our taco

6300 York Blvd #4, Highland Park,CA 90042

I like to tackle the hardest of hard hitting issues. Serious earth shattering, globally conscious shit like, does Diet Dr. Pepper REALLY taste like regular Dr. Pepper? And whether or not ‘My Taco’ is “authentic” or “white people” Mexican food.

To truly put the matter to rest we first have to dissect what “authentic” and what “white people” encompasses. Naturally, I take authentic to mean a representation of something that is in close proximity to the original inception. Where as what “white people” means is a matter worthy of some graduate school dissertation. That being said, I will naively conclude, for the purpose of this analysis that “white people” refers to the watering down, or commercialization of whathaveyou: in this case Mexican food. (Not that there is anything necessarily and automatically wrong with that as i will explore later.)

‘My Taco’ is one of my favorite neighborhood haunts. The décor is a cross between the set of some silly telenovella and pee wee’s playhouse with Frida-like chotchkies hanging all over the walls. The restaurant is always cleans and well ventilated: a great place to escape the heat and enjoy your meal. The staff is friendly; the menu is vast and affordable. I don’t remember where I first read about ‘My Taco’, I do however remember a reviewer raving about steak fries, which mystified me and filled me with intrigue. But much to my chagrin the steak fries were nothing more than thick crispy fries covered with carne asada, sour cream, guacamole and cheese. Not necessarily a Mexican delicacy, but more of a delicious hybrid of America conception, likes deep dish pizza. My initial disappointment was put at bay when I dug deep and attacked my mountain of cheese steak fries ($5.99) definitely a dish you may consider sharing, or not.

{authentic steak fries ;o) }

Since that first day I’ve ordered several things from the menu, usually restricting myself to the basics, quesadillas ($2.75), tortas ($4.75), and potato tacos ($1.49). But this time in an effort to delve deep into the issue of “authentic” food, I ordered the house specialty, BARBACOA DE BORREGO/marinated lamb ($5.99 small). I only remember eating this particular dish as a kid when the families got together for a quinceanera or Christmas, stuff like that. I was a little apprehensive, but when the plate came to the table, there could be nothing unauthentic about it. The slow cooked meat was tender and full of flavor, served with a cup of consume, and corn tortillas. The fixin’s come on the pate, but you can get more from the condiment station. No question in my mind that I will be ordering this dish again.

(Barbacoa de Borrego)

So, is MY TACO white people food or authentic Mexican food? 1.) Does it really matter? And 2.) Who really cares! It’s delicious, why are we so hesitant to welcome food evolutions? The important thing to remember is that in the depths of the kitchen we will probably find some Mexican cook, and how can we begin to say that he is not adding authentic flair to the dishes? I’ll tell you what is white people Mexican food, meat marinated in pasta sauce and basil stuffed in a cold tortilla, but what did I expect when I ordered a burrito in Germany!?!
P.S. I ordered a large horchata ($2.25) @ 'My Taco' and it was perfect sweet!

No Room for the Blues

O.P.I is my favorite nail polish. Their product lasts longer without chipping compared to most other lacquers and comes in the most amazing colors. The only problem I encounter is finding this brand in my local stores. Sometimes i can find it at some beauty supply stores or CVS, but they never have the whole line. (Target has a sister opi brand called Nicole, and Sephora also carries an opi line.) The website is a great point of reference to identify what jean-creaming color will be the object of your latest desire. Sadly, the website does not offer the option to buy. So, you are left to scouring the Internet for those must have shades that will make your day complete. I found this one on Amazon, it came from an independent vendor. Normally an OPI polish will run you about $8. I paid $6.49 plus $2.99 s&h and i have absolutely no regrets!

(this is how i see all the other nail polish blogs format the pictures...and i realize now why they always take the pictures outside in the day light...)

