CEMITAS & CLAYUDAS PAL CABRÓN...Y CABRONAS QUE LO ACOMPAÑEN: Hey, That's Me?!

Story of my life? I wish...

Seriously, it's actually the newest naughtiest food child of the same family who brought the L.A standard Guelaquetza restaurants. This place is perhaps the only restaurant positive of making even the most pizza/flaming hot cheetoes-esque of my old East L.A Garfield High School homies become even the most diligent of austere foodies.

It's a concept that Bricia Lopez and her brother Fernando Lopez brought to life after a recent trek to Puebla and discovering the delicate beauty of their street staple, a Cemita Poblana, the omnipresent sandwich of Puebla. Freshly baked, dense, rustic roll dusted with Ajonjoli (Sesame Seeds) and made with the legit stuff, not Crisco...yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Seethed with Milanesa, Quesillo, Queso Panela, Avocado, Chipotle, and the ever acquired taste of Papalo, an herb that smells like if a really thirsty deer just walked on top of it.






...confuse a Cemita with a Torta here and you probably would get immediately run out of the restaurant with your face caricatured on one of the many facetious murals surrounding you, maybe next to this one, peeping at at you while you do your business.





Admit it, we all have our different tastes when it comes to these things...But I'm sure las cabronas available here will satisfy even the most kinkiest of preferences.

Traditional? Perhaps La Tetanic.





Milanesa de Pollo (Breaded Chicken)

Simple? Maybe La Pipiris Nais





Jamon (ham)

Picky? How 'bout La Tuya





Whatever you want, any way you want it...

And for you confident sticklers--you know who you are--not just settling for anything and wanting it ALL, there's: La Más Cabrona, with an impressive head cheese that would stand up pretty well on it's own next to any Italian premium Charcuterie platter.





("Milanesa de Res, Queso de Puerco, Y un Chingo de Aguacate")






How do I like 'em? Well,you all know me, exotic, spicy with a tender bite is always a plus. I like me La de Barbacha





Barbacoa de Borrego Enchilado (Seasoned Lamb)






Drinks anyone?





Micheladas here with all these voluptuous cabronas is a godsend, preferred Chela (beer) of Pacifico present with all the fixin's of that signature Oaxacan-arthropod, pungent taste. Spicy yet soothingly refreshing, almost crossing the threshold into savory with the cultural additions of Salsa Inglesa (Worcestershire Sauce) and the haunting earthy taste of dehydrated Gusanos de Maguey (larvae, which bore in Agave Tequila plants) up in the mingle with that tiny, dastardly chile known as Piquin.

Of course, the usual homemade Aguas Frescas are also available, revolving daily but always having Guelaguetza's renown blended Red Tuna-tinted (prickly pear) Horchata, almost inedible seeds and all. Made authentically with Mexican imported Tunas and rice only (no milk), generous with toasted pecan pieces and cut up ripe melon. Sundae spoon included to become your own mixologist.






You don't swing the Cemita way you say? Oh, into that black [bean], slender thang, Las Cabronas got yo' back...

Clayudas here are folded over and griddled until just the edges are crispy, but the middle still soft. With those beans, Quesillo (Oaxacan String-stlye cheese) and and air-dried, spiced meat of choice: Cecina Enchilada (spiced pork) & Tasajo (aged beef).





The only legally-legit Quesillo available in L.A.

They give you the option of having 'con Asiento' (straight translation to: sit; chair) or not, I'm sorry sweetbreads but this now takes the prize for the most non-offensive, misleading food term--refers to that luxurious, swoon effect taste of lard.





spice-rubbed Cecina...yeees.

The fold-over effect doesn't sound like much but phenomenally makes it into a whole other creature in itself...Should give anyone that describes a Clayuda as a Mexican Pizza a good 'at the moment' description predicament.

On my way out, I see a sign and find out that they are open until 4AM Thursday to Friday.





Now that and this...is the story of my life.

CEMITAS & CLAYUDAS PAL CABRÓN...Y CABRONAS QUE LO ACOMPAÑEN
2560 E. Gage Ave.
Huntington Park, CA
90255
(323) 277-9899
www.lascabronas.com

Beyond the Fish Taco: Baja Flavors in Plaza Mexico (Saturday, June 20th)

Sponsored by the Baja California Tourism Board, this event will be planning to finally shine some much needed light to the underestimated cuisine of Baja California...beyond the ubiquitous fish taco.

