Aqui Estoy ~ Isla Mujeres

As much as I love me taco's, this pizza was a welcoming break from the constant barrage of mexican food my stomach received.  Aqui Estoy translated means, "Here I Am," which is perfect because when we arrived on Isla Mujeres (a little island 20 km off the coast of Cancun) I was thinking of all the food I would be eating within the next 3 days.  There was a bit of foreshadowing with this place.  As we were exiting off the ferry I saw a man on the dock wearing an "Aqui Estoy" shirt.  At first I thought he was some kind of worker on the ferry letting visitors now, "Here I am if you need any help!"  Ya right.  The service in Mexico is something else...but that's a whole different topic all together.

AQUI ESTOY

*Note the cost for the cuadrada piece:  $20 pesos! That's like $1.50 us!

I ordered the pepperoni cuadrada...which is the square piece.  

The pizza was surprisingly really good.  I had a feeling it would be after numerous times walking passed this place going to and leaving our hostel, with each pass the smells wafting from the place piquing our interest.  

Despite having to reheat the pizza since it had been sitting in that glass case, the square had a great fresh taste.  It was perfectly toasted and the dough had a nice flavor to it.  The cheese and sauce were proportioned perfectly and the pepperoni was just icing on the cake.  After eating just one of these slices, I more than satisfied my hunger.  *side note, I tend to not eat as much as I would normally when out of the country.  I don't know what it is...but you really don't think about food that much when you're having a good time.  And that say's a lot coming from this fat ass.

All in all, this place gets my stamp of approval.  On top of the great pizza, the guy's who run the joint are super nice and were more than happy to let me take pictures of the pizza, as well as them in action.

PS - Did I mention a square piece cost 20 pesos?!  Come on now!

Pro's

-Friendly service

-Multi-lingual workers - Spanish, French, Italian, English, and I'm sure some others...

-Nice variety of toppings on the "ready made" slices.

Con's

-Hmmmm....???

cuadrada/square ~ $20 pesos/$1.50 usd; redonda/round ~ $35 pesos/$2.50 usd.

Aqui Estoy ~ Downtown Isla Mujeres

Tender Greens ~ Culver City

What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said about the recent "locally grown, organic living" lifestyle boom that started at the turn of the century.  Yes, Tender Greens offers locally grown fare, (from all over California, mind you) and most of the ingredients on the menu are organic.  Now, I'm not going to use this revew as a podium to preach my somewhat mixed feelings about this recent trend of the "buy local" and "eat healthy" lifestyle.  Shoot, I lean towards that direction every now and then.  But like any other red-blooded, country grown American, I have no problem digging myself into a fat tri-tip that is neither organic nor locally grown.  Actually, what most people don't know is the meat they buy at their local Ralphs or Pavillions is actually California grown, where I grew up.  Thank God for such a fertile valley here in California.  *End shameless central valley praise now*

With that off my chest, let me say that I'm grading the food based on...the food, minus all the hoopla about it being organic and locally grown.  And yes, I do understand that there is a different in taste.  I just won't let it get in my way.

Tender Greens

We arrived on a gloomy sunday morning with my sister and friends freshly hungover and ready to grub it down.  Of course, there was a line that went out the door, this place frequently packed because of the word of mouth praise.  Not to mention this is a "modern cafeteria."  You order your meal in front, go down the line and watch them prepare your food,then at the end register you give them your money and they give you your food.  This "cafeteria style" line of preparation can create some long lines for the uneasy, very hungry folk.  Yours truly included.  Funny thing, I've been here so much that none of it is new, so while waiting in front of the vegetable part of the line, some random outta nowhere asked Patrick, "Are you waiting in line?" I'm like, "No we're not, we're just picking our nose here while we wait for our food.  Fucking douche bag."  Yeah, I was hungry and sick of wating.  Little did I know that this was his first time to Tender Greens, so he didn't know the routine.  My bad.  So who's the douche bag now?  I even called him a rookie after the fact. Hahah I'm a dick.

*Happy Vegan.  Or as we like to call it, Buddha's Feast

Patrick was very ambitious and got the Buddha's Feast.  Included is tabbouleh, green hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale and tender greens.  Truthfully, I don't know what half of what I just typed down is.  But I did get a taste of a few of the things.  Definitely fresh to the taste, but it seemed more like a bunch of sides on one plate for me.  Not to mention, no pita bread?  I see hummus, albeit green, and all you get is that day old hard bread they call "rustic bread."  Eh, I'll let the vegans keep this plate.

*Side of the Line Caught Ahi Tuna

He also ordered a side of the Line Caught Ahi Tuna.  It's weird because they have this dish written as "albacore tuna" on the menu at their location.  Anyways, he had a couple pieces left over and he offered me a bite, I gladly accepted.  I must say, even after I finished my meal, the tuna was very good. They seared the tuna which left the inside raw, like sushi raw.  I don't even like sushi and I still enjoyed it.

