tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4845740738406088092024-03-13T16:28:36.739-07:00Ventura County TacosRob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-18122966167826782452013-06-24T17:16:00.001-07:002013-06-24T18:11:24.036-07:00Badass Tacos - Thousand Oaks <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, I never would have thought that the first place I would hit up after a 9 month layoff would be a place in Thousand Oaks. Maybe that's just a testament to the sad state of affairs this blog is currently in. But baby steps dammit! baby steps...</div>
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Should I just reintroduce myself? </div>
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My name is Rob, I live in Newbury Park, California. I am the owner of three children and have loved eating tacos since at least 1982-1983; or whenever it was the Lakers got swept by the Sixers in the finals. I started this blog 2 years ago (I think??) with the sole purpose of cataloging taquerias and places that sell tacos strictly in the Ventura County with hopes of finding awesome tasting tacos. </div>
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Anyway- Thousand Oaks is a place I have ties to; it was my first entrance into the Ventura County. My parents moved me and my sister there from the San Fernando Valley when I was 12. Needless to say, I always thought that Thousand Oaks had a horrible Mexican Food scene. However, in the last 2-3 years they have really turned things around. </div>
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What with new entries including: the amazing Esablos Meat Market, the mostly okay Siesta Market , the fantastic Loteria Grill and the utterly bourgeois Sabor (I'm still not going there, please stop asking) there are now some solid options when it comes Mexican food around those parts. </div>
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And with that there is now this place: Badass Tacos. There's no actual sign that states this as the name of course. Nope, just the use of the unfortunate neon sign above (Hello my Caucasian/Suburban friends! "Street Tacos" here!!). </div>
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The set up is this: They put up some tents, a grill, a rotisserie (for the Al Pastor) and a table for salsa's and such all in front of the Thousand Oaks Meat Locker on Thousand Oaks blvd. Plus, there's a lady there selling some Mexican pastries too. It has the look and feel of a backyard cook out. </div>
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I ended up ordering 4 tacos: Carne Asada, Pastor, Pollo and one called Cochinita. Plus a nice cold horchata. </div>
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All the tacos came plain; I had to top them myself with cilantro, onions and salsa. They have 3 salsas available: Verde, Verde/Avocado and Roasted Roja. All quite tasty but nothing mouth blisteringly spicy. </div>
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The pollo: I still don't know why so many dudes try and pull off the whole grilled chicken breast thing. Just too dry. The safer play would have been to go for the Chicken Tinga (shredded & spicy). But alas, Badass tacos throws their hat into the ring with mixed results; still too dry but a very nice spice rub that produces a spicy flavor. I ordered it for my daughter but she only ate half. I doused the rest with the avocado salsa and it turned out pretty good. Nice try guys, solid flavor, even better with all the fixings on top but chicken breast is just not on my list of favorite things to eat. Give it a try if that's your thing. </div>
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Carne Asada: Very flavorful and tender. It didn't have any crispy bits really or any chard parts but the flavor was bold and mouth feel almost velvety. Excellent. </div>
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Al Pastor: This one was awesome with the cuts of pineapple on top. Very traditional in taste yet mellow in the typical Pastor spice rub department. Much like the asada, very tender, very good. </div>
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Cochinita: This one was the stand out: Tender, moist and shredded with a mellow pork flavor and just hints of crispy bits through out. I guess this would be considered Carnitas really, but its just different enough to be its own taco. Almost on the side of pulled pork but not quite, in its own sub-genre...</div>
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Tortillas were just okay; I wish they were much hotter and maybe slightly dipped in some grease or stew and then thrown on the grill. But what the hell do I know? I'm just a guy that runs (not really) a half ass blog. </div>
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Give this place a try though, they know what they're doing and it shows. Also there are other interesting options on the menu that I will come back and try. Remember that they're open only from Thursday to Sunday 6:00-11:30 pm. 4/5 stars. </div>
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Badass Tacos </div>
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2684 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard</div>
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Thousand Oaks, CA 91362</div>
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Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-38014003571653859362012-09-25T22:22:00.000-07:002012-10-16T09:18:11.975-07:00Taqueria Tepatitlan - Ventura <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yeah.....<br />
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So, I haven't done shit since May and it seems like in that time a few things have occurred with regards to tacos, taquerias and some other interesting bits in the Ventura County. Nothing of any real importance (there is some sad news, though) but let me run down just a few things that caught my eye:<br />
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"Gourmet" Food trucks have been getting together and serving the greater Oxnard area at a clip of about once month in a designated area. I believe they've been setting up at either the Elks Lodge parking lot or Plaza Park? Dude, I don't remember but the fact that Oxnard has been hosting Gourmet Food trucks in itself gives me hope for the future. The Ventura County Environmental Health Division is a real stick in the mud when it comes to food trucks, by the way. They've actually been at it for a year now (with the food trucks) but I hadn't really paid much attention until just recently.<br />
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I know that food trucks have been setting up shop here and there over the last few years but the idea of having a specific day with a specific area for the trucks to set up seems to be spreading to the other magnificent towns in and around Ventura County. Again, this is a good thing.<br />
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The other thing that happened recently is that there was a shooting at Super Taco in Oxnard. This is obviously a big bummer and I personally thought it was terrible. I don't want to take away from the fact that a 28 year old man lost his life, which is absolutely horrible and definitely shocked me personally, but Super Taco <a href="http://venturacountytaco.blogspot.com/2010/11/super-taco-oxnard.html?spref=bl">does not serve good food</a>.<br />
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Lastly, I drove by the Thousand Oaks Meat Locker the other day and they had a Trompo set up and were shaving off Al Pastor and serving up tacos and such..... Jeez. I honestly don't know how I feel about this. A good thing, right? I think Corrigans Steak House is now serving Cochinta Pibil and a variety of Oaxacan Mole's too. Stay tuned for more info on that...<br />
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So- Taqueria Tepatitlan is a very nice sit down style taqueria on Ventura avenue. They've had some nice write ups in the VC Reporter and I believe have been voted the third best Mexican food establishment recently (by the residents of Ventura County????) by the same periodical as well.<br />
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I walk in and take a seat, a very nice waitress takes my order ( 2 carne asada, al pastor, carnitas...) and then brings me chips and salsa. The salsa was a very flavorful dipping salsa which I think of using only for the sole purpose of dipping chips and nothing else.<br />
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Here's how the tacos measured up:<br />
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Carne Asada: I ordered two of them so I could really get a beat on how they do up one of my favorite proteins and unfortunately, it was pretty bland. The meat was moist and tender but the meat itself was lacking in the "Depth Of Flavor" department. The saving grace (and really, the standout on all the tacos) was the red sauce you see in the pic above. It had vinegary/smokey kinda flavor that mixed well with the more than likely reconstituted dry chilies that made up this concoction. It paired well with the meat and made it enjoyable for me to eat.<br />
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Al Pastor: Wow, this was different. The flavor of the sauce that covered the pork was really BOLD and I loved it. Totally different (to me) than most of the Al Pastor I've had in the past. The pork itself was shredded and like I said, the sauce/marinade that covered it had an amazing flavor with slow burning mild heat that made me wish I had just ordered four of these. In any case, it was pretty damn good. Can't put my finger on all the intricacies of the sauce but... yeah.<br />
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Carnitas: Well, yeah... look, I love carnitas which is usually why I'm such a hard ass about how they should taste and in this case, I was just not satisfied with the flavor and some of the texture. Let me back up, the flavor of pork was there, which is important, but the texture was mushy and the mouth feel was a bit dry. That red sauce that was poured over it helped but to me, it just didn't cut it.<br />
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Some other things of note: $2.50 a taco is a bit much for this blogger but the tortillas were filled to the max with meat. Speaking of which, the tortillas were absolutely top notch in the flavor and preparation department. Also, I don't usually like to comment on service but everyone who worked there was very friendly and helpful and they also had Sierra Nevada Torpedo extra IPA on tap. This is a beer I like a lot.<br />
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Look it, I know for a fact that Taqueria Tepatitlan serves up some great Mexican food but today I was here grading tacos ONLY. Being that this place is right across the street from the mighty <a href="http://venturacountytaco.blogspot.com/2011/01/ortiz-taco-time-ventura.html?spref=bl">Ortiz Taco Time</a> reminded me of this singular focus. 3/5 stars.<br />
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Taqueria Tepatitlan<br />
362 North Ventura Avenue<br />
Ventura, CA 93001<br />
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<br />Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-77154253447132027852012-05-03T09:02:00.001-07:002012-05-03T09:02:24.291-07:00Loteria Grill - Westlake Village<br />
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Loteria Grill at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles has always been a place I love to eat Mexican food so when I heard they were opening one up in Westlake, I nearly crapped my Levi's. <br />
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I mean, the food is sensational at the Farmers Market location plus they make my personal favorite Mexican dish: Cochinita Pibil, which now I can enjoy in the culturally rich and diverse (not really) burrow of Westlake Village. Those bastards don't deserve this kind of culinary excellence but, whatever. <br />
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In any case, after parking my car and walking up to this brand new establishment, the first thing I notice is that there's no freaking sign stating that this is in fact Loteria Grill. Of course, its definitely the place and the building is still undergoing the finishing touches but I just wanted to fill up blog space by pointing out the obvious. <br />
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Okay, is it as good as I've built it up to be? well.......<br />
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I ordered these three tacos: <br />
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Cochinita Pibil: So, if you don't know, Pibil is basically slow roasted pork in a citrus juice (like orange juice) usually wrapped in a banana leaf. I think its amazing and much to the unhappiness of my wife, this is my favorite "Mexican" dish. Anyway, it was what I expected; rich and complex in flavor and very tender. It wasn't as spicy as I would have liked, though. Maybe the management felt that Pibil needed to have some broad appeal in order to sell I suppose....so maybe they toned it down a bit for that reason? I'm just spitballing, I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. <br />
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Tinga de Pollo: So this is also one of my favorites (Stewed chicken in peppers) yet their version wasn't that good. I think that maybe because I make this at home all the time and usually do it up really spicy I expect the same from the restaurant version. But still, this was on the bland side, really. <br />
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Papa Con Rajas: Something that has become a popular taco item over the last few years has been the potato taco. This is something that I learned to make from my mom. I'm used to eating a potato taco in a corn tortilla that's been fried (dorado) and have always felt that having it in a "soft shell" never really tasted right. But in the case of this taco, Loteria really hit a home run. This potato taco has a very complex flavor profile due to all the goodies they threw on it. Pablano peppers with salsa verde and queso fresco certainly help but the mashed potato's themselves are what made this taco shine; great texture with a velvety mouth feel. Even though the tortilla was not fried in oil, it all seemed to all work out none the less. Well done. <br />
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Other than that, the tortillas here are hand made but not hot enough off the griddle and the although the side salsa that came with my order was very flavorful, it had no heat to speak of. <br />