Stay tuned: next week a special paint-job birfdee surprise for Mr. M! (i will take that picture outside)

BYOBB

The extra B is for Burgers. I know what you're thinking, "For $5 bucks I can get 5 burgers at McDowell's", but we all know that fast food burgers generally lack the texture, and distinct flavor of those found in the backyard variety. Also, if you throw in a 32 of your favorite malt liquor and the company of your two favorite foodies, this can work out to be a pretty good deal.

Wednesday nights at the Echo Park restaurant, 'the PARK' is "$5 Burger Night" which includes a burger and a side. One of my two dining companions had eaten at 'the Park' once before and remembered it being BYOB. I checked the website and although i found the letters BYOB on certain nights, it was unclear if that was their general policy. Being the classy, respectful, upstanding citizen that i am, and given the lack of clarity on the matter, i smuggled in my own hooch and its a good thing i did. Apparently, the news of the "$5 Burger Night" has spread to all corners of Hipsterville and characters straight out of the latest Urban Outfitters catalog swarmed the narrow entrance to be seated. We had to wait about 35 minutes for a table. There was no list to put my name down on, and the hostess seemed aggravated and bothered. I mentioned to her that we would be outside waiting and she apathetically responded, "oh". Come to think of it, she did not even come out to fetch us when the table was ready, we just happen to be hovering around the patio and saw that one of the tables had opened up.

The decor of the establishment seemed nice from what i could ascertain from my skewed vantage perspective. Service was lax: it took a long time to take our order and bring out our food. Not to mention they were out of fries. But the wait was made bearable thanks to the 32oz I was nursing. As for the sides, i was glad they were out of fries, because the other two side options: potato salad and cole slaw were far better than i expected. The slaw was sweet and crisp and the potato salad-made with red potatoes (skins on) was not laden with mayonnaise and included fresh crisp celery.

The catch is that the introductory $5 price only includes the plain burger. You can build your own by choosing from a 6oz. sirloin burger or a veggie burger. Any fixins' are gonna run you an extra $1 for: cheddar, gruyere or blue cheese, mushrooms & garlic, caramelized onion, crispy onions or home-made aioli. Add for $1.50 for: applewood bacon. And add $2 for avocado.

(example of build your own with Avocado and Cheddar w/ potato salad)

They also have some pre-fabricated choices, like the "Who Shot J. R?"(pictured below left)which comes with bacon, cheddar, BBQ sauce & caramelized onions for $8. OR you can get a vegetarian option for $7 called,"The Club Med" (below right) which includes olive relish, crispy onions and gruyere.

I made the mistake of ordering my "J.R" medium well. The avocado Cheddar burger was ordered medium, and that was definitely the tastier burger. The bread was excellent, and the "club med" was absolutely exquisite. All the ingredients were fresh and of the highest quality. Too bad the same cannot be said about the service. Overall a great dining experience soiled only by lackluster service. But I should not be surprised, in true Hispster tradition, they are too cool for this planet and are doing me a favor by letting me eat at their restaurant. Which is why i did not feel bad pulling a Rachel Ray-$40 a day, and stiffing them on the tip.

At prices like this, I almost did not mind picking up the tab. ALMOST.

The Park Restaurant

1400 Sunset Blvd at the corner of Douglas in Echo Park

Dinner hours:Wed/Thurs/Sat/Sun 5:30-10:00

Lunch hours:Tues - Fri 11:00-2:30

Brunch hours: Sat / Sun 10:00-2:00

Part 1 of: te quiero mucho mame

Over a decade ago i left a little love note on the fridge for my mother in which i spelled "Mom" in Spanish wrong. I wrote, "no estes tan triste mame, yo te quiero mucho" with a forward stash accent above the last 'e'. (Don't be so sad mome, i love you very much) The misspelled "mom" made her smile and laugh and she instantly forgot all about what was making her so sad. (so i like to think) That note with its yellowed upturned edges, was on the fridge for a very long time. I know she still has it squirreled away somewhere, she is sentimental like that.