Thanks to the only other paisa foodbloggero, Bill (streetgourmetLA) I know, who is working with them, helping them out. This will be a sort of precursor of what is to come for this Baja trip a few of us select bloggers are attending, in a couple of weeks.







Check out and support.

Taste of Nation 2009 and Mole Cookoff: Until Next Time...

A rather 'persistent' amount of phone calls, email's in the last couple of weeks but...I made it: Taste of Nation 2009. I barely got a wink of sleep due to the mere thought of it, over 50 restaurants which the closest I affordably get to actually experiencing them is only through the brilliant posts, prose and photos of my fellow L.A foodblogger familia.

Was disapointed in myself for arriving 10 minutes late but the bus is not the bestest of transit's on Sunday afternoons. There she was, in all its sun-struck, food-frenzied glory...






I have noticed that as soon as I walk in to any of these food events, I tend to have a race with myself to sample each and every dish from each and every booth. Not just anxiety, more than often, the majority of offerings are almost always swept clean at the halfway point of an event. Today, I put myself in the perspective of the average rich Joe and chose my plan of attack to the aisles most closest to entrance first, instead of my usual random, giddying around and scoping out the scene out first.

Rivera Restaurant came outta nowhere and got my attention, with their most appealing representation of the almighty Tortilla, griddling a handmade one layered with Pansy blossoms--just take it in.






More like a polenta-pancake when bit into, hinting of truly made from "Modern Latin Cuisine" attempt at from scratch. Their "Chile Verde" was actually Taqueria Style Guac. nonetheless, props earned.






Fig's Confit Duck with Farro and Tart Cherry--delish, delish. Some sort of nut in Farro added jubilant crunch compared with juicy duck.






The only dish which I went back for seconds after tasting every single booth: Nobu's Miso Glazed Black Cod on Butter Lettuce with Shredded Phyllo...






The regular food clock of savory following sweet follows the infinity concept when it comes to the constructs of food events, shocking your tongue with umami-rich savory's, even after the most decadent of sweets, such as this:





Craft's Buttery-crumbed Peach Buckle here is no meal clincher in the least.

But we all know that innate habits are hard to break, so I still fall back to my old ways and like to do 2 or 3 sweets in a row to keep the sugar-high running strong...





Gelato Bar's Chocolato Sorbet was cream-lessly creamy and bittersweet, in this sun, knew this stuff was as good as gold here; they were out by 3 past the starting hour.

Now for the transition back to savories, something in between these flavor spectrums.





Deep Fried Walnut-Crusted Turkish Apricot stuffed with Chevre courtesy of Venice Beach Wines.

Talking about transition, if normal tiny capers are salty, what does that make this Grusa variety (14+ mm) like? On top of this Vitello Tonnato Roasted & Chilled Veal Tenderloin, Creamy Tuna-Caper Aioli toast from Locanda Del Lago...






Props to Susan Feniger's Street and BottleRock restaurants for choosing to do renditions of culturally venerated spicy/sweet street foods.





Crisp shelled Pani Puri stuffed with spiced Potatoes, Yogurt, Tamarind and sprouted Mung Bean and Lentil sprouts, from the street snack standardized Uttar Predesh region of North India (thanks Andrew for enlightening me on that).






Bottlerocks chopped up Okonomiyaki seafood pancake rich with slivered Nori seaweed, thick-flaked Bonito fish and assorted usual seafood mix. Japanese thin mayonnaise to boot! A little fancier than Hiroshima's version but different is sometimes good.

Learned a long time ago that I shouldn't post about about ALL the day's noshings so I guess, I'll switch over now to the glamorous part of the food life: Celebrity local chefs. Nawh, nevermind. In it for the quality of food, not for the drama and glamour of this Chef this or that Chef that.

As you guys may have heard, a "Mole Cook-off" was to take place this on this glorious day. Moderated and judged by Shifu Jonathan Gold along with Good Food's Evan Kleiman and Nancy Zaslavsky, a Mole cookbook author (thanks Mr. Gold, for reprimanding me on that).