*Oxnard Vegetables Hot Plate

Of course, Sara ordered the grilled vegetable plate.  I ordered this plate a long time back when I was in my "let's not eat meat every single day of my life" mode.  From what I can remember, it tasted all very good.  Like with most of their plates, the vegetables are prepared simply.  They soak the veggies in olive oil, then lightly season with salt and pepper.  Next they grill and serve em' up.  The veggies come fully cooked, but with a stiffness that's snappy.  I bet they blanche their veggies before hand.  

*Angus Flat Iron Steak Hot Plate

And now to the real deal, my plate, the Angus Flat Iron Steak.  What they don't tell you is that it's actually a flank steak, its most common application, the london broil. They quickly sear the steak over a very hot grill, and is cooked medium rare to maintain its tenderness and flavor.  

I've always enjoyed getting this.  But this time around, I noticed they had an overstock of already cooked steak sitting in a bowl under a heat lamp by the meat section of the line.  I knew this was gonna be bad from the start.  For the sake of speeding up the line, they cooked extra steak.  I don't really mind this but shit, throw that puppy back on the grill for a couple seconds.  Once I was sat down and finished taking pictures, my "steak" was warm.  More on the cold side.  That shit seriously put a damper on the whole experience.  I will add that this was the first time this has happened to me.  I've been here enough so I'm gonna let this one slide.  But you better come ready next time I arrive TG.  Seriously.  Or I'm gonna Yelp the shit outta you.  

*Side view of the outside seating area.

This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning their sides.  Their dishes include a choice of 5 different salads, all of which are above average for a fast food restaurant.  My favorite salad is the baby spinach with goat cheese and hazelnuts, topped with a cabaernet vinagrette.  Also if you order the hot plate, you get their very soft and fluffy yukon gold mashed potatoes.  This shit reminds me of some bomb brutal I used to get back when I was younger and had this country bumpkin ass white friend.  His mom made mashed potatoes like no one's business.  The taters at TG aren't goopy, it's very soft and if stuck on a fork and held upside down, it will stick to the fork.  Honest to goodness authentic mashed potatoes.   

I've been a frequent customer of this place since its opening.  Besides the under-a-heat-lamp fiasco with my steak,  things will remain the same.  But seriously TG, watch your back.  Or I will break your neck ala Yelp.

Pro's

-Fast Service

-Fresh Ingredients ie "organic" "local grown"

-You can see them make your plate and cook your food

-Great outdoor seating area.  ie people watching

Con's

-Long lines at peak hours

-When lines are long, they cook extra and let the finished sit under a heatlamp

Hot Plates and Sandwiches ~ 10.50  Big Salads ~ 10.50  Simple Salads ~ 5.50

Check full Menu here.

Tender Greens ~ 9523 Culver Blvd  Culver City, CA  90232

Super Taco ~ Woodlake, CA

It's crazy how far people will go to satisfy a craving.  Here in LA, I have to drive 30 mins south to Torrance for some proper Hawaiian style food.  For Italian deli sandwiches, I drive 20 min's to Santa Monica.  I mean, I could easily get these things here in Culver City and not be in a car any longer than 5 minutes, but sometimes you're willing to go that extra mile for a place that specializes in such things.  Places where only their food will hit the spot.  For many Visalian's, that place is Super Taco in Woodlake.

Super Taco

When I was just a little baby in the taco game, I was in awe of this place.  Just getting here you drive through beautiful country and farm land silhoutted by the Sierra Nevada's.  Super Taco itself is a little shack that probably can only fit about 25 people inside at once.  I used to think that since Woodlake was full of mexican migrant workers, the food was probably as authentically mexican as you could get. 

So, coming back with all this taco experience under my belt, I knew I'd be able to give a more objective review of this place, rather than my old romantic view from the past.  

*The Trio - Carnitas, al Pastor, Carne Asada

The carne asada was as good as I remember.  Chopped bits of carne asada that tasted great.  Seriously.  Hints of lime from the marinade created a very flavorful juiciness to the meat.  

The praise ends here though.  My pastor wasn't anything special.  Very forgettable.  And my Carnitas?  I don't know about that pico de gallo they put on top of very average grade, almost flavorless carnitas.  There was bell peppers and pickled carrots in the gallo.  Not a very big fan of that.  

Also, I know I shouldn't grade a place on their salsa but, I can't help it.  The salsa here just plain out sucked.  They only give you one kind of salsa and I didn't put it on any of my taco's, even though I really wanted to.  I looked around and of course, there wasn't a salsa bar either.  Very disappointing.

*Lengua Taco's

My cousin Patrick always gets lengua for his taco's so I was excited to hear what he had to say.  "Where would you rate this place, outta 5?"  I ask.  He gave a very definitive "3."  He enjoyed them, but nothing special.  Maybe if he had some good salsa???

As far as taco's goes, my old romantic view of this place clouded my perception of how good the food here really was.  With what I know now though, the taco's here were nothing special.  The asada had to be the highlight, but I could truthfully say that it would be hard to stand up with the greats here in LA.  

