By far, one if my favorite restaurants in all of L.A.! Great for brunch, lunch and dinner. They are under construction to open a to-go spot next door for those of us who don’t like to wait. There are no reservations for parties under six. They take the freshest ingredients and make something delicious, so you can taste all the individual items and have it still be something new. This isn’t one of those restaurants that tries too hard to make something original and ends up tasting so-so, everything is so yummy. Just go!
Category Archives: diningout
Day 11: La Super Rica, Santa Barbara
As long as we were in the neighborhood…
We just finished our final (last daughter graduating elementary school) all school campout at El Capitan Canyon after 10 years of roughing it year after year. That is, if you consider sleeping in cabins and having catered meals in the great outdoors roughing it! So naturally the first thing my 10 year old asks as we are packing up the car is “Are we going to La Super Rica on the way home?”. We haven’t passed it by ever since my dad turned us onto it about 8 years ago…
Isidoro Gonzales has greeted patrons with a smile ever since he opened this taqueria in 1980 and we are always happy to see him on the way home. He gained instant credibility when Julia Child mentioned that it was her favorite mexican food restaurant and there’s been a line ever since. You won’t see a big sign out front letting you know you’ve arrived. Just look for the green awning and the line of people and you will know you’re there. 622 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara, CA; 805-963-4940
Isidoro Gonzales at the helm
I tend to order off the daily special menu, which today was shredded beef tacos with avocado cream sauce. It was a tough decision as he had the tamal verdura on the menu today which is a vegetarian tamale with a tasty cream sauce over the top. My husband, Michael tends to order the house special, the #16- a roasted pasilla chile stuffed with cheese and marinated pork served over two freshly made corn tortillas. I should also mention that is is no sit down affair, you order at one window with Isidoro and pick up at the other window with his son. Once the food arrives you will be sitting on plastic chairs at a too small table under the awning outdoors and getting your own salsa in plastic cups by the take-out window.
Once we were seated, we realized that there were quite a few other “campers” who had the same idea. What a perfect way to end a great weekend and the end of an era for us…
Day 7: California Heritage Museum
An official city landmark since 1979, go check out all things California in a wonderful old Craftsman in Santa Monica. The home was originally situated on Ocean Ave. and was built for the son of the founder of Santa Monica, Roy Jones. Today it is located on Main St. and Ocean Park Blvd. in Santa Monica. From fiesta ware, to skateboards, to movie stills, there is a little something for everyone who has an interest in California history. Tuesday nights from 5:30-9:30 there are gourmet food trucks that benefit the museum and Sunday mornings there is a wonderful farmer’s market. Both feature free bicycle valet, so peddle on down and get your grub on!
Day 6: Manuel’s El Tepeyac Cafe
Growing up, if my family ever found ourselves in the vicinity of East L.A. at dinnertime there was only one place to go, El Tepeyac. My father discovered the place when he was at the L.A. Police Academy (a job that didn’t last long) as a place that all the cops liked to eat at. Thirty years later, Manuel still fondly calls my dad “Beachboy” knowing he lives on the Westside.
My father and brother would get the famous Hollenbeck Burrito and I would always get the Taquitos a tradition that my ten year old is carrying on… I don’t know what they do to make the guacamole so fantastic? Maybe because it’s texture is thick and not watered down like you find in most restaurants or that they are generous and not putting a miniscule drop of it on the plate, but just the thought of it makes my stomach grumble as I pass the Soto St. exit off the 10 freeway.
The Hollenbeck Burrito with its topping of cheesy, brothy, beefy deliciousness (photo below is from their website) is definitely a two person meal and the Manuel Special, I’d say a meal for a week! They used to say if you could finish the Manuel Special by yourself, you would get another one free, though I never understood the logic in that. I guess it was the original “Man vs. Food”.
There is always a long line waiting for the sit down service, so we usually find ourselves at the takeout window on the other side of the restaurant and eat there. Not for the feint of heart or for the girl who wants a salad and a glass of wine for dinner. This is serious Mexican food, prepared the same way it was when I was a kid in a part of town that is sketchy at best, but oh man it’s worth it!
Day 5: The Farmers Market
I think I like this place because it represents the melting pot of ethnicity that I love about L.A. and for me, anyplace that features this kind of food line-up is heaven. The whole family, heck the whole extended family could come here and find what they have been craving. Everything is here, groceries, shops and dining choices from tacos (Loteria!), to molluscs (Tusquellas Fish & Oyster Bar), so you can eat it here or collect everything you need to prepare the food at home, including the pot itself (Sur La Table). Growing up on the Westside, it was like a field trip for me as a kid to venture off to Fairfax and go to the Farmer’s Market and still feels a bit that way today. This is not to be confused with The Grove next door, this is pure old school. Independently owned businesses that have been passed down through generations and still operate today.
I had the good fortune to meet some friends there last Sunday morning. We plunked ourselves down at the tables and went ballistic at Bob’s Coffee and Donuts, stall #450. They were out of their famous cinnamon rolls but had fresh glazed donuts that were still hot, Krispy Kreme doesn’t even come close! One of our party decided it was early enough for ice cream, hey it’s 5:00 p.m. someplace… She ventured to Bennett’s Ice Cream, Stall #548 (which in full disclosure is owned by one of my best friends). I am a die-hard fan of the White Chocolate Raspberry and the flavor named after the proprietor Scott’s wife, Fancy Nancy. I think there should be a name for ice cream creators, I mean coffee houses have baristas, right? But anyway, recently Scott brought his artisan drumsticks to a party and that was that, my new favorite! Go by sometime and watch him make the ice cream on-site through the window on the side of his stall.
I cannot leave out Du-par’s Restaurant, which is open 24 hours and it’s the perfect late night stop or for breakfast. Think short, fat and warm coffee cups that are re-filled regularly by waitresses with attitude, has every kind of pie you could want and you get the gist. And it’s been around almost as long as the market itself… Lastly, Huntington Meat & Sausage is the way to go for all things meat, as they are one of the few purveyors of Harris Ranch beef and have the most amazing sausages to throw on the grill or that perfect Shelton Thankgiving turkey.
If you really want a treat, show up on Saturday nights for karaoke, there are some regular characters (and I mean characters) that can’t be missed, hilarious! Or visit one of the many events that are featured here throughout the year. There are too many other great places to see to mention here. So do yourself a favor and just go, wander around and be open to trying something new, you might just like it!
A-Frame A modern picnic
Day 2: Try something different. From Roy Choi, the man who lead the gourmet food truck revolution in L.A. with Kogi, comes this fun and funky, feel good restaurant.
With menu items like Furikake Kettle Corn, Cracklin Beer Can Chicken and for dessert Chu-Don’t-Know-Mang (say it fast), you know you’re not in Kansas anymore! The music is great, the bar scene is hoppin’, there are communal tables where everyone talks to each other, and the outdoor patio lighting features hooped petticoats. Get there early or be prepared to wait, there are no reservations.
365 Things To Do in Los Angeles 