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There's some issues here that I need to address before I end this post. This place is expensive ($3.00 - $3.75 per taco depending on the filling) for the size of taco you get; Loteria Grill is not what I would call your standard taqueria where the working man can grab his lunch or late night meal. Its a high brow restaurant/take-out hybrid. Its not a pretentious place at all, but pretentious folks may frequent it. <br />
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The other thing, sometimes things look really great on paper. Like when I imagine the Lakers having Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul all on the same team. While that lineup looks impressive, and each individual is talented, the team still needs to have chemistry in order for it to truly work. <br />
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The problem here, is that I love Cochinita Pibil and Tinga De Pollo ( I also love Chicken Mole and Chicharrones en Salsa Verde) but it doesn't mean its gonna work in a taco, and that's it. <br />
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Oh, I'll come back to Loteria Grill for sure but only to try those items on their own and not in taco form. <br />
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And since this blog is only to further the taco cause in Ventura County, I'm limited in discussing Loteria Grill's menu as a "whole". <br />
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If you have the cash, please go ahead and try these guys. As always, my review is based soley on the tacos I ate. 3/5 stars. <br />
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Loteria Grill<br />
180 Promenade Way<br />
Westlake Village, Ca 91362<br />
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<br />Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-58863157120924617102012-03-28T16:54:00.003-07:002012-03-30T08:12:48.554-07:00Establos Meat Market and Taqueria - Thousand Oaks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ajQNZFt0Mis/T3N6qGlQHwI/AAAAAAAAAWM/NWkxvFMtXvo/s1600/IMG_2742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ajQNZFt0Mis/T3N6qGlQHwI/AAAAAAAAAWM/NWkxvFMtXvo/s400/IMG_2742.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is gonna be a quick one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So it turns out that one of my personal favorite places to get a taco or burrito, Establos Meat Market in Camarillo, has opened up another market in the taco deprived area of Thousand Oaks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I were much more tech savvy I'd put a link up here somewhere to the review that I wrote up last year about Establos Meat Market in Camarillo. But since I'm an utter buffoon and I can't seem to figure out how to do it please just search it out on this blog to read for yourself how much I freaking love Establos. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For toady's post (And by the way, the inside of this market is like a mini version of the much larger location in Camarillo. Same lay out) I go ahead and order: Carne Asada, Pastor, Carnitas, Tripas and Buche. They have so many other fantastic things up on the big menu board that its pretty tempting to just order a ton of food. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you see how fucking awesome this looks? Because the tacos and the items accompanying them on the plate tasted even more awesome. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tripas: The best. That's it. You can go to other places for tripas tacos but these are simply the best in the county. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Buche: Good. Has a solid pork flavor, nice texture, well cooked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carne asada: Very nice, great depth of flavor, slight char........can't go wrong ordering asada from here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carnitas: Oops, bad carnitas day. Dry, almost like shredded beef jerky. Its not normally like this but today's version came out bad. C'mon yo, get your carnitas game up. Geez. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pastor: Pretty good, very nice flavor from the achoite/adobado seasoning that comes through with each bite. I like their version of this polarizing classic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other highlights: tortillas oiled up like crazy, salsa: they call it hot, I call it smokey, flavorful but not hot and radishes and limes wedges thrown on my plate will get you everywhere. They also threw in a habanero and like, a GMO/steroided habanero pepper too. They were both delicious and burnt the crap outta my mouth. I couldn't put out the fire with my pineapple Jarritos either. Whatever.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhow, I love this place. The dudes who cook up the food here are nothing short of highly skilled taco technicians. The best that Thousand Oaks has to offer in tacos. That is, until Loteria opens up in Westlake. But that's Westlake. No, I won't be going to Sabor Cocina, sorry. 4/5 stars</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Establos Meat Market and Taqueria </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">140 Hillcrest Drive </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thousand Oaks, CA 91360</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-25470024575638531142012-03-12T14:12:00.000-07:002012-03-12T14:12:22.912-07:00Santa Cruz Mexican Cuisine - Ventura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oseM1eg6fJI/T15UDSk2mtI/AAAAAAAAAVw/GFVYf29adpI/s1600/IMG_2718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oseM1eg6fJI/T15UDSk2mtI/AAAAAAAAAVw/GFVYf29adpI/s400/IMG_2718.JPG" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div><br />
Hi! <br />
<br />
Well, I found it necessary to blog about something this month so here it goes. <br />
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Santa Cruz Mexican Cuisine is where this particular post takes place, I've never heard of the taqueria before but its not to far down the road from another Mexican establishment that I've reviewed in the past: El Burrito Alegre. Also, they have a huge banner draped over the top of the entryway that reads: "Delicious Mexican Food Here".<br />
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I know I'm being captain obvious on that one seeing as how you can all make that observation yourself with that picture at the top but........<br />
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Anyways, whatever, I walk inside and B-line it to the counter and order: Carnitas, Carne Asada and Tripas.<br />
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Be aware that the tacos come in two different sizes (regular taco and mini tacos) the carnitas and the carne asdada I ordered were in the "mini taco" size and the tripas taco was actually posted on the menu by itself. Like, that it was a specialty of the house, a dish on its own.......you know what I mean? And also a bit larger than the mini tacos. <br />
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So, the tacos all arrived on my plate with no salsa on board. I poured the salsa roja that I obtained at the salsa bar pretty much all over the 3 tacos I ordered. The salsa was executed to perfection, it had all the greatest hits of a salsa roja you could want: smokey flavor, not to "liquidy" not like paste either, nice slow building heat, great spicy finish. When I die, I want the tacos served at my funeral topped with something like this. I better let my kids know this information ASAP. <br />
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Tripas: Wow, really good. I've only had one other tripas taco (intestines) for this blog at El Preferido Taco Shop in Santa Paula. This one is easily better, great crispy texture from the deep fry treatment but not losing any of the chewy character that tripas has. Its all in the cooking and these were cooked perfectly, just the right amount of time spent frying and arriving sizzling hot on my plate. <br />
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Carne Asada: Solid. No wow factor here but these small pieces of asada get the job done in this taco. Slight char, moist, not overcooked or loaded with connective bits/gristle. Good job!<br />
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Carnitas: To dry, dudes. Yes it was shredded and somehow the texture was acceptable (as in the meat fell apart with every bite) but the mouth feel was all wrong as the carnitas did not retain any moister or oil/grease/fat/whatever from the cooking process. So, it just didn't work for me. Also, no bold "pork" flavor.<br />
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And that's really what its all about friends, if I'm eating pork I want to know that I'm eating pork. Don't bullshit me, if I keep eating like this I'll be gaining some pounds on the way to an early grave. That's the message I need those carnitas to send me. <br />
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The tortillas were lightly oiled and volcanically hot. Again, well done.<br />
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I liked the place, a solid choice for tacos. 3.5/5 stars.<br />
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Santa Cruz Mexican Cuisine<br />
4587 Telephone Road<br />
Ventura, Ca 93003Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-79397447557802838512012-01-23T21:45:00.000-08:002012-01-23T21:45:09.588-08:00Tacos Don Chente - Oxnard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wWcVAk3fbsA/Tx3cnrsKePI/AAAAAAAAAUU/nefOvLDbH1Q/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nfa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wWcVAk3fbsA/Tx3cnrsKePI/AAAAAAAAAUU/nefOvLDbH1Q/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
So, I was on my way to Tacos La Costa in Oxnard when I saw a large shiny new taqueria on my right that I was drawn to. Tacos Don Chente is the name of the place and I believe that its owned by the same folks who own the El Pescador family of restaurants. <br />
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But really, I'm just lazy and didn't want to drive all the way to Tacos La Costa so I pulled over at the first sight of Mexican Food. There could have been a Baja Fresh or a Taco Bell on the side of the road and I would have pulled right in for a review. Its Monday and I just wasn't feeling the sense of exploration of the greater Oxnard. <br />
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Not saying that Don Chente's is in the shit hole class of the famous Baja Fresh, just saying that I needed to wrap this posting up quickly. <br />
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Right- So its a pretty clean and sterile looking place on the inside. I mean, they just built the damn place from scratch so I was expecting something like this. But flat screen TV's and marble table tops were a bit of a surprise. <br />
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Anyway, I order 4 tacos: carne asada, al pastor, chorizo and carnitas. <br />
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Afterwards I head to the condiments area/salsa bar, which was loaded by the way, grab a bit of everything and sit down at one of the many tables available. <br />
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Carnitas: Really, really good. Yeah, it was very moist and the meat was all shredded beautifully plus a deep pork flavor that made me think of nothing else but purchasing a burrito filled with these carnitas. No crispy bits but just so tender and delicious that I ate this thing in two bites. <br />
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Carne Asada: Also good in that the texture was moist and tender just like the carnitas. In carne asada, I always look for the seasoning and char; meaning did they blast some heat from the griddle on that bad boy and add that charred texture that kinda reminds me of the flavor you get from outdoor grilling. Does the seasoning (lime, cumin, Mexican oregano, chili powder, cloves, etc..) give the meat that classic "asada" flavor? Sometimes they do and other times not so much. Should be easy to execute though.<br />
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Here, it seems like the meat is of the "boiled" or "steamed" variety. Its neither boiled or steamed per se but has that kinda mouth feel to it. It was solid but I've obviously had better. More on the bland side too.<br />
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Chorizo: Excellent! crispy texture and with a nice spicy flavor. Not greasy whatsoever and really dang tasty, another taco that I could order again and again.<br />
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Al pastor: A bit on the boring side. As of now, we all know that there's no taquero slicing pork right off of a trompo and onto my tortillas. We now know that most of whats served as "Al Pastor" around Ventura County is really pork adobado. This is subject to debate as to whether it is in fact al pastor or not. In any case, not caring any more about authenticity when it comes to al pastor (and moving on!), the pork in this taco was tender but it had no "bite" or spice to it. Al pastor should be much more flavorful than this offering. <br />
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The salsa's that I tried were not very spicy but were pretty flavorful. The two darker salsas I doused my tacos with both had a very smokey profile with one of them in particular having some heat and the other with the charred bits of chilies giving it that super smokey accent.<br />
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The tortillas were awesome; apparently they're made fresh everyday. I loved them.<br />
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Well, Don Chente's has flaws but overall the place is a solid taqueria, they do seem to go the extra mile on the little things. And they have a freaking drive up window. I'd go back. 3.5/stars<br />
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Tacos Don Chente<br />
2131 North Oxnard Boulevard<br />
Oxnard, CA 93036Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-83383525096715353332011-12-19T18:11:00.000-08:002012-01-31T10:37:25.495-08:00Taqueria Cuernavaca - Ventura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b5CQN01xGRs/Tu_PsvxTrCI/AAAAAAAAATs/xFCmrkcQJTY/s1600/IMG_2575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" oda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b5CQN01xGRs/Tu_PsvxTrCI/AAAAAAAAATs/xFCmrkcQJTY/s400/IMG_2575.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, I finally gave in.....<br />