The Mole to be judged was...Mole Negro, taking its roots from the seven regions of Oaxaca, a motley brew of typically +30 ingredients, most of which have to be individually soaked beforehand then fried/toasted/pureed to create that notorious jet-black, smooth sheen.

The contestants were:






The ever so lovely Bricia Lopez of L.A's famous, family run Guelaguetza restaurante






Hometown Hero, Rocio Camacho of Moles La Tia.

And last but certainly not least (Jaime, Ramiro?!)





Tlapazola Grill

Pressure was on, especially for the Gold Guru, as he diligently displayed his Mole palate skills, right in front of our very eyes:





The master and his craft, I am not worthy!

Seriously though, to judge this--still--is like comparing apples to oranges, they are just too different, I bet each of the competitors come from a different region of Oaxaca to begin with. I would have to agree with the Gold Guru with his comment he made as he announced the spicy victor.

"This is one of the most hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my entire food profession life".

...Moles La Tia, I've personally have noticed that the people just love her pronounced signature, nonchalant deft hand with chiles.







May she use that J.A Henckles knife set with reassuring pride, at least until the next challenger stands up...

As I walked out, greeting chef's and holding my metabolism to full regard, I contemplated the day's epic eating's and outcomes, while thinking of what I was going to have for breakfast the next day.

Until next year Taste of the Nation, until next year...

Glutster Just 'Assigned' Taste of the Nation: L.A (June 14, 2009; Culver City)

Just in,

For those of you that witnessed my 'utmost dedication' to my food writing/blogging career last year and saw just how much going to these food events mean to me...

I will be covering Share our Strength's Los Angeles Taste of the Nation 2009 this upcoming Sunday (June 14, 2009: Culver City Media Park!)

This event is one of the few where 100% of the ticket sales actually go for the set charity: to make sure that no kid in America has to go through hunger pangs.

That being said, tickets are a splurge, but a fruitful urge at that.

East L.A Hometown hero, Rocia Camacho of Moles La Tia will be fiercefully competing for Mole Gold at the Mole Cook-Off that will be held, judged by the Jonathan Gold Guru himself, I am faithful.

The list just keeps getting better and better, get to meet all L.A celebrity chefs as they themselves are usually manning their booth.

Buen Provecho

GOLD SPONSORSDIVINE PASTA CO. FOR CUBE CAFE AND MARKETPLACE
WISCONSIN MILK MARKETING BOARD, INC. FOR FORD'S FILLING STATION
TIARA CAFE
GETTLOVE FOR RIVERA
SILVER SPONSORSFIG
LAGOBRONZE SPONSORSAKASHA
ANGELI CAFÉ
ANIMAL
BAR MARMONT
BESO
BLT STEAK
BLUEBIRD CAFÉ
BOTTLE ROCK
CAFE PINOT
CHURCH & STATE
COMME CA
CRAFT LOS ANGELES
FRAICHE/RIVA
GELATO BAR
GRACE/BLD RESTAURANT
JAR
JOE'S RESTAURANT/BAR PINTXO
KATSUYA
K-ZO
LOTERIA GRILL
LUCQUES/AOC
M CAFE/CHAYA BRASSERIE
MELISSE
MOZZA
NOBU
ONE RESTAURANTS(STK & ONE)
PALATE FOOD + WINE
SIMON LA
SUNSET RESTAURANT
TABLE 8/8 OZ
THE BOWERY/DELANCEY
DD FACTOR JOBS FOR THE FOUNDRY ON MELROSE
VENICE BEACH WINES
WESTSIDE TAVERN
WILSHIRE
XIV VIP SPONSORMOONSHADOWS
LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL MAGAZINE
XOORO
AUCTION SPONSORSUGARCOATED CATERING
ADDITIONAL SPONSORSLA SPECIALTY
LA WEEKLY
ROCK HARD FILMS
SPA PROMOTIONS
LAMILL COFFEE

Final's-Crunch Post: STK L.A

Almost done with semester at PCC, still have no idea what I'm going to do in life. Was thinking of going somewhere in South-East Asia if I man up in time, but my 4 year macbook companion, took a five feet dive yesterday and it wasn't pretty, like dropping a baby. Hmmm...new mac or vacation?

