Yuca's ~ Los Feliz

One of the perks of being unemployed is almost all obligation is thrown out the window, which leaves you with an open calendar to do what you want, when you want.  I can wake up at 11 am because I don't have to go to work.  I can take my time from point A to B, because I'm in no rush to get to work, or to get home from work.  Also, if someone offers, "Hey, wanna go to the dodger game on monday? At 12:30?"  I don't have to say, "Awww shit, I have work!"  

Yeah, it sucks not having a job, but hey, gotta look at the bright side, right?  Anyways, this opportunity presented itself and instead of saying "aww shit I have work," I said, "YES."  

Awesome huh?  What's even better is that friend (Cori) lives in Los Feliz, which automatically meant that my head, and stomach, was thinking, "Oohhhh Jason, Yuca's afterwards!?"  Yes sir, Mr stomach...Yes sir!"

Here are some pics of the Dodger home opener, just for the record...

*Apparently, being handicapped means you can get drunk and trash the p.lot also.

YUCA'S

Apparently we were eating at the right time, this place being a HUGE favorite among all the hipsters and locals to the area.  Something like 25-30 min waits for food and long lines during the lunch hours.  Ouch, is this place really worth it?  Not to mention Yuca's received first place in LA Tacos March Madness tourney.  They even had a certificate on the window.  Hmmm, we'll see about all this hoopla.  

*Once again, note the Jeep in crucial parking.

The menu is simple:  tacos, burritos, sandwiches, tortas and hamburgers..  hamburgers?  Apparently they're good because I saw a couple patrons munchin down lookin all happy and shit.  One thing that really blew me away about this place is they have cochinta pibil!  Mmm mmm mmm, I had some of this goodness while I was in Tulum, Yucatan, where this dish is originated.  Knowing I had the real thing, I was a bit curious and ordered it along side with a carne asada taco.  

Let's start with the asada.  This is very different than what I am used to.  I'm sure many eastsiders would agree, this taco is made for the area...fresh, lean and lacking in that bold mexican flavor.  

BUT, I still enjoyed it very much.  The carne is grilled and reminded me of the steak you would eat at Tender Greens.  This is a good thing.  They use a flank steak and is seasoned simply with salt and pepper.  The tenderness was very different in that it was "grill" tender, like a soft chewy bite that reminded me of eating at a friends BBQ or a fresh organic restaurant.  Once again, think Tender Greens.  They then top it with a pico de gallo which added extra freshness from the tomatoes, all sitting on top of two big size homemade taco tortillas that were soft and aborbed and kept heat very well.  This was a good taco.  You don't get that bold mexican flavor, but more of that California fresh flavor that's all about simplicity that emphasizes on the product, rather than added flavors that enhance.

I didn't know what to expect with the cochinita, but after I took that first bite, all doubt about this place was removed.  THIS PLACE IS GOOD.  REALLY REALLY GOOD.  

The proper way to cook cochinita pibil is buried underground, pibil literally meaning "buried."  I don't know if they actually roast the pig buried underground like tradition asks, but either way, this pork lived up to my standards, standards that were set in Yucatan, the motherland of this particular dish.  Super flavorful with the juices staining the tortilla for added flavor.  A perfect combination of savory, sweet, salty and hot.  The texture was perfectly soft and juicy from the long hours of heat, it was like biting into butter.  What more can you ask for?  This might have been one of the best tacos I've ever had.

Do I really need to say more?  If you're in this area, try them out.  There might be long lines, but if you have the time, you will be rewarded with some fresh mexican food.  Fresh mexican food that places like Baja Fresh and Rubio's is probably trying to mimic.  Once again, this is not your average authentic mexican restaurant with bold flavors.  This place is all about simplicity and perfection.  Me encanta.

Tacos ~ carne asada $ 2.25; cochinita pibil $2.00

Yuca's ~ 2056 Hillhurst Ave.  Los Feliz, CA  90027

Los Compadres ~ Downtown Los Angeles

I've caught a couple observations over the past couple years about Spanish speaking people's in the service industry.  Whether it be at a restaurant, a bar, a trainstation or among new faces, speaking their language automatically bumps you up in the respect and friendliness scale.   

I have a million and one stories to validate my point, but I remember one specific time while in Playa Del Carmen.  I went to find a fellow American in our hostel, and found him out in the veranda attempting to speak to our roommates, who happened to be Argentinean.  He was glad to see me because we could actually have a full conversation.  So we went at it full force with the metaphors, heavy american slang, and shit talk...basically about what was gonna go down that night out at the bars.  Outta nowhere one of the Argentineans I met earlier said to me, "I like you better when you speak spanish."

hahahaah, he was just fuckin around, but I could tell he loosened up the second I responded in spanish about what my fellow american and I were speaking about.