<br />
After about a year of deliberately avoiding this place, I decided to just go for it and have a bite at one of the best places to grab a taco in the Ventura County: Taqueria Cuernavaca in Ventura (city).<br />
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It was a real crappy Monday and I was desperate for an easy no-brainer taqueria to blog about so against my better judgement, I decided on knocking this one out today. I mean, I also wanted to get at least another review going before the end of the year. <br />
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The reason I've stayed away from Cuernavaca is because I know that's its a real popular place and in some folks eyes, its the gold standard of taquerias in this area. So, given this info way before this blog was even a twinkle in my eye I wanted to hold off as long as possible before giving it the once over. <br />
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Anyways, Over a year ago when Josh and I went to go check out Lalo's, he snuck off afterwards and had seconds at Taqueria Cuernavaca. Here's what he emailed me about the place at the time: <br />
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"After ordering I headed to the salsa bar to grab one of each. They had a Guacamole type Verde, a regular Verde and a Roja. They all had a nice flavor and the two Verdes had a good kick that made me excited. I then noticed the salsa bar sign stating: 'Our Salsa is free, however please only take what you need". Sorry but that's lame, I've been to places where they allow you to clean em out if you choose". <br />
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"Pastor - this caught my eye. It came with a pineapple chunk which was like a neon sign of victory for me. I bit a couple chunks of the Pastor meat to get an idea of the taste, and noticed it wasn't bbq texas sloppy joe that Rob and I have been experiencing, however it's still isn't the same. The cooking just doesn't seem to be marinated and slow cooked like I’m used to, the meat I'm used to seems to have been soaked with the chili powder and pineapple making it really tasty, and this seemed partly red, not caked/covered".<br />
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"Asada - nothing great, seemed like beef boiled instead of grilled to me. The flavor was lacking after eating the Lola's well seasoned and well cooked but fatty meat".<br />
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"Chorizo is touchy because I work near one of the best places that serves melted cheese Chorizo taco's that melt in your mouth. They are so amazing. Variety though is great, like the El Sancho Loco Taqueria in Newbury Park a new way of cooking something can be good and a nice change. I know what Chorizo is, but this was too much like normal sausage. It tasted literally like Vons bought sausage grounded up into small chunks rather than a seasoned Chorizo. So if you like sausage, you can get this sausage taco".<br />
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Well, even though I do value Josh's opinion in these matters I have to disagree with him regarding some of the tacos we both tried. <br />
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I personally went with the: Pastor, Chorizo, Asada and Suadero (brisket?). Then I went over to the salsa/condiment area and fixed myself up some of offerings they had to choose from: <br />
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Even though its not pictured, I also had the regular salsa verde. I have to say that I was mighty impressed with all all their salsas. If I had to say which one was the weakest it would have to be the roja. It definitely was not as spicy as I like while the avocado salsa was the stand out. <br />
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These salsas were well thought out and executed. A slow building heat was theme here with an eye more towards the flavor side of things as opposed to the destroy-your-taste buds spicy explosion that alot of other places strive for. I mean, I love that stuff too but, this was a nice change of pace. <br />
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Suadero: Yeah, this is the best suadero taco I've ever had. Really, it was tender, juicy, slow cooked taste and had a bunch of crispiness throughout the exterior of the meat that makes me want to eat at least ten of these. Yeah, I don't care what your thinking of me right now because it was really fucking good. Oh yeah. <br />
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Chorizo: This is where I disagree with Josh. I really liked the chorizo here. I thought it had a "clean" flavor profile that was enjoyable, it didn't taste like a grease bomb is what I'm trying to say. I liked the seasoning and the little bit of spice/heat it contained. Again, it was really, really good. <br />
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Al Pastor: The pastor taco from this particular taqueria is a bit of a polarizing culinary item around these parts. And as Josh pointed out above, he wasn't too stoked on it when he tried it. You either love Cuernavaca's pastor taco or you hate it but let me be clear; I loved it. Why? because it was different. Yeah, it won't get confused with the real, real hardcore pastor sliced off the spit right onto your tortilla but it was very tasty and enjoyable. I'd love to keep score on these things but I'm tired, guys. so tired.........and that's why I ate the shit out of this taco. The pineapple on top was a nice touch and the flavor and texture of the pork was good; a bit spicy and a bit sweet, with a nice char. Not like the typical pastor that's really pork adobado (and no where near a trompo) that I've been eating for most of this blog. Hey, maybe it came off of a trompo in the back of the kitchen somewhere but I just don't care, the taco was totally great. <br />
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Carne Asada: Well, this is where things fell apart. The asada here is chopped way to fine and thus makes it hard to get that "asada" flavor that we all look forward too. Also, the small bits of meat in the taco were comprised mostly of the connective gristle crap that I hate. Maybe I got a bad batch but I just can't stand it when a place kinda blows the whole carne asada thing. <br />
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Other than that, the tortillas were warm and very lightly oiled which worked out ok for me. <br />
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All in all this place was very impressive, at least in my opinion. And definitely headed for 5 stars if it wasn't for that carne asada that was highly disappointing. That being said, I will be back for more. 4/5 stars.<br />
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Taqueria Cuernavaca<br />
1117 North Ventura Avenue <br />
Ventura, Ca 93001Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-9728602353320219572011-10-26T17:30:00.000-07:002011-12-21T08:29:28.788-08:00La Gloria Taqueria - Oxnard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4VhCRRtLmbc/Tqm5BzrKJFI/AAAAAAAAATM/0p2j8PT16PM/s1600/IMG_2409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4VhCRRtLmbc/Tqm5BzrKJFI/AAAAAAAAATM/0p2j8PT16PM/s400/IMG_2409.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, instead of me starting off this review with the prerequisite "I suck at running a blog" rabble, lets just get into my latest post in the never (never) ending search for taco excellence in the Ventura County. But let me also add, it would be a joke to say that I'm keeping this blog up to date. OK-<br />
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So I'm at La Gloria Taqueria in Oxnard which may, or may not be related to the fantastic: La Gloria De Oxnard. The names of some of these taqueria's can make things quite confusing in how they borrow from each other (or, possibly their respective home town) when it comes to naming. Although really, who gives a shit.<br />
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So yeah- I go up to the counter to order my tacos, and after a bout with indecisiveness, I settle upon two carnitas, one asada and one cabeza. No Al pastor here, but they did have tripas up on the board and surprisingly, chicken too. Which I feel is totally useless in a taco unless we're talking about Chicken Tinga and not some dry chicken breast. the latter seems to be appearing in many tacos around Oxnard. Such a sad state of affairs. <br />
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</div><div align="left">So moving on: </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Carnitas were really good; strong pork flavor, shredded and moist with some crispy bits and overtones of lard. Hey, I don't have a problem with lard. Although it wasn't up there with Taqueria Potrillos (in Camarillo) lard-ish tacos, the taste was part of the flavor profile and very distinctive. Delicious all the way.<br />
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Cabeza: just like its carnitas brethren it was moist, juicy, greasy and very tasty. Can't ask for a better cabeza taco. Well seasoned too.<br />
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Carne Asada: Unfortunately the loser of the bunch ended up being the carne asada. It lacked flavor and quite honestly the texture had no "bite" whatsoever. I never felt like I was eating beef but instead something that came out of slow cooker that may have been beef at one point. It was really soggy and bland, it would have been great in a beef stew but not in this taco. <br />
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The tortillas were okay, warm and pliable which is fine but I like my tortillas heated up on the plancha with some oil or preferably dipped in some chorizo grease..... or something along those lines. <br />
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The salsa on these tacos was very, very mild and did not stand out in any way. The only salsa available in the condiment area was a salsa verde that was pleasant but a nice dark, smokey salsa roja would have jolted these tacos alive. Too bad that the container that was holding the salsa roja was totally empty. I tried to scoop out the liquid that I could see at the bottom but couldn't get any on the ladle. Oh well. <br />
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I may try and come back, but probably won't. 3/5 stars.<br />
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La Gloria Taqueria <br />
2736 East Vinyard Avenue<br />
Oxnard, CA 93036 </div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-86533668746626080532011-08-09T17:11:00.000-07:002011-08-09T17:14:34.404-07:00El Preferido Taco Shop - Santa Paula<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ki6m4J40OU/TkGTPAuFd0I/AAAAAAAAAS0/WNEgwSd-Lg8/s1600/IMG_2155%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298px" naa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ki6m4J40OU/TkGTPAuFd0I/AAAAAAAAAS0/WNEgwSd-Lg8/s400/IMG_2155%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left">What the hell, Rob? 2 months? seriously dude?</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">That is what I imagine someone who reads this silly blog may be thinking after yours truly failed to post anything in the last 2 months. Again, and as I always like to point out, that's assuming anyone is actually following this. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Normally, I would start a post after a long and extended break with some serious self depreciating humor and of course, a promise to post more frequently in the coming days/weeks. But in a promise I made to the wife, I'll cut out the jokes aimed at myself and head straight to the question of: will there be any new posts coming up? Why did I fall asleep at the wheel for so long? </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Yes- more posts are on the way (for this month anyway) and I really have no good answer as to why I was dormant on the taco blogging for so long. That's all I've got. I mean lets face it; shit has not worked out the way I wanted with this blog. I thought Josh and I would hook up more often on these things and I also (naively) thought I would be closer to 40 or 50 reviews by now. Welp, whatever. With that, lets just head to today's review. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">There's been plenty of areas in the Ventura County that I've not visited for this blog yet which has been one of the more disappointing developments in my quest for delicious tacos. All's I can say is: I'm trying. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">And to that end, I'm at El Preferido Taco Shop in Santa Paula for this review. I have no idea what the taco scene is like in these parts but I'll try and visit this area more in the future along with places like Saticoy and Filmore to find out what the deal is in this corner of the county.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Okay, I walk in to El Preferido and order my tacos at the front with one thing in mind: Tripas. Yes, I heard that the tripas are a popular item here (as far as a filling for a taco/burrito) so I order one of those along with the usual: Pastor, Asada and Carnitas. </div><div align="left"><br />
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The first thing that I notice as I receive my order is that the tacos come plain with no salsa topping. I went over to the small salsa bar they had set up and just went with one cup of verde and one of roja. I noticed they also had a "dipping" salsa that's intended more to go with chips (in my opinion) and there was also another watery red salsa that I didn't go with but thought I would mention. <br />
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Starting with the Tripas: I went ahead and dumped the salsa verde on this one and it seemed to have been a good choice. The refreshing flavor of the tomatillos in the salsa along with the salty, deep fried profile of the tripas ( intestines) made for a very nice paring. Sure, the tripas were not totally easy to chew on but still, this taco was very, very tasty. <br />
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Asada: The meat in this asada was relatively tender with a very mild "asada" flavor. There was a bit of connective bits here and there but was still enjoyable to eat. The salsa roja had quite a bite to it and was nice and spicy with a good consistency to it. Solid all around. <br />