So backlogged, don't even know where to start, must use this school library time carefully!

Being a guy of my word...






A while back, Abby from PleasurePalate organized a media dinner with a bunch of us over at STK house, basically an event where the set restaurant gets to showcase it's chops. Abby is interning with One Group, responsible for other L.A-hip abodes such as One Sunset and Coco De Ville.

Blogger dinners are something all in their own, an all out attack of comped dishes, drinks, desserts one after the other until we reach that sad/sickening feeling of satiation and you just can't take another bite...one of my top reasons of loving life personally.

Today was no exception.





Talk about [tongue] sweeping a foodblogger off his taste buds! Tomato 4 ways (Tomato "tartar", marinated sun-dried tomato, flash fried tomato, and a marinated raw cherry tomato), Chef Todd Miller set the bar high with this special off-the-menu starter. Top quality tomatoes of any sort need not too much doctoring at all, as is the case here with basil infused olive oil & a dash or two of bacon salt, like I said, not much at all.

A cocktail pairing was to accompany every course apparently, courtesy of their mixologist Pablo Moix. Wished I would of knew this before the cocktail reception, based from PURELY aroma and presentation sense perceptions...\






Uva Caipirinha (Leblon cachaca, red grapes, lime, clover honey)






Golden Roasted Beets get the Eastern treatment with coriander, micro mint, yogurt & a light curry blend ($12). Surprisingly superb blend vs. these perfectly cooked root veggies.






Jumbo Lump Crab Salad (green melon, avocado, mache greens and kaffir lime)
Keeping true with it's "Jumbo" naming (for once), this mix was jam packed with luscious, sweet crab flesh, tasting overly fishy in some bites, but that Kaffir lime took care of that nicely.






Capsicum Mojito (Bacardi, lime juice, mint leaves, bell pepper)
...smelled sweet and spicy, in the truest sense of the word.






Lil' Big Macs (Japanese wagyu, "special sauce", sesame bun; $20)
Juice bombs that made perfect headway for those nice fresh-baked buns, that secret sauce only brought everything together. Never having an actual Big Mac ever in my life, and not planning, ever, especially after this baby.






Wet and Dry Aged Beef orders were charred & nice from what I can remember, but not to much swoon factor, the myriad of sauce I'm sure would of helped (herbed Bearnaise, red wine sauce, blue butter, STK, lemon mustard, bold STK, and toasted peppercorn, creamy horseradish) if only they weren't all the way on the other side of the buzzed blogger table...

Swoons were definitely heard on these spud sticks though.





Truffe Parm. (more like porn) Cheese Fries
Lincoln log style-stacked. Wait, since I wasn't around to play that back in the day, so, can't really walk the talk, so, here's my J.Gold style bad ass description: Jenga, jenga, jengaaa! A-ha, take that J. Gold guru...

And the night's clincher, a most surprising makeover of old friend friends.





Hazelnut Pop Tart w/ Hazelnut Ice Cream
Nutella containers and Chocolate Pop Tarts never lasted longer than a week in my house. These renditions were impressive, they got down that signature crumby, buttery crust like in the industrial artificial ones but actually made from real quality ingredients. And very few times does A la Mode not work on desserts.

Honestly, didn't know what to expect as I fell asleep on the bus coming to this place but, it was pleasantly surprise. Vowed to myself to never become one of those L.A hipster type of guy's, but wouldn't mind coming back on an 'expense account' one day to experience that hip burger, fries and Nutella pop tart thang.



Other bloggers who joined who were hip enough:

Alli 411 http://alli411.blogspot.com/
Folie a Choisauce http://choisauce.wordpress.com/
Food She Thought http://foodshethought.blogspot.com/
Gastronomy http://gastronomyblog.com
Gourmet Pigs http://gourmetpigs.blogspot.com/
Kung Food Panda http://kungfoodpanda.blogspot.com/
Liquid Muse, The http://theliquidmuse.blogspot.com
Matt Bites http://mattbites.com
Mattatouille www.mattatouille.com
Seeking Food http://seekingfood.blogspot.com
Sinosoul http://sinosoul.com/
streetgourmetla http://streetgourmetla.blogspot.com/
Teenage Gluster http://teenageglutster.blogspot.com/
When Tara Met Blog http://www.tarametblog.com/

List thanks to Gastronomy Blog

STK
755 N La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
310-659-3535

Mmmm...[Secret] Barbacoa

Girls have been eating up my blogging time lately, a lot. At least two ‘friend requests’ per online networking medium a week—average--thanks to that Bizarre Foods episode I came out in a while back. Not a bad thing, I mean, if it wasn’t for this girl I met a while ago…I would had never found out about this lady who sells the worthwhile lamb dish known as Barbacoa straight from her backyard pit--score.