As time goes by i; like i assume all people who have mothers do, have gone through a range of emotional stages. When i was younger; a small child, i adored her. She was my world. I was madly in love with her. She was young and beautiful and when she walked, it was as if in slow motion. All the other children at school wanted my pretty mother to be theirs. But as my formative years drew on i began to feel the disappointment. She was less a fantastic unicorn in a slow moving meadow and much more a young, single, hardworking, immigrant parent: struggling. I respected her strength and admired her fortitude, but i longed to please her and like most children, longed for her approval, affection and attention. As young adulthood set in, i grew to resent her. I was filled with anger for all the things she did not understand, or things that she did, or did not do, or did wrong. Then after a couple of years away at college i forgot and/or accepted all the glorified and implicit hardship imposed on me, or so i thought.

A couple of years went by, i was now in my early 20's and the choices that my mother made, which i deemed selfish caused me to renounce her. Years of silence between us passed and she sent many letters. I wrote many, but sent none. I was stubborn. I felt hurt and betrayed, abandoned and angry. But she continued to send letters and little gifts. After 3 years elapsed i began to feel guilt. I was no longer angry and it seemed selfish to hurt my mother. We made a date at the Huntington Library. I dressed up because my mother is proper and elegant in that way and i knew it would make her proud to see me "presentable." She cried, and then i cried, and we talked. She looked beautiful, like always. But she was different, softened by time, not as curt. It was as if my absence had warmed her. Her hair was more peppered and magnificent and she had gradually lost the hearing in her left ear. I instantly felt terrible, for my thoughts automatically went to the Cosmic Power: that which guides, arranges and makes everything right in the Universe, and i felt shame for thinking that maybe she had lost her hearing because she never listened...

Sun & Sea

Mar Y Sol Restaurant: 6011 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042
Open 7 days a week, for breakfast lunch and dinner


Nestled in a strip mall; in picturesque Highland Park, sandwiched between what i suspect to be a rub and tug massage parlour, a laundry mat overrun by savage rogue children and an El Pollo Loco, is Carolina's Mar Y Sol Restaurante. I don't know a whole lot about Salvadorean dishes, but a sign outside promises $1.60 Pupusas-everyday and i like pupusas. Also, i like a bargain even though i am always hesitant to try things that have not been previously recommended.

A pupusa is like a sope except stuffed with the meat/cheese/bean mix

The little restaurant was dead, aside from the belligerent man loitering out in front asking me why i was taking pictures of the place. (Questioning which prompted me to order my food to go and not take pictures of the inside of the joint.) The place is small but has seven numbered sitting sections, a picture menu above the ordering window with no prices listed, and mirrors on both flanking walls. Overall, it is nice and clean. Carolina will gladly take Visa and Master Card but will charge you an extra dollar for the service, so bring cash. The Menu for $1.60 pupusas includes 3 options: Revueltas, Frijol con Queso, and Mixtas. I ordered one of each, and for a little over 5 bucks and a 10 minute wait, i got a side of curtido, tomato sauce and a satisfactory meal.

Now the thing about curtido, like anything, its not always good. (This one was not, it smelled like feet, and not in a good way like a good aged cheese). It's like sauerkraut or kimchi, the general idea of a pickled product is achieved but some are far better executions of the intended product than others. Also, most if not all Salvadorian dishes are not spicy. So the tomato sauce is just that, a watery non spicy tomato sauce. As for the pupusas. I was betting that the Frijoles con Queso/Bean and Cheese was going to be the winner, i was dead wrong. The Mixtas/which includes meat(pork) and cheese was by far the best. Revuelta which is a mixture of beans, cheese and meat was a close second and the beans and cheese were my least favorite. But oh boy did i love that Mixta! Next time i'm down there getting my "neck" massaged, i am going to pick up 3 mixtas pupusas.