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The Carnitas were also solid. No bold pork flavor or crispy bits the way I personally like but the meat was tender and moist which made it easy to scarf down. The pork was shredded with a "clean" flavor; Nothing to write home about but you pork lovers will be okay with this taco overall. <br />
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The Al Pastor was very flavorful. Had the distinct adobado/achiote thing going on and was really tender. Delicious and well done. <br />
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All of the tacos arrived on the plate nice and hot with the tortillas also at a high temp. This obviously made them pliable and easy to work with which is always important but they weren't oiled which is a bummer. Cilantro and onions were abundant. <br />
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Anyways, none of the tacos, with the exception of the Tripas, was a home run. Rather, they were all line drive singles which makes El Preferido a solid choice to go to for taco consumption. I liked it and when I'm in the area again I'll definitely go back for more. 3.5/5 stars.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>El Preferido Taco Shop<br />
654 West Harvard Boulevard <br />
Santa Paula, CA 93060<br />
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</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-92198950002677951912011-06-06T22:08:00.000-07:002011-06-15T21:48:44.120-07:00Corrales Mexican Food - Ventura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xqdsZdWX21o/Te2auKfTlWI/AAAAAAAAASU/HjYaeEMuzVU/s1600/IMG_1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xqdsZdWX21o/Te2auKfTlWI/AAAAAAAAASU/HjYaeEMuzVU/s400/IMG_1876.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left">So, Corrales Mexican Food in Ventura doesn't necessarily fall within the guidelines of a prototypical taqueria. But, I haven't been too much of a hard ass about this stuff lately especially with my recent post about Los Dos Amigos in Thousand Oaks. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">As with the other hot spots for Mexican food in Ventura city, this place has an absolute legion of fans that won't be swayed by this blog, or any other (possible) negative reviews about their beloved Corrales. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">I knew going in to this posting that Corrales is not known for their tacos, and I think that the loyal patrons of this establishment may acknowledge this opinion. But none the less, I may get a little "feed back" if I don't give these dudes a glowing review. Assuming that any of those good folks even read this blog, which is assuming a ton. <br />
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But lets face it, when you go to Corrales you go for burritos, hamburgers and all the other Mexican/American mish-mash posted on the menu. <br />
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Okay, I go up to the window to order my tacos and come to learn that the options for fillings are as follows: Shredded beef, carne asada, fish, shredded chicken and if I'm feeling a bit naughty, they can fill a corn tortilla with pork in a verde sauce. <br />
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Since I didn't want the soupy pork scattered all over the tortillas creating a horrible mess, I decided to go with the shredded chicken and the carne asada. I order two of each. I was hungry. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5UVJst2GnI/Te2mgVknUDI/AAAAAAAAASg/SR7D-s0gmlI/s1600/IMG_1879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5UVJst2GnI/Te2mgVknUDI/AAAAAAAAASg/SR7D-s0gmlI/s400/IMG_1879.JPG" t8="true" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dn9xHSoYExM/Te2mjViEQfI/AAAAAAAAASk/ZSeED4WoJxs/s1600/IMG_1880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dn9xHSoYExM/Te2mjViEQfI/AAAAAAAAASk/ZSeED4WoJxs/s320/IMG_1880.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div></div><div align="left">Now, both of these came topped with no salsa and as you can see, the chicken came loaded with shredded lettuce, shredded American cheese and a slice of tomato. When I first started this blog, one of the things that I mentioned I hate on my tacos, is shredded lettuce and cheese. But because I want to give Corrales a fair shake, I'm going to ride this out and see if the taco tastes any good (as I should) basing my opinion solely on flavor and not on my own personal preference. <br />
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Shredded chicken: So, when I ordered this I envisioned a version of the awesome Tinga De Pollo (a spicy stewed chicken) dish which I make at home a lot. But that was definitely not the case; this chicken was shredded and moist but was flavorless on its own. Thanks to the (can't believe I'm writing this) toppings of lettuce/tomato/cheese and the very tasty salsa that came on the side, this taco ended up being pretty decent. Not something that I would come back for but it filled me up in a hearty sort of way and I did appreciate that. <br />
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Carne asada: I scrutinized this one a little bit more. Now, the meat that filled this taco was tender and juicy but still a bit too chewy and borderline rubbery. How can it be tender and rubbery at the same time? Don't know how to answer that but you'll have to try it for yourself to understand it fully. Maybe not in a taco but in a torta or a burrito or something. Since this taco was not garnished with anything I was left with the salsa to drench the meat in. The results were positive, much like the chicken taco the meat had a very hearty "beef" flavor and paired well with the very tasty salsa. Really damn flavorful salsa, do they sell this stuff on its own? its good. <br />
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Welp, that's it. The tacos were very decent but knowing that there are other superior taquerias in Ventura plus the short list of options for fillings on the Corrales menu, I can't say that I'd recommend ordering tacos here. Yes- I'll probably be back for a burrito at some point which I know first hand is actually pretty good. Unfortunately I only review tacos for this blog. <br />
TA-COS. 2/5 stars<br />
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Corrales Mexican Food<br />
1951 East Thompson Boulevard <br />
Ventura, Ca 93006</div><div align="left"><br />
</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-61070008367617304732011-05-25T21:19:00.000-07:002011-05-26T08:41:12.982-07:00Taqueria Jalisco - Oxnard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nRM_LYiWyBo/Td1lwzXY6oI/AAAAAAAAASE/aF_a4OyKSKw/s1600/IMG_1844%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nRM_LYiWyBo/Td1lwzXY6oI/AAAAAAAAASE/aF_a4OyKSKw/s400/IMG_1844%255B1%255D.JPG" t8="true" width="400px" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, as usual I'm back in Oxnard and this time at Taqueria Jalisco. By looking at the picture above, you'll notice there's no sign letting you know that its Taqueria Jalisco but, whatever- This is were I ended up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I went to the Taqueria Jalisco in Simi Valley, I loved it. I'm not sure if the two are related (business wise I mean) but if its as good as that place then I'm in for some high quality tacos. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyways, I walk in and discover that:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A: There's no posted/printed menu at all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">B: About 5 dudes sitting at one of the table's (including the guy who eventually took my order) watching Mexican telenovelas on the TV mounted to the wall. And I mean they were hanging on every freaking word.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">C: By far the most disappointing, only 3 taco options. Yup: Pollo, Al Pastor and Carnitas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes, its true, for the last few reviews I have stuck to ordering Pastor, Asada and Carnitas but I've been wanting to go back to trying other types of tacos and was planning on starting with this post. Also, who cares if there's no menu, I've obviously been to many a taqueria without any posted menu. I'm just nit picking at this point. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alright, I sit at one of the tables and receive my order. </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pollo: Pretty dry. It was served up cut into cubes and appeared to have been seared on the plancha a bit. But all in all it was a boring cut of boneless skinless chicken breast probably seasoned with Goya Adobo seasoning or something. I don't know, I'd probably have a better time at El Pollo Loco armed with a bottle of El Yucateco. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Al Pastor: This was the standout of the group but it was just an average pastor taco. Nice flavor with the achiote but the texture was too tough and the feel in my mouth too dry. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carnitas: Shredded with some pork flavor and some crispy fat in there but again, too dry. No juiciness to it whatsoever. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one positive was the salsa; it was nice and hot, had a very strong, snappy heat at the front of the mouth. It was definitely a one trick pony though, it didn't offer any other complexities in flavor it just got right to the point. But I loved it that way and would have absolutely drenched my tacos with the stuff if I had the chance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, as you can read this was not the most exciting place I've ever been to. Its also not overwhelmingly bad were I start to go into great (agonizing) detail about how shitty thing's were and such. In any case, I really can't recommend Taqueria Jalisco in Oxnard, There's just to many other options that are much better around. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2/5 stars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Taqueria Jalisco (Oxnard)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">345 South C Street</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oxnard, Ca 93030</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-53198568997583207322011-05-18T13:16:00.000-07:002011-05-18T14:17:16.949-07:00Los Dos Amigos - Thousand Oaks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AFceRGYKfN8/TdLVv3kNs6I/AAAAAAAAARw/liQBci6w6dE/s1600/IMG_1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298px" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AFceRGYKfN8/TdLVv3kNs6I/AAAAAAAAARw/liQBci6w6dE/s400/IMG_1822.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, talk about unexpected! I had zero intention of doing a review of Los Dos Amigos in Thousand Oaks. But a co-worker offered to treat me to lunch out in TO ( since we were going to be in the area ) and the only place we thought of was LDA. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason that I wasn't going to come here for the blog, was because its not necessarily a "taqueria" in the context of what I'm doing review-wise. I mean, I love the place and have been going there for many years but its the kind of joint were you sit down, get served by a waiter, has a distinct restaurant ambiance, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">etc........you get the picture. If I'm going on a date with the wife and we want to get a few margaritas, get some ceviche and have a nice time this is were we go in Thousand Oaks. Its the Anti-El Torito. Although, in LDA's defense, they do have a walk up window were you can order food to go...........nah, its still not a taqueria if you're paying $12.50 for a burrito. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In keeping up with these modern taco times, LDA has a section in their menu with a heading that reads: "Street Tacos". The plate comes with 3 tacos for $9.50 and you have the choice of a few different fillings. Obviously, this price is too damn expensive if you just want to grab some tacos and a drink. Again, Los Dos Amigos was not on my list for a reason- This is a restaurant price, your paying for more than just tacos in that number. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Am I only posting this review just for the sake of putting up a new post? maybe, but lets continue and see where it goes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, I go for the Asada, Al Pastor and Carnitas. They also serve you what seems to be an unlimited amount of chips, salsa and spicy bean dip while you wait. Both the bean dip and the salsa are quite good; the salsa is strictly for dipping purposes (in flavor, I mean) and the chips are deep fried and crunchy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Asada: pretty boring. Yeah, the meat was almost flavorless and the texture far too rubbery. There's just not much more to describe here because that's all I tasted; meat that was not prepared correctly and probably not marinated. This was not the carne asada that dreams are made of. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The salsa that it was topped with was nice with a mild heat, no smokey accents but very tasty overall. It wasn't strong enough to cover up any of the flaws in this taco though. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carnitas: Although the appearance of the carnitas was impressive, the taste, not so much. The meat was moist and shredded into thick strands but had no bold pork flavor the way I personally like. It was just average really. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Al Pastor: In this case, it tasted like they cooked up chopped pork, then threw it in a bowl filled with some kind of sauce that they believe tastes like an adobado/achiote paste used in al pastor. This failed miserably in trying to capture anything that really resembles al pastor. Plus, the texture of the pork was VERY chewy. Oh well. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, the tortillas were not oiled and thus not very pliable. That sucked too. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, that's it. I know you must be thinking "what was the point of this stupid review?" I'm not sure. I love the place still, and will continue to go to there but in my humble opinion; the tacos aren't exactly the house specialty. Also, Los Dos Amigos has a legion of cliental that won't all of a sudden head over to Acapulcos or Cisco's ( because of this or any other review) anytime soon. Its a great place to have a drink and relax but for all you taco fans, this is not best. 2/5stars</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Los Dos Amigos </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1421 East Thousand Oaks Blvd. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thousand Oaks, Ca 91362</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-23939876351474195032011-05-13T13:20:00.000-07:002011-05-18T13:19:13.203-07:00Taqueria La Hermita - Ventura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LquWyCNrrAQ/Tc2EXIQC6FI/AAAAAAAAARk/1IRDzY7dKvc/s1600/IMG_1805%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LquWyCNrrAQ/Tc2EXIQC6FI/AAAAAAAAARk/1IRDzY7dKvc/s320/IMG_1805%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Hi there! haven't posted anything in a month or so and figured today is as good a time as any to get going again. <br />