I was ecstatic, the secret restaurant concept is one that makes any foodie swoon with giddiness. And there it was...

From the Puebla provinces of Mexico, Tia Flor slaughters one sheep, and one sheep only every single Saturday.





She breaks the night, dwelling into twilight hours of Sunday, tossing and turning the smoldering Maguey cactus leaves that moisten and infuse the fresh mutton chunks that it encapsulates within. The ash temperature can turn to toughening hell in a sleep-derived blink of an eye.






I will say what is to be said, that is: foolhardy consistence. Then again, hell's oven really has no way of being controlled, thus, the concept of consistence--in this case--is quite contrary. This is not the best I've had in my life--that would be this guy in the corroding streets of East D.F (Ahuizontla, Nacaulpan), he makes a three hour trek from ______ every Sunday morning. But just as his tender game runs out by the strike of noon...so does hers.





My first taste of the stuff was actually at my house, take-out, personal delivery right after--no meeting parents for me, thank you very much! At first taste...smoke, in it's most subtle of way's I've EVER experienced it before, unlike any of the restaurant stuff I've had around here before. The flesh itself actually had flavor, my mind was running lucid imagining how her Consomé, the broth that leaks of the lamb as it roasts, would be like.






My foodie apparition was correct, spiked with creamy Garbanzo's, it was utterly unami in every savory sense of it, along with that subtle smokiness...






She also griddles up some'!






Quesadilla's here are stuffed with the Mexican Exotics Canon: First, the notorious jet oil-black stuff known as Huitlacoche that is the epitome of the "earthy" flavor characteristic. Second, Flor de Calabasa (Squash Blossom's) that are marinated. And last, the strikingly aromatic herb that Aztec's knew as "Skunk Plant" aka Epazote.

Mention "con todo" and your fresh-made tortillas raptures will be truly glutted. Hongos, mushrooms that are snipped up into tiny little rectangles and of course, Chicharron (fried pig skin), that is fried to jagged crispness and also cut into confetti-sized pieces. You will be surprised to see how much those aforementioned sized items adds immensely to overall awesomeness.





Consistence in this category is fail-safe, hence, these are the best Quesadillas I have ever had the pleasure of.

With this, a description of her Salsa supplements is almost mandatory.





Behold:
Tangy Tomatillo Green,
Tomato--not chile--based Red (don't let tomato fool, packs a punch)
Cured Red Onion and Habanero Relish...fucken fire.

I was also introduced to a Jaliscan Neveria (Ice Cream) street vendor that makes some of the smoothest water/cream-based, natural Tamarindo nieve I have ever tasted.

Doña Evangelica also sticks to old world ways, from house-to-back-of-truck vending, the making of these Nieves takes several day's. Ice Cream making is a full arm workout, churning and churning for two hours, or however long it takes for the rock-salt and ice solution to do it's thing on five gallon steel tubs filled with base. She starts on Tuesday and goes on making the stuff until showtime: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.







Doused with a strong Chamoy sauce she actually makes from scratch, it's originally made from apricots for a Mexican Sundae sort of thing, on a Sunday afternoon. This usually follows a trip out to that ghetto Barbacoreria, and it's like also like an esoteric godsend after all that spicy, heavy food.

Mmmmmm...occult debauchery.





And they also do a Tequila Nieve for special occasion.

"Ohh...sure! I'll be happy to meet your parents..."

Garcias Mexican Ice Cream:
cell: (323) 271-9437
(323) 309-6313
On corner of Potrero Grande St. and Rush St. (Citizens Business Bank parking lot)

Secret Barbacoa
shhh...it's a secret!