Subject: Mexican Food and Cooking

• [¡Ask a Mexican!] Muy Caliente Summer Edition

  June 4, 2009

• The Sad Demise of Taquería de Anda

  I grew up with Taquería de Anda. I remember it when it was a tiny wooden shack in Fullerton's rough Tokers Town barrio, and the lines went out the door every weekend morning, drawing from the many churches in North County that had just let out Mass. I remember seeing it evolve into a 24-hour restaurant next door to the original shack, the place Dad would take us after returning from a wedding in Los Angeles. I remember how it became the place for any Latino high schooler to go after a football

  September 8, 2008

• The Best Taqueria in Orange County: Taqueria Tapatia

  Apologies for the light posting this week, but am trying to stave off carpal tunnel syndrome. Also: image has nothing to do with the restaurant--it's just funny! I've been on the local lecture circuit recently, talking to students at Irvine Valley College, UC Irvine, and Saddleback High School. At all talks in Southern California, I tell the audience I'm the food editor for the Weekly, and that it's acceptable for them to ask for restaurant recommendations. Inevitably, someone asks about the be

  November 7, 2008

• Taqueria Guadalajara Offers 89-Cent Tacos, Wants You to Laugh at Economy

  Stylistic note: photo is not of Taquerias Guadalajara, nor is Calvin pissing on a location. He's pissing on the logo of the Chivas, the Guadalajara-based soccer team whose colors and goat mascot Taquerias Guadalajaras uses for promotions. Chivas pelan. For years, Taquerias Guadalajara was the pale runner-up to Taquería de Anda, the homegrown OC taco empire. But, as I noted earlier, Taquería de Anda's quality has fallen as precipitously as its prices have increased, leaving Taquerias Guadalaja

  November 24, 2008

• Where Santa Ana's Segregationists Can Eat Mexican Food in Peace

  Cute, little, quaint Floral Park in SanTana--the place that holds segregated Halloweens and where a mansion gate states "Tara"--has its own Mexican restaurant: El Pico de Gallo Grill. It's located right at the entrance of the neighborhood--or rather, where the northbound entrance would be except that it's illegal to enter on Flower Street coming north. It's a big place, with a massive menu, but guess what? Pico de Gallo Grill ain't great.It's not just gabachos who eat here, although they remain

  January 23, 2009

• Question: What Does a Crosby Owner Have Against Downtown Santa Ana Mexican Restaurants?

  Answer: It gives him the runs.At least that's what can be surmised from the latest issue of Giant Robot, the excellent magazine of all things Asian and Asian-American co-created by OC native Martin Wong. In it, he interviews Chris Alfaro, one of the three guys behind The Crosby, the downtown SanTana hipster hangout whose food is hit-and-miss but whose drunk gals are legion. They talk about Alfaro's love of Del Taco, itself a sin but one that I have no right casting stones at because I think Jack

  January 28, 2009

• [Hole in the Wall] An Acid Trip Through the Ocean of OC Ceviche

  June 4, 2009

• First of Two Reasons to Visit San Bernardino

  My chica has recently enrolled in a food preservation course offered by the University of California all the way in San Bernardino. She usually carpools every Monday with a chef who works at one of the Disney restaurants, but I drove the two of them last week, hoping to finally enjoy the mythical Rosa Maria's.Clockwork Coker, who grew up in San Berdoo, first mentioned this restaurant years ago as a place that opened and closed according to the owner's whims but that served amazing tamales. He ne

  March 17, 2009

• [Hole in the Wall] El Chile Picante Goes Easy on the Cheesy

  April 2, 2009

• [Hole in the Wall] Thanks, Readers, for Sending Me to Taquería Los Grandes

  February 12, 2009

• OC Is Bursting With Sound-Alikes of the Famous Alberto's. We Search for the Best Incarnation

  January 29, 2009

• [¡Ask a Mexican!®] Special Tortilla Contest Edition

  July 24, 2008

• [This Hole-In-the-Wall Life] Pozole Paradise

  February 7, 2008

• Tamale Time!

  May 22, 2003

• ¡Ask a Mexican!®

  December 6, 2007

• This Hole-In-The-Wall Life

  August 30, 2007

• Mexican Evolution

  A tale of two El Matadors

  August 30, 2007

• Clandestine Camarones

  Enriques Mexican Restaurant might be the worst-kept secret in Long Beach, but the garlic shrimp is not

  February 22, 2007

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  April 5, 2007

• [Hole In the Wall] Panaderia Paradise at La Poblana Bakery

  April 23, 2009

• Masas of This Domain

  January 4, 2007

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  January 18, 2007

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  October 12, 2006

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  September 28, 2006

• Grub Guide

  September 21, 2006

• The Great Mexican Unifier

  September 7, 2006

• !Ask a Mexican!

  August 17, 2006

• Mexican Renaissance

  July 13, 2006

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  June 1, 2006

• 'Every Tamale Is Love'

  April 27, 2006

• !Ay, Mi Estomago!

  January 26, 2006

• Grub Guide

  December 8, 2005

• El Portal de Veracruz

  July 21, 2005

• To Dine the Impossible Dinner

  April 28, 2005

• This Week In Choo-Choo Chow

  February 17, 2005

• Nancy Puebla Restaurant

  February 3, 2005

• This week in the letter T

  January 20, 2005

• !Ask a Mexican!

  December 23, 2004

• This Week in Comida

  September 16, 2004

• The Tamale King

  July 10, 2003

• All About the Antojitos

  December 5, 2002

• Holy Mole!

  September 5, 2002

• Chulo Cholo

  August 1, 2002

• Taco Towns

  July 11, 2002

• Seduced by Flour Chips!

  March 28, 2002

• [Hole in the Wall] Tasty Battleships at Alebrije's Grill Taco Trucks, Parked in Santa Ana

  July 23, 2009

• Upscale Mexican (Finally) Done Right at SOL Cocina

  August 6, 2009

• [Hole in the Wall] Cochinita Pibil and Beyond at Anepalco's Cafe in Orange

  September 17, 2009

• Dueling Dishes: Battle Fish Taco

  Dave Lieberman​A great fish taco is a thing of beauty: fried fish (yes, it must be fried!) topped with raw, shredded cabbage, crema (thin Mexican sour cream), chunky salsa and a squeeze of lime on corn tortillas. The first time I had them ("Fish tacos? Seriously?") was when I was working in the San Gabriel Valley, home to the wonderful chain called El Taco Nazo. I was hooked instantly, both by the tacos and to the amazing fried yellow chiles kept covered on a foil-wrapped platter.Back then, al

  November 5, 2009

• Javier's Cantina & Grill Gets Bested

  November 5, 2009