No I won’t hose you, but no way that could be as good as what you get in a typical Safeway in the islands. I did see Ahi sliced and diced for Poke at Winnco. Problem is; Where do you get the seaweed??
Carne Asada, Chile Verde, sides of frijoles & arroz. Grilled Habaneros and onions. Cueritos & jalapeños . Corona, Bohemia & Carta Blanca. That’s a good start. Lowel
Heya Greg,
It’s true you have the highest density Cuban population outside Miami, but you know I’m like an hour or less to your south. We got heavy representation from Tamaulipas and Michoacan over here. If you ever want, I can offer a few suggestions.
Tacos al pastor. . . So good.
Mmmmm - there’s a little Mexican restaurant at the base of the grapevine (I-5 at the foot of the Santa Monica mountains below Tejon) called Don Perico’s that serves a mean chicken fajita. Sizzling green pepper, onion, and tomato sautéed in secret sauce and served steaming hot with fresh tortillas, Spanish rice, refried beams, fresh lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole, chips and pico de gallo while you wait. I like to order it with beer and pour my beer on the hot platter and watch it sizzle and steam like crazy, while the whole thing simmers in beer. So tasty!
poke
Orale` Tako Poke. Da Kine! In the early/mid eighties Goat Island was my honey hole for Tako. Never got skunked there. Gave a big one to an Auntie and watched her prep it right there under the trees. She made poke and sold it to Swedish tourists and tried to give me a cut. I said no thanks she already shared her island with me. Every time after that we would split the catch with her. Now, THAT is living amigos. L.I.T…wait a while. The Latin diaspora will reach you sooner than later. It has spread across the country with a concentration in the southwest. Good grinds is one benefit. Now I’m dyin’ for some poke.
there are 3 kinds of tacos I prefer after surfing, shaping, or glassing:
carne asada
carnitas (with fresh lime juice squeezed over it)
fresh fish tacos.
Fish tacos on the street near the sport fishing dock. Used to be pretty damned bueno. Lowel
I eat homemade tacos almost daily. Leftover chicken, beef, pork, fish. Some salsa in a couple of warm corn tortillas. Cheese if you like. A little lettuce. Fast, quick and healthy if it’s not deep fried stuff in lard. Amy’s frijoles are pretty good,too. Nook it. Mmmmmm. Mexican food is American food in California. Like pizza. Mike
Cuernavaca in Ventura
…hello L.I.T, I would suggest: “asado de tira”; “puchero” for Winter time and “milanesas” if you prefer fast food.
Thanks for the tip.
Okay, I’m sold.
Next time I’m in the U.S. I’ll definitely be getting stuck into the Mexican food (only reason I didn’t the first time around was the budget for my road-trip was tiny, so I just bought stuff in supermarkets and did my own cooking along the way). So thanks to all you guys for the suggestions; now I’ve got a good idea of things to try, what to look for, what it’s called and where I’m likely to find it/places I’ve got a good chance of encountering “the real deal”.
Especial thanks to Huck and Tenderloin for the pictures - they all look good!
Thanks to McDing for stepping up and attempting to provide a definition of what makes for “good taco eating”, or at least a good start on it.
And thanks to the guys with the tips on good eats in other places; next time I’m in Hawaii, 'bet your butt I’ll be off to try some poke (incidentally if you’re a fan of poke, I daresay you’ll freakin love the fish section of pretty much any supermarket you walk into while in Japan - dirt-cheap (relatively speaking), good-quality sushi is standard. Those people have a serious appreciation of seafood, and fish in particular. Take your pick of a bento box from the selection they’ll have on display in the refrigerated display cases, pay not-a-lot of money for it as you head through the checkouts, then find yourself a park bench outside, kick back and enjoy… mmmmMM). Oh, and if you’re thirsty, Japanese beer goes pretty well with it too; no need to look around for a liquor store, you’ll find it in a nearby vending machine.
And thanks to reverb for the tips on good grub to tackle when in South America - I’m just as happy to head into a restaurant as a takeaway joint to get a good meal, but knowing what’s good in the “fast food” category is certainly a handy thing to know if you’re passing through a town on the way to somewhere else and only have a few minutes to pick something up. I’ve had “schnitzel” sandwiches before (which are delicious), so the milanesas are definitely on my list. And the puchero and asada de tira look just as tasty.
Oy, so much to try. So little time and money to do it with.
I think I’m going to have to do a “cut and paste” of this thread to save all the info in it, so I can have it on hand next time I’m in the areas mentioned.
Thanks & Cheers all!
You’re absolutely right McDing!
But, it’s the best thing I’ve found locally.
Hey L.I.T. just remember that OFTEN times, the best Mexican is NOT at the fancy restaurant.
It’s usually off the trucks and carts.
After seeing that photo Tenderloin Tom posted of the “El Tuca” food truck with a chick in her wedding dress in the background about to line up to order, and willing to risk getting salsa dripping onto the dress while she ate it, I can certainly believe it.
Cheers 
…hi L.I.T I lived for few months in Japan and in my opinion, they have a paradise for the food lover.
I really want to live for more time there but the government is too strong with the visas for working…I do not want the money I want to live there…
by the way, is “asado” is not “asada”; I mean, is a cut called that way. Asada would be whatever meat asada (grilled) That cut is only found in a few countries around the world; no other butcher in rest of the world cut the cow that way.
The races are: Aberdeen angus and Hereford.
Well there you go; I never would have known asado is actually a specific cut of meat unique to only a few countries as opposed to the word for “grilled”. A fine distinction.
Thanks for that reverb
Cheers all!
Taco…simple…happy…
…you guys have gone way too complex…way overboard…just like epoxy glassing…total Swaylock’s…
Laminate the bottom…go to toco stand for lunch…come back later and cut the laps and lam the deck…duh…
Stingray…
Check out a show on Cooking Channel TV called Taco Trip.
Taco Trip or Tripas Tacos?