Frida

I joined my whole family for dinner at Frida in the new Americana at Brand mall in Glendale recently and let's just say I definitely perfer my Frida in the form of paintings. The margaritas were decent, but at $12 a pop it costs a small fortune to get a buzz. We all wanted to try the different ceviches they have, but unfortunately there's not much good to report. Every ceviche I've ever had comes with a variety of fish in it, but at Frida you choose if you want shrimp or tuna, and I think they're really missing out by only allowing either/or. My sister ordered the ceviche especial, which is the only ceviche that has both shrimp and tuna, but it also has a creamy sauce. It sounded a little weird to have creamy ceviche and once it came out, it tasted weird. It was like dipping fish in mayo. I ordered the ceviche acapulco, which wasn't entirely disappointing, but was still probably the worst ceviche I've ever had (next to the ceviche especial). The shrimp didn't taste fresh at all and the flavors really didn't mesh well, despite that it's the same ingredients in every ceviche. For my entree I had the enchiladas suizas, one of my all time favorite Mexican dishes, and while the enchiladas were way better than the ceviche, they still weren't that great. Not one of the 6 of us was really that happy with the food and I don't think anyone would go back. Most dishes were $15-$20 and for that you can get so much better Mexican food.

http://www.fridarestaurant.com/glendale/menu.html

Chulada Grill

I love Tex-Mex. In fact, I love Tex-Mex so much, I could probably eat it every day for the rest of my life and die happy. It's probably one of the things I miss most about Texas, and it's quite a challenge to find anything comparable in LA. Hole-in-the-wall Chulada Grill almost measures up, at least in the breakfast department. There's nothing to cure a hangover like a couple of breakfast tacos, and Chulada's breakfast burrito is top notch. I had one just this morning (and yes, a hangover was involved) with potatoes, cheese, black beans, and bacon. Together, it's like a good symphony, but when you dissect the pieces, there is a little room for improvement I suppose. The potatoes were fairly flavorless and I hardly noticed them in the burrito except as filler. I couldn't decide if I liked the bacon or not. It was really thickly cut and in small pieces that were few and far between. It also seemed really fatty, which while that's usually a good thing for the flavor, it was a bit of a turnoff for me today. The best part for me were the refried black beans with cheese perfectly melted into it and wrapped up in a soft tortilla. Chulada does seem a little pricey for what it is, about $7-8 per entree. It's such a hole-in-the-wall you would expect it to be super cheap, but I guess they've got to pay the bills. And if you live in the area, they deliver!

http://www.chuladagrill.com/breakfast.htm

Sky's Tacos

I had noticed Sky's Tacos on Pico back when Chase and I were walking down to that area for weekend brunch, but had never been until last night. I guess it's not fair to say that I've been, only that I have eaten the food since Chase picked it up for dinner last night. I had read on Yelp that the lobster tacos were really great so I just asked for that and whatever else Chase thought sounded good. He came home with a smorgasbord of Mexican options. For me, there was a shrimp taco and a lobster taco. He got a beef torta and a steak taco (the special of the night) then a cheese quesadilla to share. All of the tacos came in corn tortillas, which for the fish was good, but we both felt that the steak taco would have been better in flour. The torta was kind of more like a Caribbean burger and neither of us were too keen on it. By far the star of the night was the lobster taco. The lobster meat absorbed all of the flavors really nicely and I couldn't really even tell it was lobster. Since I didn't pick up the food so I don't know how expensive each item was, but the total bill was around $40, so roughly $8 a piece, which in actuality is really steep for a taco. I think the only thing I would consider going back for would be the lobster, though they don't have an online menu, so I am curious what other options they serve. Also, Chase did get a lemonade that tasted like sugar water, so we had to add some water from home. I've heard that they have a really nice patio for outdoor dining but there aren't many seats, so it's more of a take-out place, FYI.

No website, but here's the link to the Yelp page:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/skys-gourmet-tacos-los-angeles

Tour De Austin

As I mentioned, I am on the plane, headed to Austin for my little brother’s graduation. I figured I would take this chance to cover some of my favorite places in A-town since I know many of us are from there/visit often.

Uchi – had to be top of the list. Not only one of my favorite restaurants in Austin, but one of my favorites of all time. Number one dish here for me has to be a toss up between the avo bake (baked avocado with creamy shredded crab and topped with a grilled shrimp) and the Uchiviche, their Japanese take on a traditionally Mexican dish, which means more tender fish and more delicate flavors. They used to have a chai tea crème brulee which was crème de la crème, but sadly, they discontinued it.

http://www.uchiaustin.com/

Eddie V’s – probably the most popular steakhouse in town. While the steaks are savory, the real reason to get here for me is the potato gruyere fritters, something I have never tried to make, but definitely should.

http://www.eddiev.com/

Las Manitas – Known for its Tex-Mex, Austin has so many options in this arena. Las Manitas is my favorite for a couple of reasons. Build your own breakfast tacos are always a great way to start your day, but the enchiladas verdes for lunch is hard to beat. Plus, how can you hate a place that supports local Mexican artists and is connected to one of the weirdest stores I have ever been in. If you need a Mexican wrestling mask, go here.