SIDE NOTE: i picked up a printed menu for this Salvadorian/Mexican/American restaurant, and the regular prices for other pupusas are $2.25. Most combination plates are roughly $8.50. The food is a little on the pricey side, aside from the advertised discounted pupusas. Be advised.

Weathered Sandal

Huarache Azteca Restaurante: 5225 York Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90042

With rave reviews in notable publications like the LA TIMES, the LA WEEKLY, and Los Angeles Magazine, just to name a few; its no wonder i eagerly looked forward to trying the "Huaraches" at my neighbourhood "gem" of the same moniker, 'Huarache Azteca Restaurants' in Highland Park. At the risk of disagreeing with the pseudo culinary expertise of YELPers far and wide, this brick pile is a 2.5 star joint, AT BEST.

Maybe i am being too hard on this place because i grew up eating Mexican food or maybe all the praise and hype I heard about it falsely raised my expectations, whatever it was, I can honestly say that i gave it the ol' college try. I once read an article about rules to writing food reviews that included a list of do's and dont's. I found the list redundant and obvious but one rule that seemed logical was that in order to review a restaurant fairly, one had to try it more than once, and that is just what i did.

ROUND 1: I sampled the famous huarache, a torta and a taco de suadero. Everything aside, I will say that the price was right! With the drink included, i barely broke 10 bucks, but as the popular adage goes, "you get what you pay for." I was not impressed by the elongated deep fried sope-like tosada that is the huarache. It's deep fried and deceptively chewy, not crunchy as you would expect it to be. The asada meat lacked flavor, and the crema cheese that was poured over it was runny and thin. The torta was just okay, and the suadero was absolutely terrible. (For a good torta go to My Taco on York, also in Highland Park, and for the best suadero, Taco Zone in Echo Park. Its a truck parked on Alvarado right by VONS)

(that shiny pool in the top corner, is yummy greasy)

ROUND 2: This time I went with something different. 2 sopes and a burrito. AGAIN, the meat needed flavor and the sopes were a greasy fried crunchy mess. As a rule i always order burritos "sin arroz/without rice" because that way you get the most meat. This pathetic little burrito was full of dry beans and unsavory meat. (For good sopes try Senor Fish or King Taco, there are several locations in and around Los Angeles. As for the asada, my personal favorite cheap meaty 2 hand burrito is @ Estrella, open 24 hrs. located on Figueroa Blvd, in Highland Park*ask for the red sauce, its the BEST!)

The first time i ordered my food to go, the second time i ate in house. The place was packed with an authentic cross section of the community with an eclectic mix of characters filling the living room sized restaurant while lethargic flies hovered in and around the patrons faces and food. Ummm, sanitary.

In the end, it really is of no consequence how good or bad their sorry ass "chanclas" are because this place is inexpensive. As much as I disliked the food, I may entertain the idea of going back to try the chilaquiles and maybe one of those aguas frescas they boast about. Which I must admit, looked very refreshing. I had the horchata during round 2. I find that one can gauge the quality of the food in a Mexican restaurant by how good the horchata is. This one was just okay, too much ice and not sweet enough. On second though, I'm not going back to that shit pile, i make some excellent chilaquiles...

square peg in a round hole

Contrary to what some men believe, the pelvic exam is not as awesome as it sounds. I used to visit Planned Parenthood for all my lady part needs, but since i have a job that offers me the opportunity to pay for my own insurance; i wanted to take advantage of what has already been deducted from my paycheck. My trip to Kaiser left me feeling raped emotionally and financially, not to mention a little sore in my labia.

First of all the exam was initially slated for March 31, but i was menstruating and ineligible for probing. The soonest Kaiser could reschedule me was: May 18th. Then May 18th came, i was period free, and ready to get in the saddle when i get a call letting me know that the Doctor decided to cancel my appointment, no explanation provided. Next available day: June 10th. Keep in mind that i have to take these days off from work, as unpaid days which i have to request off a month in advance.