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Sometimes, there's a man, and sometimes there's a man who eats quite a bit of Mexican food. Since I categorize myself in the latter, I just had to step away from the tacos for a spell and take an extended break. <br />
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And when I mean "break" I mean I'm still eating plenty of tacos except I'm not blogging about it. <br />
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Anyhow, today's post finds at me at Taqueria La Hermita in Ventura off Johnson. Its located in a large strip mall who's main attraction is a movie theater. The building that actually houses La Hermita, is like one of those food courts you'll find in a shopping mall. So the neighbors are dishing up all kinds of fare like: Korean food, BBQ, Hamburgers, a deli and so on and so forth. <br />
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You may be asking yourself if a taqueria located in a food court is worth the time to review. The answer is pretty surprising. <br />
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I order the carnitas, asada and al pastor and take a seat. Included with my order was a small bowl of complimentary chips and spicy salsa roja. The chips were thin and lightly salted and the salsa was pretty watery but had the strong bite and flavor of Chile De Arbol. Still, a little to watery for me. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M5DfEKjvqY4/Tc2JZzXkIcI/AAAAAAAAARs/ThfMUVrgCqI/s1600/IMG_1809%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298px" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M5DfEKjvqY4/Tc2JZzXkIcI/AAAAAAAAARs/ThfMUVrgCqI/s400/IMG_1809%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carne Asada: Very nice! really strong flavor, chopped into small bits but not pulverized into almost ground beef. Juicy too, with some crispy char after the extended once over on the plancha. Again, really good carne asada taco with a simi-crispy exterior and juicy/moist interior. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carnitas: Again, gooooood; Juicy, moist and crispy throughout. In a shredded fashion with big time depth of flavor that lets you know you're eating pork. I've said it many times before, when it comes to carnitas the flavor of pork is not always there. But that was not a problem with this taco whatsoever; delicious. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Al Pastor: keeping with the theme of the other two, this taco was great. Again, the taquero/cook who prepared this really knew what he was doing. The pork was marinated and cooked quite well. Then, a nice re-heating on the plancha which gave it a beautiful blackened char all over while still retaining its moister. This added texture stood out in the flavor along with the strong notes of sweet pineapple and achiote paste. Nice. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All of these tacos came topped with cilantro/onions and the salsa roja I described earlier. And all of them were really piping hot, I mean really sizzling. The tortillas were a little thick and rustic in taste plus lightly oiled. And again, really freaking hot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eating this quality of taco in a place like a strip mall food court was a big eye opener for me. The tacos were fantastic and if not for the salsa being the weak link here, they would most certainly get 5 stars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most of the notable taquerias are loacted on the other side of town in Ventura. Don't fall asleep on this place though, if you're a taco fan, I highly recommend it. 4.5/5 stars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Taqueria La Hermita</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2950 Johnson Drive </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Suite 131A</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ventura, Ca 93003</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its always a tough call for me on deciding were to eat when I' m driving through Ventura Avenue in Ventura.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's obviously many taqueria's on the avenue all with their own fan base, and then there's some that don't get very much attention at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With regards to Super Taquera, were I'm eating for today's post, it may be in the latter. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then again, I’m not a local so I really don’t have much information to go on other than what's been written in all the various food review sites on the web. Even though I've lived in the Ventura county for a long time I'm still learning much about Ventura, Oxnard, Filmore, Port Hueneme and the rest of the cities and towns in the county. So its not just about trying different tacos at different establishments but its also about checking out the different locals in which these taquerias are situated. </span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Super Taqueria is nestled in between a small market, and a panderia (Mexican bakery) in what appears to be a pretty decrepit old strip mall right off of Ventura Avenue. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In any case, I end up ordering two asada tacos, one al Pastor and one carnitas. There was plenty of other meat options but I decided to keep it simple for this one. The very nice man who took my order also gave me 2 cups so I could serve myself some salsa. I ended up with their verde and the roja plus he served me bowl of fresh chips. A very nice surprise.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The salsa roja was very spicy and had the sharp flavor of chilies at the front end with a quickly decaying smokey accent at the back. Very nice, it opened up my sinuses a bit so I could definitely taste and feel the kick. The verde was very mild and subdued; it had no real chili flavor or tartness from the tamatillos. It was average but tasted nice none the less. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so the carne asada was good; the meat had a nice flavor and was tender. Although it did have some connective bits and a little gristle it was still tasty so I didn't think about these flaws to much. Plus the hot salsa roja did its job and covered up any mistakes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The carnitas taco was not so lucky, I decided to pour the verde on top and it only seemed to amplify the fact that these carnitas were bone dry in taste. They came shredded in their style but the two things I look for in carnitas the most is juiciness and the unmistakable flavor of <u>PORK</u>, both of which it lacked. So no, I didn't like this one to much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The one that I thought I really would not like here is the Al Pastor. I could see that the Achiote paste was really thick and that the pork was just smothered in it but alas, I actually really liked it. Its not an authentic pastor, per se, but it was pretty flavorful in its own right. The pork was tender and the paste was spicy. Coupled with the salsa roja, it made for a very fiery taste. I enjoyed it, most definitely a different take. </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The tortillas, while not oiled up like I prefer, tasted okay. They were warm which in some cases will do. </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 320.15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">While I was eating my tacos outside at one of the tables, some dude left his bike leaning on the wall and as he walked away to go in to the bakery he was yelling at a friend telling him that he was worried about the "gabacho" stealing his bike. And then they both laughed at the thought. The gabacho they were referring to was me! I think he thought that because my back was turned to him, right? I've never been confused with being a gringo before. I'll get over it. 3/5 stars</span><br />
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</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-78654705739255663872011-04-10T12:32:00.000-07:002011-05-27T10:00:45.209-07:00El Parian - Oxnard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Et69CtyUZ8/TaNaPoTJHyI/AAAAAAAAARM/bsB4TiR0XLk/s1600/IMG_1653%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298px" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Et69CtyUZ8/TaNaPoTJHyI/AAAAAAAAARM/bsB4TiR0XLk/s400/IMG_1653%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
So, I really am clueless as to when Taqueria Mi Tierra in Oxnard is open for business. As I was walking in through their open door, a lady mopping the floor inside told me they were closed for the day (?????) and it was like, 11:45. Well, I didn't ask what their hours of operation were, but some time down the road I’m sure I'll catch them when they're actually open, I think. <br />
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Somebody help me out here, If you know when these dudes are open for business, please let me know because I am dying to try some of their tacos. <br />
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Anyway- after that, I walked a few feet up the street to El Parian to see what was going on in there.<br />
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When I walked in, the answer was not much; the place was pretty dead for it being the middle of lunch time. Is this a bad sign? Could be. <br />
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So I'm at the counter ordering my tacos when the very sweet elderly lady who was taking orders and doing the cooking too, informed me that they only have three fillings for the tacos: carne asada, pollo and lengua..........huh? Now those are damn limited options but truth be told, El Parian is more of a sit down type place serving dishes based on regional favorites and not really doing many antojitos like "street" style tacos. That was my impression anyhow as I scanned the menu. <br />
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Since I wasn't interested in the pollo whatsoever, I went with 2 carne asada and one lengua. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took my order to go, and placed the plate on the hood of my car and just had my lunch there. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lengua: Yeah, I'm not a fan of lengua by any stretch but this taco was quite good. The texture of cow tongue has always been whats so unattractive about this type of meat (to me) but in this case, the texture was chewy yet had a decently moist and tender accent. Also, the flavor and seasoning were excellent and the salsa roja that was on top was tasty and mildly spicy which paired well with the meat. Totally surprised that I enjoyed this taco as much as I did. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Carne asada: this taco was was even more of a surprise, why? Because in my opinion, this might be the best asada I've had since starting this blog. Yup, I had to go to that extreme again. But it was really good; perfect texture, flavor, tenderness, cut, seasoning/marinade and some great char to go with the fresh taste. I don't know how else to elaborate on its complete dominance any further other than to say that this preparation and execution is exactly the way I love it. The salsa roja was again, a great counter point to the flavorful meat. </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Other than that, the tortillas were oiled and piping hot, even a little crispy. Delicious. </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Okay, so this is tough- on one hand the tacos I ate were great, but on the other, the options were so limited that I'm not sure I would come back for more tacos. hmmmm, its a reach, but based solely on what I had today......... viva los tacos! 4/5 stars. </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-80626125221956028782011-03-27T09:26:00.000-07:002011-03-28T14:12:55.556-07:00Latino Market - Thousand Oaks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2bYS02bnKo/TZDqw4SuSXI/AAAAAAAAAQo/v9jPrT7iqsc/s1600/IMG_1621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2bYS02bnKo/TZDqw4SuSXI/AAAAAAAAAQo/v9jPrT7iqsc/s400/IMG_1621.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Its been a long while since Josh and I hooked up for a review. Admittedly, its tough for us to get together during the week and try to to knock one of these out, which is why we decided to hang out for lunch on the weekend instead. You'll probably see more of these joint reviews again in the future now that we've both sorted out our busy schedules. <br />
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So, this may end up wrapping up my reviews on what I believe to be the only relevant taquerias in the greater Thousand Oaks area. That's not saying much of course given the demographics of the area leaning in favor towards the caucasian. Still, this small market located off of Thousand Oaks Boulevard does see a lot of traffic; especially given that today is Saturday so the place is busy with folks needing some Menudo.<br />
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I've only been to the Latino Market two other times and those visits were only for my latino grocery needs not to sample their food. So this will be my first time trying their tacos......... which is kinda embarrassing for me. Really, as a latino and someone who lived in Thousand Oaks as long as I did you would think my parents would have brought my sister and I in for a bite to eat or just for some groceries back when we first moved here from the valley. Or- why the hell did I practically ignore this place all through my teens and later as an adult save for a Loteria board game and a bottle of Jarritos? I don't know. <br />