Another instance I caught a shift in attitude was here...at Los Compadres.  Literally, "The Godfathers." But with the service I received, I'd say it means, "The Friends."

LOS COMPADRES

I came into this place freshly back from Mexico (literally had gotten off the plane late the night before) and with a Spanish speaking tongue ready for the unleashing.  I went the normal, most obvious route...

"Hola! Coma Esta?"

"Bien! Y tu?"

"Muy bien, muy bien!"

I followed by ordering my taco's in spanish, as well as asking her about the pastor(which I ordered) that was advertised as on a spit, or "trompo," out on their sign.  She could tell I was a baby rookie in spanish, so I explained that I had just come off the airplane the night before from Cancun, and how I mobbed deep to Isla Mujeres, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen.  I told her the reason I'm speaking spanish is because I want to be able to order taco's better :)  She smiled and went on about how she's learning English at the adult school up the street, so she could serve taco's better.  hahah, good times.  

She must have liked me because I straight up got the VIP treatment.  How you say?  Let's just say she didn't give me the pastor that had been cooked earlier in the morning and was sitting in a heat pan.  She went straight for a little fridge and pulled out freshly marinated pastor that was sitting in a little tupperware and threw it on the grill.  

Did you hear what I said?? I said she straight up got the REAL shit outta the VIP SECTION and cooked my food FRESH TO ORDER.  Hot off the fucking grill, straight into my buddha belly. 

She even brought the plate to my table with two different salsas.  What a sweetheart. 

I think she marinated this pastor in some magical sauce and kept it cold in some sort of wizards fridge, then cooked it on a sorcerers stove, because everything about these taco's were magic. 

Seriously, I love this.  I've said it before, but this right here is what this blogs all about people.  Finding a spot in the middle of nowhere, a random place that totally takes you by surprise and when you come out of it you feel ....happy.  

Pro's

-Friendly mom's and pop's service

-Pastor on spit in the AM thru lunchtime

-If you're friendly enough, she might give you the VIP treat

Con's

-Ninguno (none)

Taco's ~ $1.25

Los Compadres ~ 633 N. Spring St. Ste 8  Los Angeles, CA  90012

Don Felix Meat Market ~ Culver City

With the economy in the toilet, White Godzilla and I took it upon ourselves to say "fuck it,"and have a good time. We did this by purchasing two round trip tickets to Cancun, despite lack of work and tons of bills. We have talked about this trip incessantly now for about a year, and I am glad to say we are finally (barely) able to back pack through the Yucatan.

After crunching the numbers - the plane tickets, hostels, transportation, food, booze, I was left with the minimalist amount of money possible for a person to live in a two week period. My obsession with finding the best taco's in LA had to take a back seat.

But that's when I remember meeting a fellow by the name of Don Felix.

Don Felix Meat Market

With a crispy twenty dollar bill and high hopes, I set off to the meat market section of Don Felix. They had everything you would expect from a carniceria: marinated carne asada, marinated leg and breast chicken, pastor, chorizo and other meats that I'll leave for the more adventurous eaters.

I was able to walk away with a 1/2 pound of the marinated carne asada, 1.5 pounds of the breast chicken, and one whole chorizo that weighed about 2 pounds. Total cost? $10.50!!!

I made lotsa taco's :)
*clicking on any of the images will now bring up a bigger and better looking version!





*Carne Asada

I cooked the asada in the oven for about 30 mins at 350 degrees. It turned out very juicy and tender. The flavor was amazing. I've tried to mimic an authentic style carne asada before. I didn't even come close to this. Let's just say it tasted legit. Better than anything I could have done up...even with the help of internet recipes.




*Marinated Chicken Breast

The chicken was good. The 1.5 pounds gave me two butterflied breasts. The first one I grilled, second one I baked. I liked it better baked. I tasted hints of tumeric and cumin in the chicken, the marinade being a melange of herbs and spices.

Unfortunately, I was so hungry making my chorizo and cheese taco's that I wasn't able to take pictures. I just dug into those things.. Let me tell you though, they tasted great. Standard chorizo. Overly juicy to the bite, and flavors reminiscent of Mexico.

Don Felix has broken my carniceria cherry. I've never had the pleasure of enjoying already marinated meats from a mexican meat market, so I can't say I'm an expert in the field. But you know what they say, "you never forget your first."

From this point on, all will be held by this standard.

1 lb marinated carne asada ~ 6.49
1 lb marinated chicken breast ~ 4.49
1 lb chorizo ~ 1.99

Don Felix Meat Market ~ 3985 Sawtelle Blvd. Culver City, Ca 90066