http://austin.citysearch.com/profile/10202499/

Fonda San Miguel – on the opposite side of the Mexican spectrum from Las Manitas is Fonda San Miguel. Offering more interior Mexican cuisine, their brunch is scrumptious and really has about every Mexican dish you could imagine. It ain’t cheap though, brunch runs at about $35 a person (I believe this includes unlimited alcoholic beverages, but I could be wrong on that one).

http://www.fondasanmiguel.com/

Chez Zee – Like an old timey neighborhood café, Chez Zee has the feel of a piano bar gone daytime. They also serve up a fun breakfast, but can be really hard to get into on the weekends. Luckily for you, that’s why they have board games like connect 4 in the outside waiting area.

http://www.chez-zee.com/

Kerby Lane – No matter how many times you’ve had it, you can still never get over the Kerby Queso. The best location by far is the one actually on Kerby Lane, but that one can also be the most crowded and difficult to get a table at. Breakfast all day and 24 hour service is always a good thing, right?

http://www.kerbeylanecafe.com/

With only a few days here and being in town during graduation and prom weekend, it will probably be pretty hard to get to any of these, but two things are for certain: I will be eating a breakfast taco (how I miss thee!) and I will be having some of the delicious fast food available, be it Whataburger, Taco Cabana, Fran’s, or Sandy’s. Any of them will be welcome in my belly.

Loteria

Finding good Mexican food in LA is a challenge, but Loteria at the Farmers Market in the Grove is a time tested favorite. It's just really great Mexican flare with a hint of Caribbean influence in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. You'll easily be able to spot this little gem in the Farmers Market by the multi-colored pictures that cover their outside wall, teaching simple Spanish through pictures (i.e. la reina with a picture of a queen, etc.). There are a couple of ways to dine here. If you want to take your time and be waited on, grab a seat at the counter and the fast-paced employees will take care of you. If you're with other people getting other food (perhaps the French place next door), you can stand in line and grab your goods on a tray to sit and eat at one of the many patio tables in the Farmers Market. I believe you can do to go too if you are really in a hurry. I've never been for breakfast, but if it's as good as the lunch/dinner items you'll be in good shape. My favorite dish here is the cheese enchilada platter in black bean sauce. So good! Their other enchiladas are good too, and you really just can't go wrong here. You can also create your own combo plate of mini-tacos, burritos, and/or tortas. Though I've never tried it, Loteria also offers low-carb tacos served in lettuce cups instead of a tortilla. Don't be fooled by the queso fundido. It may sound familiar, but this is just some cojita cheese melted on a plate, not at all like the runny queso we all miss from back home. One thing they don't have is tamales, so if you are really itching for one of those, you might want to try a neighborhood farmers' market (the kind in the street). To make up for the tamale-lessness, Loteria has fried plantains with creme fresca as a side. Who doesn't love fried plantains? I know they have about 3 or 4 different flavors of aguas frescas, including horchata, but I don't believe they have their liquor license. Not to worry, though, on the other side is a sports bar for getting margaritas or Mexican beer! Even though Loteria is really delicious, we always feel like it's more expensive than it should be, usually coming in at around $25 for the two of us. If you really try though, I'm quite sure you could eat on far less than that, but then you'd be missing out. Don't forget to get your parking validated for a free 2 hours!

http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/11398449/los_angeles_ca/loteria_grill.html#

Baja Cantina

I've gone to Baja Cantina a few times for drinks since it's not far from the office, so I figured I'd probably better blog about it. Unlike Sonora (my post from a couple of days ago), Baja Cantina is some downright dirty Mexican food, but boy it's still pretty good. First off, the atmosphere is kind of a mixed bag. The front room is supposed to look Mexican, but the fabric on the backs of the long booths outlining the room look like they came from a cafeteria for old people (I said Luby's but none of my California-native counterparts knew what that was, but I think it's about the same as Homestyle Buffet out here). The front room is also adorned with a tortilla booth and a little Mexican lady making nonstop tortillas in there. From the front room you can go two ways, to the back where there are two slender bars, hard rock, and a couple of tables, or to the patio. The patio is the much more sophisticated route and you'll find young urban professionals enjoying a beverage after work there on any week night, all huddled around the big outdoor fireplace. No matter where you sit you can get food. We all shared the nachos, quesadillas, chicken flautas, and a sampler plate with a taco, burrito, and tamale. They were all pretty good, definitely not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but for a bar, really not bad. The nachos were pretty standard with beans, cheese (duh), and jalapenos, topped with sour cream and guac. Much in the same fashion, the rest of the stuff we ordered was your standard Mexican fare, though the flautas (called Toothpicks on the menu) are about 15" long. Don't try to attempt eating this alone! Baja Cantina also does serve salads, some that aren't really even Mexican inspired, like a goat cheese salad. It's unexpected to say the least. Happy hour runs from 5-7PM nightly, but don't expect them to let you slide with happy hour prices a moment later. We got there around 7 and after waiting 10 minutes for our waitress to finally serve us, she removed the happy hour menus from the table saying "Happy hour is already over, so I'll take those." Service wasn't great, but the bar was definitely packed and seemed understaffed. Maybe they should have had the tortilla lady giving a helping hand. Luckily if you run out of chips, you can refill them yourself right by the front door. Happy hour prices are really decent for food and drinks, but once you cross over into normal hours expect to pay more than double those prices in some cases. Rita's are normally $6 (not bad) and most menu items range from about $8-15 each. If you are a sports fanatic, this is a great place to watch any game as they have TV's all over the place. If you like Guitar Hero, they've got that too, or at least they did on Thursday night, so I'd call the bar for details if you are interested. Parking seems like a toss up. About half of the crowd was able to find street parking, but me and another friend had to valet. If you're forced to valet, I wouldn't fret too much, it's only $3.50, but just make sure you take some cash with you (I've made that mistake before!). Baja's always been a great time and I'm sure we'll end up going back soon enough!