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In any case, Josh and I meet up in the parking lot and make our way inside. I order four tacos, three of which are: pastor, asada and carnitas. Then, I decide to roll the dice on another taco con chicharrones. I haven't had any luck with the last few chicharrones tacos I've eaten (tasting any good) but what the hell I thought, gotta hit pay dirt at some point right? I believe Josh ordered: asada, pastor, carnitas and a large asada taco. <br />
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As Josh and I waited for our order, we noticed through the window were all the meats and stews sit in their respective heating bins a big batch of dried out Asian style chilies. Many of the patrons were asking for these once they received their food orders so in Spanish I asked the taquera if she would throw some in with our order. She ended up piling a handful or so into Josh's plate. She wasn't all that stoked on forking them over either.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ended up taking our food outside and ate by Josh's car. Here's how my tacos worked out: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Al Pastor: Obviously an adobado fashioned pastor taco. I don't have any real problem with this fact anymore but the execution of this style was a bit off the mark. The sauce that the pork was cooked in came off a bit to barbecue-ish. It was thick and sorta paste like with a spicy, cumin-tomato-dried chilies flavor that tasted more like Jack Daniels sauce at Fridays then an adobado sauce. Texture of the pork was average, at least it wasn't dry and tough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now- having written all that nonsense I went ahead and loaded the taco up with the salsa roja that came with our order and it transformed this taco into something that was actually very pleasant to eat. Wow! the salsa was really, really, really damn good. It was very spicy at the front end with a long smokey finish, excellent. Up there with the best I've ever (watch it, Rob) had. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ihTJKHHjk8/TZDx3ceuyyI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/-xbItCoZwtA/s1600/IMG_1618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ihTJKHHjk8/TZDx3ceuyyI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/-xbItCoZwtA/s400/IMG_1618.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LkI369yaJwE/TZDxrzibrdI/AAAAAAAAAQw/RAyGi8MDizA/s1600/IMG_1619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LkI369yaJwE/TZDxrzibrdI/AAAAAAAAAQw/RAyGi8MDizA/s400/IMG_1619.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carnitas: Very average: not dry, in fact a little moist with decent pork flavor and in a shredded presentation. No deep fry treatment here, so no crispy bits. Just middle of the road carnitas, but with the salsa on top it was pretty tasty. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Asada: again, average. The taste and texture of the meat was a bit boring. The cut wasn't bad though, no connective tendons or anything. The meat was in fact tender but nothing else really happening here. I went with the salsa verde on this one and like the salsa roja, it was very tasty and spicy. I can't say enough about what a great job they did in the salsa department. Just well thought out and executed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chicharrones: Wow, this was bad. A blob of gelatinous mess.......whatever. I won't elaborate further other then to say that I'm taking a chicharrones break for awhile. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other goodness: Tortillas were cooked well in oil and tasted great. Josh and I both loved the dried chilies and could not stop eating them. Josh ended up putting like, five on his large asada taco. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's Josh's take: </div>ordered:<br />
<br />
3 normal taco's with spicy salsa and extras (cilantro and onions)<br />
<br />
Meat: asada, pastor, carnitas<br />
<br />
1 grande taco<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgrzhMafur4/TZD0mlvkMLI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/TCu0BlB1uXM/s1600/IMG_8947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pgrzhMafur4/TZD0mlvkMLI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/TCu0BlB1uXM/s400/IMG_8947.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAHZncoDthw/TZD0uBZ0d4I/AAAAAAAAARA/zdDJlW_b3S8/s1600/IMG_8948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAHZncoDthw/TZD0uBZ0d4I/AAAAAAAAARA/zdDJlW_b3S8/s400/IMG_8948.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Meat: asada<br />
<br />
Rob asked for some chili peppers that were burned in oil and they gave them all to me instead of him<br />
<br />
Asada:<br />
<br />
There wasn't anything to it, it wasn't charred, it wasn't smokey, it was just there, nothing about it makes me excited to want to go back. I would make this type of grilled asada if I was in a hurry not caring about making anything other than trying to fill my belly.<br />
<br />
Carnitas:<br />
<br />
They tasted like they had been sitting all day. it would be better if they stuck it on the grill for a bit or something, crisp it a little.<br />
<br />
Al Pastor:<br />
<br />
Once again it's that sloppy joe's Ventura style pastor. The meat was marinated well it seems, it's just not what i'm used to. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything i went home thinking about either. <br />
<br />
<br />
What I did like at this particular place was the salsa and those cooked chili peppers. The tortillas were put on the grill to warm them up which was a nice touch and they were very generous with the cilantro and onions. The red salsa was really good and made these average taco's taste great.<br />
<br />
<br />
When I was finished with the standard three taco's, I decided to try out this Grande Taco. It was just a normal taco but bigger. That is it. So I dumped all the rest of the red salsa in and added about 5 of those chili peppers. The red salsa had a small kick already and some of those chili peppers added more kick. So this made the taco hotter, otherwise it would just be the same average, just there and only slightly larger taco.<br />
<br />
And there you have it. Oh, they sell that salsa roja in large cups for $2.99 that can be found at the butchers counter inside the market area. I recommend the salsa highly. 2.5/5stars<br />
<br />
Latino Market<br />
711 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard<br />
Suite 2<br />
Thousand Oaks, Ca 91360<br />
<br />
<br />
Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-21112728473552055042011-03-14T17:30:00.000-07:002011-03-15T10:51:38.164-07:00La Loma Mexican Food - Ventura<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lYeRQGYxQxs/TX546nIQDxI/AAAAAAAAAQE/egsMEPEWGIg/s1600/IMG_1564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lYeRQGYxQxs/TX546nIQDxI/AAAAAAAAAQE/egsMEPEWGIg/s400/IMG_1564.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hey there! I know its been a month since my last post ( pretending that anyone is actually reading this crap ) and to those few who have been following this blog, I'm totally sorry for not getting some reviews out any sooner. I wrote at the start of this blog that I would post new stuff when I could and as time allowed. And really, honestly, who cares anyways. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In any case, this is my 25th review and I thought that I was gonna write this laundry list of things I've learned and some things that I've written that I would love to take back from past reviews. Sort of to commemorate this incredibly unimportant milestone that I kinda sorta set for myself. But you know what? I'm not going to do that I'm just gonna keep moving forward and not look back. Are there some mistakes that I've made with my grammar and spelling in past reviews? YES- What about proclaiming something to be the best I've had/ever had? Oh, hell yes. But one of the biggest issues I have with most of my reviews, as I go back and read them, is the rating system that I've devised. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you don't already know, its just a simple 1 through 5 stars. 1=Bad, 5=Great and a bunch of crap in between. I don't have anything set in stone with regards to the criteria of what makes for a good taco, a decent taco and a piece of shit. I've thought of creating a solid formula that I would present to you in vivid detail (for the 3 to 4 people that follow this) but after about 5 minutes of thought on the issue, I decided to scrap any changes and continue on with my wildly inconsistent ratings of tacos through out the Ventura County. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yet, there are certain things that I concentrate on as I'm eating a taco:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Salsa on the tacos any good?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Texture and taste of the meat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-The flavors of the tortillas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Execution of the recipe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Quality of the ingredients</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You get the picture. After that, I may consider the price but I try not to let that sway me. I'll mention it if I think it's too expensive or if its a bargain as it relates to the quality and quantity of the food. Will that affect the overall rating of the taco? Probably not, I'll mention it if it does. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And with that, lets get to review number 25.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yeah, so, I've found another Taco/Lunch truck set up in the parking lot of the Contractors Warehouse off of Johnson in Ventura. Its called La Loma Mexican Food and I was told about this truck from someone at my work. Since my review of La Careta De Don Gaby many months ago, I've been trying to locate other lunch trucks that might be operating in the Ventura County area. I've not had much luck but I also think I haven't been looking in the right places either. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I approached the truck I noticed that they have a trompo inside spinning some al pastor. From the looks of the meat, it appeared as though it was an older batch that looked a bit dried out. Not sure if that's normal (and I've seen some pretty gamey looking stuff on trompo's before) and I wondered if it was going to taste like garbage. Only one way to find out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Judging from the small menu printed on the windows of the lunch wagon they only serve tacos and burritos with the meat options being: Asada, Al Pastor, Buche, Chorizo and Cabeza. So no Carnitas for this review. A bit limited but, what else do you need? They have all your basic food groups covered. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I ordered 2 asada, 2 al pastor and 1 chorizo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-50Sgq9hhN7c/TX-aVdqu6uI/AAAAAAAAAQI/i_Qxmy4nEJU/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="height: 261px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 381px;"><img border="0" height="297" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-50Sgq9hhN7c/TX-aVdqu6uI/AAAAAAAAAQI/i_Qxmy4nEJU/s400/IMG_1566.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-feyYqtWuzwk/TX-arT9j1QI/AAAAAAAAAQU/vP43BAX7A6U/s1600/IMG_1569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-feyYqtWuzwk/TX-arT9j1QI/AAAAAAAAAQU/vP43BAX7A6U/s400/IMG_1569.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, starting things off with the chorizo: it was pretty tasty, a little greasy maybe? Yes- but you'll be surprised how many chorizo tacos I've had in the past that were too dry and lacked depth of flavor. Not this one though, it was spicy and juicy and was chopped in to tiny morsels that were well, swimming in liquid/grease which normally happens when cooking Mexican chorizo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Al pastor was decent. The texture of the pork was not as tender as I would like but it wasn't dry and rubbery either. It was in between with a decent flavor throughout; I could taste hints of the sweetness from the pineapple but it wasn't as prevalent as it needed to be. The spice rub was good but the overall texture hurt this taco too much. Even though the pork was roasted on a trompo the execution was just not good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The asada suffered the same fate as the pastor, texture sucked. It was rubbery and tough and had too much connective shit all around. Ligaments and so forth........bad cut of meat. It happens, not all carne asada is created equal. The "asada" type flavor was just O-K. Not that good though, dudes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did appreciate the grilled/oiled Jalapeno on my plate. In fact, that might be the best thing I remember about the whole meal, it was really good. The tortillas were dipped in the chorizo grease then cooked on the plancha. This, my friends, is the way to go when cooking up some corn tortillas. It would have been absolutely bitchin' if the taquero dipped the whole tortilla in the grease instead of just half. The flavor still made it to the tortillas though and I greatly enjoyed that aspect of all of the tacos. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not solid on the hours that La Loma is opened for business but I'm pretty sure they operate mostly from lunch time through the afternoon.</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, 25 reviews in and still a ton more to go. La Loma was just OK, not bad. 2.5/5 stars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IApiRI85C9k/TX-iRQImWWI/AAAAAAAAAQY/tbpY9KoWqfc/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IApiRI85C9k/TX-iRQImWWI/AAAAAAAAAQY/tbpY9KoWqfc/s400/IMG_1565.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>La Loma Mexican Food<br />
In the parking lot of Contractors Warehouse<br />
6655 Cresent Street<br />