It's cool though.  You'll always have a place in my heart Super Taco.

Pro's

-Nice, scenic drive from Visalia

-Barbacoa and Menudo special's on Sunday

-Their "small" soda is actually a very "large" soda

Con's

-Salsa

-No Salsa Bar

Taco's ~ 1.25

Super Taco ~ 102 W. Naranjo Blvd. Woodlake, CA  93286

Rendon Taco Truck ~ Visalia, CA

I don't even remember the last time I ate a taco truck in Visalia.  Yet, they are around.  It's usually the blue collar people of Visalia who know where to find the good ones.  Road workers, ranch hands, construction workers and Mexican migrant workers alike, the trucks seek out these laborers daily.  Can't hate that.  If you don't have time to go off your site for food, they bring the food to your site.  It's genius.  I have a couple friends who are of said type, and they have nothing bad to say of the taco truck.  If anything, they love it.  The food comes to them, trucks are well equipped, and the prices are on the cheap.  Any red blooded, working-class American can agree with me on this.  

God Bless this country.  And God bless the taco truck.  

Rendon

Now, I know here in LA when you go to taco stands and trucks, you feel like, "hey, look at me, I'm getting down and dirty, like I was in Mexico!" or some BS like that.  Maybe not exactly that, but there's a mystique about eating at these places.  The experience is raw, you feel like an animal, or at least like your average hardworking Mexican-American.  And this taco truck in Visalia didn't fall anywhere short of that experience.  If anything, being at a place like this actually did put me in that mind set, the broke, hardworking American who just wants to eat his food, drink his beer, fuck, and go to sleep.  Wait, nevermind, I am that person. 

*Two Carne Asada Taco's

I really can't find anything bad to say about this place, besides it being 15 mins away.  With that said, everything was spot on.  They gave me my taco's with nothing on it.  PERFECT.  They had a salsa bar on the side that was legit.  Everything you'll find at a top notch spot here in LA.  They even had guacamole.  Not the salsa either...straight up guacamole.  Sometimes I can't stand places that don't have these bars, then when you get your taco's "con todo" (with everything) sometimes you want more cilantro, or more roja.  And guess what?  There's no salsa bar to have your taco exactly how you want it.  Not the case with this truck.

I think they chop the carne while its on the griddle, so by the time it hits your plate they are in little beef bits on your tortilla.  The flavor and juiciness was right on.  Perfectly seasoned and not too salty, proper asada style.  And the juiciness?  Check the top picture.  You can literally see the juice oozing from the meat.  The portion of carne on the taco was also noteworthy.  Probably one of the most filled taco's I've ever had, without tortilla break, thus far.  

Conclusion?  Seriously?  Do I need one?  Ok, I like this place.  No, I loved it.  I will go back and try out whatever else they have to offer.   Maybe the buche?  Hahaha, maybe another time.  I'll stick with the trio.

Pro's

-Salsa Bar

-Outdoor covered seating area with lights for night time

Con's

-15 min's out of central Visalia.  

Taco's ~ 1.25

Rendon ~ old highway 63, 10 min's north of the Oval, Visalia,  CA  93291

Johnnie's Pastrami ~ Culver City

I've always enjoyed sinking my teeth into a fat pastrami sandwich at Johnnie's.  The 4in thick mound of meat in that french roll has my mouth watering everytime.  Yet, I have a couple mixed feelings about this place.   

Johnnie's Pastrami

Situated among taco great's Tito's Taco's and Cinco De Mayo, Johnnie's Pastrami has been doing business since 1952.  With that said, they have a legion of devout followers who swear by the place.  I myself at times has said they are the best pastrami place in LA.  But there's two type's of pastrami's, the deli style and the greasy spoon style.  Johnnie's is the latter.  Arguably the best of that style.  Here are some pics of a recent visit.

The sandwich comes on a french roll that perfectly compliment's the meat.  The airyness of the bread really soaks up the juice the pastrami stew's in, leaving you the option of not putting on any condiments, just how I like it.  The pastrami itself is done sooo proper.  Super tender, super juicy and the perfect amount of fat from the brisket.  It's like biting into butter.  

At 10 dollar's a pop, you better expect that they're gonna slab a mound of that goodness onto your sandwich.  Which brings me to my mixed review.  10 dollars?  Damn dog, that's plenty of money.  That's not including fries and a drink.  The best way to do this place is come with a friend, split the fries and get yourselves a couple drinks,  and the check is gonna be 15 dollars each.  So, if you have the money and you really want to treat yourself, head to Johnnie's with a friend and do the soft spoon greasy pastrami style right.  

Pro's

-Arguably the best greasy pastrami in LA

-Laid back, old style diner atmosphere

-Free refills

Con's

-Price @ $10.25

-Sometimes inconsistent in quality

Johnnie's Pastrami ~ 4017 Sepulveda Blvd  Culver City, CA  90230