http://www.bajacantinavenice.com/

Sonora Cafe

Whether it's for happy hour or dinner, Sonora Cafe on La Brea has some damn good food and drinks, albeit a little pricey. It's more interior Mexican cuisine though, or rather "sophisticated Southwestern" as it calls itself, so don't expect to get a plate of greasy tacos with refried beans and rice. It's hard to come here and not drink since their margaritas are so delicious, so I usually get the LA Lemonade, which tastes similar to a Trudy's Mexican Martini for those Austinites out there. For those unfamiliar, it's a margarita on the rocks-type concoction with several kinds of alcohol that gets you really drunk and pretty much tastes like green Powerade. What more could you want out of a drink? No calories I guess (but what great thing in life doesn't have it's price?!). Sonora's other specialty margs are also delicious and they do offer quite a selection of Mexican beers. For appetizers, the mussels are to die for. Perfectly steamed mussels come to you on a skillet with melted butter for dipping. There are two kinds of ceviche on the menu, but you'll be happy with either - or both for that matter! The Romaine salad is light and fresh with a lime vinaigrette, but don't let yourself believe that just because it's a salad, it's healthier! All of the entrees I've had are terrific but some of my family's favorites are the Texas BBQ Pork Chop with a sweet potato tamale and mango-papaya chutney, the blue corn chicken enchiladas, and the jumbo prawns with a goat cheese and black bean quesadilla. With the exception of the steak items, most entrees are $20-30 and appetizers generally live in the $15 range. While at some restaurants the $30 entrees are big enough to share, this is unfortunately not the case at Sonora and it's really hard to have dinner and even just one drink for under $40 a person. If you want desert (which is probably worth it) tack on another $10 or so. Though they don't have sopapillas, Sonora's menu consists of other Southwestern-inspired sweets (trio of creme brulee, yum!). If you want to try a few items but don't want to dish out that much cash for dinner, Sonora has an excellent happy hour, scratch that FIESTA hour. Tuesdays-Fridays from 5:00-7:00PM you can get $3 off mussels and tacos and get $6 ritas. It may not be much, but every bit helps, right? To participate in happy hour you do have to sit at the bar tables (all of which have umbrellas on them for some reason), but you do get a nice view of the street and at night they light tons of little candles and put them in the little cubby holes on the patio - very cute and romantic. If it's nice out, definitely try to get an outside table to enjoy!

http://www.sonoracafe.com/

El Toro Cantina

Being from Texas, finding good tacos in LA hasn't been an easy feat, but El Toro on Wilshire has a wonderfully eclectic taco selection. Grouped by protein, there are about 30+ types of tacos from which to choose. My all time favorites are primarily from the seafood group, more specifically I love the rock shrimp and the tuna tartare. All of the tacos are fabulous though! The tacos are listed a la carte and range in price from $3-7. They are small tacos so I'd recommend getting at least two, but if you are hungry enough for three (which it's really not that hard to eat three) I'd suggest getting the three taco dinner that includes rice and beans and only costs $15 - so you can order all of the most expensive tacos for a bargain. The restaurant does have a Taco Tuesday special, though I have never been on a Tuesday so I'm not positive what it entails, other than discount tacos and drinks. The atmosphere is very reminescent of a Tex-Mex restaurant with vibrant, colorful sombraros on the wall. El Toro does have a full bar with great (and strong) margaritas and they love to give out free shots. I have never gone here without getting a shot from a ridiculously good looking server. The employees are all young and hot (typical LA), but luckily they are also all really nice. The place is never too crowded and it's always quick. This is a great place to go with friends to enjoy dinner, drinks, and each other's company. It's owned and next to Busby's sports bar's new location on the Miracle Mile. We've never had a bad experience here and definitely plan to go back!

http://www.busbysonline.com/toro_details.htm