(im starting to whine, and im losing my focus, regrets)

Its June 10th. I am at Kaiser, first window-$15.00 copay. Next window, the ensemble cast of "nurses" are the medical professions' answer to Reno 911. The nurse that performs my exam; NP Lil Louie, keeps leaving the room. At first i though she was looking at my pap smear under a microscope, (i have had doctors do that) but she would come back and not report anything. Then i realized that she was visiting other patients in the time she was supposed to be examining me. She left me in that room for 10 minutes at a time while she worked on other women.(i wonder if she washed her hands?) On one of her brief returns to the room, NP Louie asked me if it was okay if she inserted her finger in my anus WHILE she was inserting her finger in my ass. It was more of a statement than a question. (i am still confused what that procedure was for).

As if i had not already spent enough time there with Josef Mengele; I, in my infinite wisdom decided that i wanted to be fitted for a diaphragm. She was ill prepared and at one point i suspected that she was trying to insert dirty diaphragms inside of me. NP Louie, who decided not to listen to me insisted on inserting the largest diaphragm inside of me first. It was the size of a small baseball cap. I began to complain. I yelled, "Ouch...STOP...your hurting me..." at one point i even told her that i changed my mind that i did not care for this form of birth control, i yelled. "...you know- im cool with condoms, this is fine, please lets just stop." But this NP did not understand basic English commands or simply did not care. The whole time she ignored me and treated me like she was doing me a favor for free. Needless to say i left an hour and half later felling uneasy, slightly used, and ashamed. I am 31 years old and i have had at least 10 pelvic exams in my life, and none compared to how terrible this one was.

A week later i get a call that i need to come back, that although my pap smear was negative there are irregularities. I specifically ask, " is this just an excuse to needlessly test me, in an attempt to pad the bill?" "Oh, no, not at all, here at Kaiser we are very careful..." I reply, " i have had other exams before and this is highly irregular" "Oh madam i assure you that we are only taking precautions." Next appointment is June 25th with a real doctor this time. Gladys Estela Loera, MD. Okay, this is refreshing. First window, again $15.00 copay. Next room, i barely sit down when im called into the back. Although MD Loera seems disillusioned with the idea of looking at vaginas all day; she is attentive and alert, friendly and quick. She did not leave the room until it was over. I asked for an HIV test, she tells me to go to the lab, shakes my hand and sends me on my way. 20 minutes in all. More like it. I go to the lab and the shell of a woman who was on leave from her other job as crypt keeper tells me, its a extra 10 dollar copay for the HIV test. I tell her that its ridiculous to pay AGAIN, for something that i can get for free. I asked her for my card back and stormed out. Whatever, its done and over with right? wrong!

On Sunday i go to my PO BOX and waiting for me is a bill from Kaiser for $155.00! I am so angry! I specifically asked if the second trip would cost me money and they lied to me. But that fact is besides the point. ITS GROSSLY UNETHICAL to perform a treatment without disclosing a hidden charge. What if i cant afford this? (which i cant) I should have been given the option to decline service and opt for a more affordable treatment. I am at a loss. I feel trapped. I wonder how many other people KAISER has done this to? I see names of "providers" listed on my bill that i did not actually see on those 2 days. It appears that i am being billed twice, and at no time did i sign anything agreeing to being billed at a later date. I dread making the call to dispute the erroneous charges. I will sit on hold for 30 minutes and be transferred 3 times before someone tells me to "call my insurance" just to get me off the phone. To which i will exclaim, "YOU ARE MY INSURANCE!" i don't want to ruin my credit over this, but i DON'T believe its fair to extort $155.00 out of me. It sucks to be the little man/woman. Paying for insurance at a shitty job that offers half ass benefits, having no money for legal recourse, no voice, no choice but to pay. and pay, and keep paying...

P.S. i have yet to wear this $40.00 diaphragm that i paid for in full at the pharmacy that first day after waiting in a lobby for 45 minutes with sick people and crying babies.