Fair
Breed Street at Cesar Chavez, across from Big Buy Foods
Every Thursday-Sunday from 7-10 pm

Be sure to read Eat, Drink & Be Merry's, Delicious Coma's, Pleasure Palate's, and Street Gourmet LA's wonderful reviews of the Breed Street Food Fair!