Ventura, CA 93003<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-55776052164248996822011-02-14T16:58:00.000-08:002011-02-15T09:03:15.171-08:00La Cocina Rica #2 - Oxnard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wzg7dlr8O0g/TVmTvDi-HKI/AAAAAAAAAPs/m_p3FlczcKs/s1600/IMG_1357%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wzg7dlr8O0g/TVmTvDi-HKI/AAAAAAAAAPs/m_p3FlczcKs/s400/IMG_1357%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, as I've written so many times in this blog, my plans don't always work out. Case in point is today's review, I went into Oxnard with the intention of eating some tacos at Tacos La Costa on Saviers Road but alas, it was closed. If you haven't noticed by now I'm not really familiar with the business hours of many of the taquerias around Oxnard. But luckily for me, there's plenty to choose from. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It always seems weird to me when 2 or 3 taquerias are right next door to each other, which is the case with Tacos La Costa and La Cocina Rica, the latter being were I'm doing today's review. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The sign outside read that they serve tacos for 75 cents apiece but when I ordered my tacos at the counter inside I was charged a dollar for each one. Its really no big deal since either way its totally cheap and reasonable for a taco. But I do wonder why they charged me more?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the plus side they had the easiest menu to read and understand that I've seen yet. Anyhow- Ordered 4 tacos: carnitas, carne asada, al pastor and chicharoness. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-awTm_jdqMTY/TVmteItxIWI/AAAAAAAAAPw/bmj1K968fjA/s1600/IMG_1353%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-awTm_jdqMTY/TVmteItxIWI/AAAAAAAAAPw/bmj1K968fjA/s400/IMG_1353%255B1%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wLm9EGJQNQ/TVmtndDUalI/AAAAAAAAAP0/v4G-KdhSQ_k/s1600/IMG_1354%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wLm9EGJQNQ/TVmtndDUalI/AAAAAAAAAP0/v4G-KdhSQ_k/s320/IMG_1354%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Starting with the chicharoness: If you don't already know, I'm a huge fan of chicharoness. As a kid, my uncle Ramon would make some awesome tacos out of chicharoness and ever since then I've been hooked. Yeah, well, so far all of the chicharoness tacos I've tried for this blog have just plain sucked. This one was average; there was some crispness to them but no pork flavor. Really, its almost as if they took a bag of pork rinds and just chopped them up and dumped them in to a tortilla. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The al pastor was very tender with a moist and soft texture. This would have been awesome if the pork had any flavor whatsoever, which it did not. The only thing I could taste was the overwhelming flavor of corn from the grainy yellow corn tortillas. They weren't bad, I mean they were hot and lightly oiled (which is always a plus) but it was all I could taste. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carne asada same thing. The meat was extremely tender and chopped into tny bits but just no flavor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Carnitas were shredded and a little moist but mostly dry. Comparatively, the carnitas packed more flavor than the other tacos. But, if this is the stand out of the group then there's some serious problems here. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the tacos came topped with a salsa roja which was very good. Smokey flavor with a very slow building and long lasting burn that I just wanted to dip some chips into. Again, the tortillas had a rustic flavor (no way they were handmade) and were good but unfortunately had no other notes to play off of and just dominated the flavor of all of the tacos. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yeah, so I wasn't totally pleased with today's food. At 75 cents a pop ( or a dollar, or whatever...) these tacos may be worth your time. I don't think I'll be back........I just wish Tacos La Costa was open........son of a bitch... 2/5 Stars</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zKG_rxLnC5s/TVnPJ16xNvI/AAAAAAAAAP4/0twgb61gPqY/s1600/IMG_1351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zKG_rxLnC5s/TVnPJ16xNvI/AAAAAAAAAP4/0twgb61gPqY/s400/IMG_1351.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> La Cocina Rica #2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4202 Saviers Road </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oxnard, CA 93033</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-53418072195118235502011-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:002011-02-04T08:58:24.540-08:00Ortiz Taco Time - Ventura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TUbnVOnOMFI/AAAAAAAAAPM/SqvBBNG451c/s1600/out+front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TUbnVOnOMFI/AAAAAAAAAPM/SqvBBNG451c/s400/out+front.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Ortiz Taco Time is a well known place on Ventura Avenue that I've heard much about. Truth be told, I wasn't planning on going there for this post ( I was going to go to Taqueria Tepatitlan across the street) but its been on my radar now for some time so I just couldn't resist. <br />
<br />
I know there's some history here with the building and the owner plus this place has many fans but I'm not going to delve into all that because its time to get down to brass tacks, are their tacos superior or not?<br />
<br />
Well, as I walked in through the front door I was quite surprised how nice the interior of Ortiz Taco Time was. Plenty of seating and very clean in appearance plus this bad boy painted on one of the walls: <br />
<br />
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Anyway- At the counter ordering my tacos: 1 asada, 1 carnitas, 2 al pastor when the lady taking my order yelled in Spanish to the cook in the back: "Dos tacos adobados por favor!" ............and there you have it folks, mystery solved. Josh and I have been validated (well, at least one time) with our belief that most of the "al pastor" we've been eating is not really the traditional version of the recipe.<br />
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Its not a big deal whatsoever, its just that it should be advertised on the menu a little differently. I mean, the pork is being cooked adobado style ( simply put, slow cooked with onions, garlic and dark chilies or adobado sauce/paste) as opposed to roasting it on the trompo ( Roasted on a rotisserie, pineapple involved, juice from said pineapple tenderizes the pork) then again, its also a regional issue. Who fucking cares Rob! were the tacos any good??<br />
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Right- The tacos, one more thing before I get to that, before the tacos even reached my table, I was served complimentary chips and salsa with the salsa also serving as the eventual topping for my tacos. I found the salsa (which was still pretty warm from just being cooked) to be smokey, with a slow building heat, very nice little number. Not gonna make you sweat or snap in your mouth with spiciness but it was very flavorful none the less. <br />
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Okay! Carnitas: nice crispness, shredded and moist, that chicharroness type flavor coming to the forefront and just delicious through and through. It had a very clean flavor as opposed to say, greasy like the one I had at Taqueria Potrillos in Camarillo. Definitely deep fried but still clean and not weighed down as carnitas can sometimes get after the deep fry treatment.<br />
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Carne asada was also really good. Great flavor, solid cut of steak, tender and juicy with slight char. Very nice, not the best, but really good and enjoyable to eat. <br />
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Al pastor/pork adobado tacos: After understanding what it was that I was eating, I set my mind to the flavors that I was expecting. This pork adobado taco was really, really good. absolutely delicious. Tender and spicy, totally melted in my mouth I was so glad I ordered 2 of them. Great execution of this style. <br />
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Other things: All of the tacos were quite hearty; the tortillas were filled to the brim with meat. Speaking of the tortillas, they were perfectly oiled and pliable, absolutely added to the overall flavor of the tacos. At the price of $1.25 each, these tacos are a serious deal. <br />
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There's still alot for me to get to just in Ventura city but yeah, I really enjoyed my tacos at Ortiz Taco Time; they are the real deal. I know that may not be news to the locals, and I'm sure there are also plenty of detractors, nevertheless- Ortiz Taco Time is one of the stand outs in the Ventura County. Trust me, I've been around, and in that medium sample size I think this place is great in comparison. 4.5/5 stars.<br />
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PS: On the way home I saw Don Gaby's van and lunch truck parked off the freeway in Oxnard. Please forgive me, Don. <br />
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Ortiz Taco Time<br />
339 North Ventura Avenue <br />
Ventura, Ca 93001Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-10856285421843618982011-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:002011-02-08T13:07:50.237-08:00El Chilito #2 - Oxnard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TT3ZusyLIhI/AAAAAAAAAPE/sSu3idW2bwQ/s1600/outside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TT3ZusyLIhI/AAAAAAAAAPE/sSu3idW2bwQ/s400/outside.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, when I see an advertisement in the VC Reporter that reads like this: <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It definitely perks my interest, which is why I'm at El Chilito in Oxnard for this post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In any case, my co-worker buddy, Martin, came with me to check this place out. For some reason, through all of my other taco adventures in Oxnard I've missed this joint. Which is weird since I drive right past it all the time on Oxnard boulevard. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the interesting things about El Chilito is that they claim to have a "taquero" outside the premises in the parking lot on Fridays and on the weekends who dishes up fresh tacos right off a mobile plancha and al pastor tacos off a Trompo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think that only occurs at night though since I didn't see anything set up out on the parking lot when I got there at noon, oh well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another thing that I did not know before hand was the fact that its more of a restaurant/sit down type of place with one of the ladies behind the counter taking our order at the table rather than ordering at the counter. They even served us a complementary bowl of chips and dipping salsa. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, I order 4 tacos: 2 al pastor, 1 cabeza, 1 carnitas and I think that Martin (also ordered 4) had carne asada, carnitas and 2 al pastor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Starting with the carnitas taco: I thought it was really bland and dry. It was of the shredded variety but it just lacked flavor in a big way. Not much else to write on this other than it was a big disappointment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The al pastor tacos were nice; tender and cooked adobado/Ventura County style with hints of pineapple through out. Nothing to amazing here just an adequate to solid taco.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The cabeza was definitely the standout; very moist and tender with loads of flavor and absolutely no tangy taste. Again, it was pretty good and I highly recommend this taco to anyone who is a big fan of cabeza. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Martin didn't have much to report from his end other than to say roughly the same things about all of his tacos as I did: nothing exciting at all but he thought the al pastor was very good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Speaking of al pastor, I obviously couldn't tell if they were carved off of a trompo or not since the kitchen area was totally hidden from sight. The pic on the advertisement had me hoping that I was gonna hit pay dirt with some delicious al pastor. But alas, that was not the case. Also, I'm not saying that having pork roasting on a rotisserie will yield sweet tasting al pastor but it certainly wouldn't hurt.</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A few more notes: tortillas sucked, salsa roja on the tacos was not spicy and didn't "add" anything and I completely missed out on a nice looking salsa bar. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">On a totally positive note, they threw some grilled onions on my plate that were pretty tasty when I topped a few of my tacos with them. And, the tacos are $1.00 each.</span></div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Okay, so I really feel like El Chilito is a place that I need to re-try down the road. I'd like to be here when the taquero is outside wheeling and dealing tacos. I'd also like to take their salsa bar home with me. 2.5/5 stars</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">El Chilito #2</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">733 South Oxnard Boulevard </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oxnard, Ca 93030</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-47832458440885329502011-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:002011-10-27T13:36:00.078-07:00Taqueria Potrillos - Camarillo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TTC0QBZABLI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Ey14g_7ooJ8/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TTC0QBZABLI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Ey14g_7ooJ8/s400/IMG_1065.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Hey there! I haven't had time to blog about any taquerias since the bloody aftermath of Christmas/New Years so I thought it was definitely time to get back on the horse and spit out the first set of reviews for 2011. <br />
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Taqueria Potrillos is located in Camarillo across the street from one of my favorite places to go for a taco, Establos Meat Market, on Ventura Boulevard. <br />
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Anyhow, tiny hole in the wall type of place that you would expect- Now that's neither here nor there but what is, is the complementary chips, salsa, pickled veggies and other goodies that I helped myself too. <br />
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I ordered 4 tacos at the counter: carne asada, al pastor, carnitas and cabeza ( meat off the head of a cow) and had a seat at one of the few remaining tables. <br />
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Starting with the cabeza: as you can imagine, the meat was a bit gamy so it had that distinct tangy flavor. They had a very nice salsa verde loaded up on this taco which seemed to complement the meat, which was very tender and falling apart by the way. The tamatillo flavor of the salsa chilled out the tangy taste of the cabeza and somehow it all worked to make a decent taco. <br />
