Mas Margarita's Por Favor

Photo Courtesy of Flickr Blog

I love a place that is as inconspicuous on the outside, as the amount of trouble brewing on the interior. I had not stumbled into such a place in quite sometime until I celebrated Cinco de Mayo at none other than El Carmen.

El Carmen oozes hipster chic as soon as you walk in the door. With its low lighting (some of which is glowing from water filled lamps that your kooky great-aunt might have had) and it's Mexican wrestler paintings (and masks) that adorn the wall, you know this place is going to foster a fun evening.

Besides the quirky decor, this place is known for it's menu of over 400 tequilas, as well as an impressive list of specialty margaritas. I set my sights on the Watermelon Margarita, which at $8 was about 3 shots and tasted like I bit into a fresh watermelon - yum!! You certainly get your money's worth on booze (the beer is also reasonable at $5).

Although I intended to sample more of their food menu (the menu is small, but has enough to satisfy any lover of Mexican food), the 3 drinks before we got a table lended to less eating and more inappropriate storytelling. I was very impressed with the freshly fried corn chips, as well as the salsa and fresh guacamole (which disappeared in a matter of minutes). As a table we shared the nachos which I thought were very yummy and had a lot of flavor. My perpetually-mad-at-life Mexican friend made sure to poo poo the nachos for their inclusion of black beans, not refried. I happened to like this touch, making me feel less guilty for eating fried food and drinking excessive amounts. To each his own.

This is a great place to get the night started. I wouldn't go there just for the food, but the food/drinks combo is certainly worth every penny you spend and I swear you'll leave cooler than when you entered.

When in need of social lubrication, hit up this Mexican hot spot and you won't be disappointed!

El Carmen
8138 West Third St.
Los Angeles, 90048
(323) 852-1552
$-$$

Mayo Yayo!

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with Mexican food! The Los Angeles staple, El Cholo, is known and loved by many. BUT, what you may not know is that they are adding a new menu item starting this month through October. Their famous Green Tamales, which are usually only available online, have been available as of May 1 in their restuarants!

Dust off your sombrero and take advantage of this special treat! Aye Aye Aye!

El Cholo
1121 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, 90006
$$

While It Isn't Chanos...

Okay, I have some serious separation anxiety from my college fast-food obsession, Chanos. When I moved west from USC, I decided to try out Lucy's, which happens to be just down the block from me. They have in no way filled the void that Chano's has left in my heart, but it has introduced some new plates and unexpected surprises. While the burgers are good, the tacos are amazing when you're drunk, the dish that takes the cake is Lucy's Ceviche Platter. Okay, I know it seems completely absurd to order Ceviche from a drive-thru, but it came on the recommendation of my foodie friend, so I had to try it. The dish is great, and for $6.95 you can't go wrong. Next time you're craving fast food and would rather not have anything fried, give Lucy's a try and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Lucy's
1373 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 938-4337
$

Yuca Take Me Here Again

For those of you who know me and/or have read this blog before know that I love a hidden gem or diamond in the ruff, or a great place to eat that is relatively undiscovered. While this restaurant doesn't completely fit the bill being that it's been in business for 5 years, it did just open a new restaurant this year that's a little more "formal dining" than its flagship restaurant.

Enter: Chichen Itza. Now, for those of you who live West of La Brea, please don't fear when I tell you that this place is located in South East Los Angeles. While you might not want to take a stroll in the hood after dinner, the restaurant itself is incredibly clean (I mean you can practically smell the new paint!) and the food is worth the trip East.

Your meal will begin with no ordinary basket of chips. Chichen Itza serves its freshly-made tortilla chips topped with black beans and salsa fresca. What a creative and lovely start to the meal, and certainly sets the tone for the rest of the dinner.


As a first timer to this restaurant, I ordered the Antojito Sampler, a selection of 4 different Appetizers. The first thing I tried was the Salbut, a soft corn tortilla topped with lettuce, shredded turkey, pickled red onions, tomato and slice of avocado. Upon first bite, I was immediately surprised by how light this dish was. The turkey was definitely well seasoned, but didn't have a heavy feeling. The flavors were strong, but not overwhelming. The same went for the similarly concocted Panucho, differing from the Salbut by a black bean puree and a crispy tortilla rather than a soft one. Just as yummy! The other items on the plate were two Codzitos (chicken taquitos) which were okay, not amazing, and the most interesting and flavorful Kibi I've ever had. Okay, I've never had Kibi before, but it was still delicious. Kibi are ground beef and cracked wheat patties seasoned with mint and other spices and lightly fried. The flavor is unlike anything I've ever had. Truly fantastic.


For the main course, I tried two different dishes, both equally superb. The first dish was the Chochinita Pibil, which consisted of moist and tender shredded pork, marinated in an achiote and sour orange juice. The pork is cooked in banana leaves, giving it that fall-apart-in-your-mouth effect that I am oh, so fond of. The dish is served with black beans, rice, and corn tortillas in an authentic tortilla warmer, lined with a handstitched cloth napkin. Yes, I'm Jewish. Yes, I just ate pork. But it was really, really good! Isn't there something in the Commandments about "thou shalt make all gone" and "if the pork is good, eat it"? I sware I read that somewhere...


The other dish I tested was the Papadzul, which sounded so different I just had to try it out (and I'm glad I did). Corn tortillas are dipped in ground roasted pumpkin seed sauce, and filled with hard boiled egg, topped with pumpkin seeds and light tomato sauce. Again, this dish was incredibly light although the look of the sauce is deceiving. The eggs are cooked perfectly, and the infusion of pumpkin is mouthwatering.


The food aside, the service and presentation was on-point. With our check, we received a hand written thank you note from our server (on stationary), that let us know that on our next visit, we would receive a free appetizer. Couldn't have asked for a better introduction to Yucatan cuisine.


Chichen Itza
2501 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 380-0051
$

If I Could Marry a Plate of Nachos...

I would marry the chicken nachos from Chanos. I was first introduced to Chanos my freshman year at USC. It's one of those places that gets a bad rap because, 1) It's often frequented by drunk frat boys and 2) it's the size of my bedroom. However, despite the obstacles, I have chosen to give my heart to Senor Chano.

While I enjoy the Enchilada combo plate, the taquitos and the chicken burrito, I have yet to meet a man who makes my mouth water like a hot plate of chicken nachos (don't worry Jake, it's all for literary fluffing). If you have yet to find reason to venture into the ghetto, this is the time and Chano's is the place ($).