ANOTHER HIATUS, ANOTHER RETURN...

It's been awhile since I spent any time blogging but I'm back again. Sometimes you just need to sit back and let life happen for a while. And while I haven't been sitting back much, a lot of life has been happening.

A few days ago, I returned from a little jaunt down to Southern California. It was an extremely rushed but fulfilling trip. My wife, son and I tried to catch

up with as much friends and family as possible and sadly , as to be expected, we were not able to meet up with everyone. I did however get to finally experience the Mexican/Korean fusion at the Kogi Truck (Twice- once next 4100 on Sunset in Silverlake and second, in downtown the following night - underneath the skyscrapers with dotted lights along with warm weather and traditional Chinese music playing from an open-air concert nearby- what a fantastic evening!).

In San Diego, We "stalked" a former employee of ours to new her job at a fine and very busy Mexican restaurant in Old Town where I had some amazing shrimp (ranchero style). It turned out to be a profound moment for me to see her again, as I had to abruptly close the business and leave San Diego last year and I was unable to say goodbye as properly as I should have. But seeing her again and knowing that she had accomplished so much since we last saw each other, made my eyes well up. This was a young woman who worked from day one all the way though the closure of the store - the first employee I hired who turned out to be a great manager and a trusted friend. Now it's well known that I'm a pretty cold and unsentimental bastard but I found it difficult to hold the emotion back. It took just that one moment for all three years to come back and smack me right solid in the gob. And whenever I get a little sad, I just turn to food which in this case included dipping the most savory homemade flour tortillas into the ranchero sauce. Hey, we all have to find ways to cope, right?

The following night also proved to be a great meal as some of my old friends, some family and new friends met up for some hardcore Korean BBQ in at the medieval-looking Chapman Plaza in LA's Korea town. The meat just kept on coming and coming: brisket, kalbi (Short Rib), teji kogi (Spicy Pork), and pork belly (uncured Korean bacon)! Along with all the banchan (side dishes) and beer, we all had a great time. So much so that after the feast, we moved the party over to the Cafe across the plaza.

Food, friends, and family - the three F's - that was essentially the theme of our return visit to Southern California and while we were exhausted, we enjoyed every bit of it. Of course no visit to Los Angeles would be complete without being pulled over by LAPD - and even that turned out to be pretty cool.

THE REAL NUÑO MEAT MARKET

Just for anyone's information, there is indeed a "real" Nuño Meat Market but it's not here in the Mission. It's actually located in the great city of Los Angeles, ensconced within a typical mini-mall, right on the corner of Venice and Hoover Blvd. I've never been inside but I used to drive by it almost everyday; back when I used to commute crosstown from work in Beverly Hills to my home in Mt. Washington(Northeast LA). Ahhh...the good old days....makes me cry just thinking about it. However, I have eaten burritos from Carnitas Michoacan(though not at this location) which is next door and I can honestly say that they probably make the best tasting burritos I've had the pleasure of devouring in Los Angeles - far better than King Taco (and that's no put down).


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Related Posts:
L.A. TACO WARS
COSAS QE ME HACEN FELIZ: TACOS
FINALLY, DECENT MEXICAN FOOD IN POWAY

NO BACON DOGS?!!

After studying at the library last evening, I didn't have time to get something to eat before catching Bart to get to school, so I thought I might go gets me a bacon dog from a local street vendor. Yes! The wonderful, wonderful bacon dog; that sweet smell of grilled bacon and mystery meat hot dogs along with those golden caramelized onions, conjure up memories for me of late-night revelry and ribaldry in the streets of Tijuana, the happiest place on Earth!

The bacon dogs here and in Los Angeles aren't as tasty as the ones the ones in Tijuana,( isn't that how it always is?) and they cost 3 times as much but that's okay because it's still the perfect street nosh to keep you on the run; hopefully not to the toilet. But such is the risk and rewards of street eating and I'm no dandy from the burbs to start fussing about all those pesky health codes and such. I just want something that's going to satisfy the rumbly in my tumbly and taste damn delicious at the same time. It's the street vendor versus McDonalds so pick your poison.