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Al pastor was nice, albeit pretty greasy. If that bugs you then this is not the al pastor for you. I felt that this pastor, no where near an authentic execution nor in the Ventura style either, was tasty. The pork was tender but with a noticeable charred crispness on the outside. Had a very flavorful adobado taste. Totally delicious, I'd come back just for another one of these. <br />
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Carne Asada was finely chopped, greasy, tender and with a crisp charred texture through out. Can't complain to much on this one either. Solid. <br />
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Carnitas was not shredded but cut into small cubes that tasted deep fried, almost like chicharrones. They were very crispy and greasy. Catching the overall theme here? They're not shy about the copious amounts of lard used in their cooking. <br />
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So, the verdict? Well Taqueria Potrillos is definitely a greasy spoon taqueria through and through. I don't mind that to much but some folks may. In any case, its my blog and I liked the place so 3 stars for them. Am I just totally high from the ridiculous lard intake ala Super Size Me? YES. Will I regret this decision later? Probably. 3/5 stars<br />
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Taqueria Potrillos<br />
2650 Ventura Boulevard <br />
Camarillo, CA 93011Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-32712803488232791532011-01-07T20:06:00.000-08:002011-01-07T20:06:50.503-08:00taco wire - Ventura County Tacos, Tacos Guisados in DF, Soho Taco<a href="http://www.greattacohunt.com/2011/01/taco-wire-ventura-county-tacos-tacos.html#links">taco wire - Ventura County Tacos, Tacos Guisados in DF, Soho Taco</a>Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-12457963430522278032010-12-27T15:08:00.000-08:002011-05-25T18:16:37.329-07:00Taqueria Jalisco #3 - Simi Valley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TRpaCCOKx3I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/5xblUkMVArc/s1600/IMG_0868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TRpaCCOKx3I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/5xblUkMVArc/s400/IMG_0868.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Typically, when I think of Simi Valley, for some reason my thoughts always turn to the Mad Max movies; The backdrop for the story being a desolate, post apocalyptic wasteland........Well, I don't really think that way (no wait, yes I do) but maybe its because its located in such a large valley and some of the landscape and scenery remind one of the look of a Mad Max film. I just wish I had a sweet V8 interceptor to cruise around in. <br />
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I just don't know the place to well, maybe there's some really cool stuff happening around Simi Valley I just wouldn't know anything about it. For crying out loud, I live in Newbury Park and absolutely zero is happening there, so what the hell am I talking about. <br />
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Anyhow, there's definitely a sort of disconnect between the people living over the Camarillo grade and the rest of the county below. <br />
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The only other taqueria around Simi that I've been to for the purposes of this blog was Carnitas Michoacanas. Other than that place, I'm not familiar with the layout of the land and I really don't know were the locals go for good Mexican food. Shit, I'm not sure if I want to know. In any case, some taquerias in Simi have been around for a long time and are well known establishments but they will be totally new to me, so this leads me to Taqueria Jalisco #3. <br />
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I do know that Taqueria Jalisco (a small chain, by the way) is an established taco joint in this town so that's why I ended up here.<br />
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So, I get to the place and order the 3 tacos I always get ( carnitas, asada & pastor) and actually take them to-go and set up shop on the hood of my car. The inside of Taqueria Jalisco was very nice, clean, tidy (with complementary chips and salsa that you can serve yourself!) and definitely inviting as far as place were you'd want to sit down and enjoy your food but.......I was in hurry, and its just a long story.....<br />
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Tacos! okay, these all came topped with cilantro, onions and salsa roja plus some cuts of tomatoes. <br />
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Carnitas: very very interesting. For one thing they came chopped in very small cubes as opposed to the shredded version that I'm used too, but it was really good! Indeed, I was surprised how good it was. These little crispy morsels were deep fried pieces of pork that packed a ton of juicy flavor and totally melted in my mouth. The salsa was solid and worked really well with the strong pork flavor of the carnitas. Again, pretty damn good.<br />
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The pastor was really good too, flavorful pork that had serious hints of pineapple and was totally solid overall. Also, quite juicy and moist, very nice texture (soft and easily chewable) and the spice was not overpowering at all. I know that the way they cooked it was probably in a adobado like fashion but it worked for me. Like the carnitas, also was cut into tiny pieces. <br />
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Asada was also very good! Finely cut like the other two and with a slight crispy char but tender and very easy to chew on. The flavor of beef was at the forefront but not so much the flavor of asada. The nice cut of meat, with no connective tissue or gristle, is what saved (and made) this taco. Not bad at all. <br />
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The tortillas on these little tacos were perfectly oiled and piping hot, which really kicked all of these babies up a notch. Its funny how a thing like this is constantly overlooked by a lot of the other places I have visited (for this blog) so far. The salsa was solid and complemented all the tacos very well. Not overly spicy and it didn't separately distinguish itself really but just acted as a one component of the total flavor profile for all these tacos. I seriously could have ordered 3 more. <br />
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So, to me, I feel as though I've just discovered a diamond in the rough. But to people in Simi Valley, Taqueria Jalisco is just a good place everyone already knows about. Well, I hope they do because they serve great tacos. 3.5/5 stars<br />
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Taqueria Jalisco #3<br />
1742 East Los Angeles Avenue <br />
Simi Valley, Ca 93065Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-87462932405865291962010-12-24T12:45:00.000-08:002010-12-24T14:13:58.804-08:00Tacos DF - Oxnard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TRUFYCkN6MI/AAAAAAAAAOA/emUQGn7dYZk/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TRUFYCkN6MI/AAAAAAAAAOA/emUQGn7dYZk/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Tacos DF was finally open today! I can’t believe it. <br />
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Honestly though, what are Tacos DF official business hours? I truly think that they open whenever the hell they feel like it. And it’s not just them; there are about 2 to 3 other places that were not open at noon (around C Street) either. If anyone knows the deal with that please let me know. <br />
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In any case, Tacos DF in Oxnard, that’s where I am today. The “DF” in the name stands for Distrito Federal in spanish which loosely translates to Federal District in english. Well, that’s actually the direct translation. El Distrito Federal covers all of Mexico City, and is the capital of the 31 states of Mexico, as the capital for the United States is Washington DC for our 50 states. But I digress…..<br />
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The last time I was I was in Mexico City was when I was 2 years old. You know what I remember most from that trip? Absolutely nothing. <br />
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The interior of Tacos DF was quite impressive in its collection of Mexican themed knick-knacks. Pics of local boxers and famous Mexican ones, many flags adorned the red painted walls and with several black and white photos of famous Mexican celebrities too. But most importantly, a huge set of steer horns mounted on the wall by the menu. You won’t get this place confused with the insides of a Baja Fresh. <br />
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Okay, besides my usual 3 (asada, carnitas, pastor) I saw that they had birria (spicy goat meat stew) today so of course, I ordered a birria taco as well. All the tacos came topped with cilantro, onions and salsa roja. <br />
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The carne asada fell quiet short; it was cut into very fine pieces almost resembling ground beef and very mushy in texture. I know that they scooped it out of a heating bin and did not "re-heat" it on the plancha but this was not going to do. I could taste some asada flavor and hints of seasoning but it was not very good overall. The salsa was good though and definitely helped it from being a total disaster. <br />
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Carnitas was also similar in its presentation. Shredded and moist to a fault; again, mushy and close to flavorless but the salsa was so tasty that it made it a decent taco. <br />
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Al pastor was..........interesting? It had some notes of a pineapple flavor (or, some pineapple juice was poured over it whilst cooking) but okay all in all. Again, more of an adobado style like all the other Al Pastor tacos I've been eating lately in Ventura Co. <br />
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The birria was very delicious. Shredded and moist with distinct flavors of birria (slow cooked in dry chilies).......it blew me away. Very good execution but not a normal menu item here. <br />
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Well, other than the amazing decor of Tacos DF and a birria that's very tasty, there's not much else going on here which is to bad. The dude behind the counter was super nice too. 2/5 stars<br />
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Tacos DF<br />
636 South C Street<br />
Oxnard, Ca 93030Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484574073840608809.post-15212107803636995532010-12-20T15:55:00.000-08:002010-12-21T08:37:28.615-08:00El Burrito Alegre - Ventura<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TQ_sNmLn3RI/AAAAAAAAANo/sfv1TTiiOrU/s1600/IMG_0752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kvfa3mi6_fc/TQ_sNmLn3RI/AAAAAAAAANo/sfv1TTiiOrU/s400/IMG_0752.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, today's post did not go as planned. First, I went to Taqueria Mi Tierra in Oxnard but it was closed. Then, I went to Tacos DF (also in Oxnard) but that was also closed. With the clock ticking on my lunch break I decided to just head to Ventura and get to the closest Taqueria I could find. A friend mentioned El Burrito Alegre off Telephone a few weeks ago so I figured it was worth a shot. I'm trying to get 3 posts in before the end of the year so I was pretty desperate. <br />
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Burrito Alegre is located in a very busy strip mall that's highlighted by a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on the corner. It was tough to find parking but I eventually got situated. <br />
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When I got inside to order my tacos at the counter, I was shocked with the lack of options on the menu. The only fillings I had to chose from for a taco (or a burrito, torta, etc.) was: chicken, al pastor and carne asada. Yikes. <br />
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So I went with two asada tacos and one al pastor. <br />
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At the salsa/condiment area they had 4 different salsa's to pick from. I noticed the salsa verde and some other dark salsa but I ultimately went with the rojas's they had that were marked "hot" and "very hot". After I got my taco order I doused all 3 tacos with the "very hot" roja and dug in. <br />
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The Carne Asada was of the steam bath variety that I've been experiencing lately. Seems like they cook the meat up and stick in a warming bin which sorta steams the meat a bit. In this case, they gave it the once over on the hot plancha after scooping it out of the bin. The result was tender, small pieces of asada with some decent char all over. Not bad- Not well seasoned but the crispy bits from the char made up for it. Also, they added a few cooked onions on top of everything which added a nice flavor.<br />
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Also, the salsa that I drowned my tacos in was totally amazing! This has got to be the best salsa that I've had yet; perfectly spicy, smokey and delicious. The consistency of it was on point, not to watery and not to thick like a paste either. I liked this taco a lot. Some flaws? Yes, but that damn salsa...........<br />
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Al Pastor was solid; it too was tender from sitting in the covered heating bin but it also seemed like they probably cooked the pork for a long period of time. Well, it definitely tasted that way to me. The meat was very tender and easy to chew, the flavor was a solid Ventura version of pastor (A mild Ancho chile rub). It too had some good char, which if you haven't noticed yet, I'm a total sucker for. Also, did I mention the salsa I threw on this thing?<br />
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El Buritto Alegre needs to add more variety to their taco options if they want to make any kind of mark because the tacos were just average. Hell, they just need to add more variety to their menu period. But they definitely hit the mark with those salsa's, so good..... 2.5/5 stars<br />
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El Burrito Alegre<br />
4705 Telephone Road<br />
Suite 1<br />
Ventura, CA 93003Rob.http://www.blogger.com/profile/12364475148897027708noreply@blogger.com3