I hoofed it to 23rd and Mission, where I saw the cart last week, but alas he was gone! I walked another block north but no...he was not there! So.... I just had to settle for some tacos at Taqueria Altena, which is usually my back up for El Farolito. Oh how disapointing....but it's ok...I will live another day to eat another bacon dog. I just hope the bacon dog doesn't suffer the same fate as in Los Angeles, where the city is cracking down on the street vendors and throwing their carts and food into garbage trucks....yes it's horrible but true. Write your congressperson! BACON DOGS ARE NOT A CRIME!!!

SHATTER!

So this passed Thursday, I'm cruising in the family truckster, headed south on the 163 just before the 52, (through the Miramar Marine Air base) listening to my ipod, minding my own guero business when all of a sudden, I hear an explosion of glass. I quickly turned around, only to see my center passenger window shattered with a huge gaping hole. The first thought I had was," Did some one just try to shoot me?!" But there were no other cars around me and I hadn't cut anyone off. Then I just assumed, that maybe there is a firing range on the airbase that's not too secure. Anyway, whatever it was, it missed me by "that" much and luckily my son wasn't sitting there. I looked for a shell but I couldn't find one. The shattered tempered glass that was left made a continuous snapping sound, like bacon frying in a pan.


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I was told by the good folks at All-Star Glass in Poway that it's very rare for an object on the road to get kicked up and break a side window and that it would take something incredibly hard to break to break that window. So who knows! All I know is that I'm out $239.

I called 911 and they patched me up the CHP who told me that I could make a report at a station...if I wanted too. I passed. Interestingly, the woman at UPS (the location I was headed during the incident) told me that one of her coworkers had the same thing happen to him on the same freeway but that he had a bullet hole in his car door!!!!

L.A. TACO WARS

Everyone knows, the guero loves tacos, so I feel it's my duty to report or relay any pertinent taco news. Here is an article from today's LA Times about the growing tensions in Los Angeles between the taco truck vendors, restaurant owners and the taco/torta/quesadilla consumers caught in the crossfire!

Putting the brakes on East L.A.'s taco trucks
By Jean-Paul Renaud, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 14, 2008

Business was brisk one recent night as the smell of sizzling carne asada floated from an East Los Angeles taco truck. A row of customers sat on folding chairs, tacos and quesadillas in hand.

Two blocks down Cesar Chavez Avenue, Jesus Huerta's La Tia Tamale restaurant stood empty. (continue...)

Back In LA

So the Guero is back in Los Angeles, on the corner of Eagle Rock Blvd and Colorado Blvd. to be specific. It's a cafe called SWORK. I used to live in this area and I just here hanging out because they have Wireless Internet and I have nothing else to do for the next few hours. I need to pick up some... **********There goes my cell phone...it's my old neighbor. He is going to meet me down here. He split up with his common law wife like 2 or three years ago and can't seem to get over it. Hopefully, I won't have to hear about it today. He's one of those guys who can't let go of the past and is always doing favors for her, not unlike the character Walter Sobchak in the movie, The Big Lebowski.

Anyway. I have to pick up some items from vendor that I thought would be ready but it won't be until 4pm.

So I rolled into LA last night and met up with some of my friends and LA. It was a good time. We met up at the Rustic Inn, a dive bar over on Hillhurst Ave. It's a dump but always serves it's purpose. Although we are friends, we mostly just bust each other balls. The culprits from my comments pages were there Jeff and Peter in full force shit talking form and also Alfredo, the Argentinian showed up. We later moved on to Cheetahs for some adult entertainment but that's for another Blog!!!! Oh how I miss LA.

Well my friend just arrived and we are going to grab some lunch. Let's see how long he can go without mentioning his ex wife or whatever she is.....

I had to leave....Los Angeles

So, last night, while waiting for the traffic to die down for my journey back to San Diego, I cruised around L.A. I got out my van and walked around a little. I tried to snap off a few more photos, but the golden hour had already vanished.

I might add, that while I was trying to take these photos, some passenger in a passing cargo van screamed right behind me. He was trying to make me drop the camera into the L.A. river. My senses were already on high alert, however, and much to said passenger's hopes, I didn't drop it.