Sopapilla's in the Bay Area?

[Sasha]

Hi all,

I'm homesick for sopapillas and don't know of any place in the bay area that serves 'em up. Preferably with some honey :)

Any help appreciated!

Sasha

[Deeg67]

Tell me about it! I made one trip to NM and I was hooked on sopapillas for life. Chevy's has some sort of homogenized, chain-gang version, but I don't recall ever seeing anything remotely authentic.

[Mick Ruthven]

I'm hoping that you have better luck with your request than I did almost two years ago. I'm looking for the meat-filled version as well as the ones you pour honey into. Here's all I've found in the Bay Area:

Celia's in San Rafael (and presumably in their other locations): Six crispy (instead of soft) flat triangles of hot pastry covered with honey topped with two very large scoops of vanilla ice cream ($5). They weren't sopapillas as I had them in new Mexico long ago (which were soft and hollow), so for me it doesn’t count as “finding a place that has great sopapillas”. But it’s a good dessert in its own right and large enough for two people.

La Ultima in Danville: They had three versions on the menu. I got the "regular" one with chili colorado. It was good, but it was a "production" affair served on a plate with a sauce over the sopapillas along with beans and rice. The stuffed sopapillas I remember were a much simpler stand-alone thing, more like a very good southwestern piroshki.

So the search continues...

[Mick Ruthven]

I don't want to scare off anyone from going to La Ultima in Danville. Their sopapillas wern't exactly what I was looking for, but they had them in multiple versions. It's a very nice and friendly place specializing in southwestern food, so check it out for yourselves (I'm no expert on southwesten food). As I recall, their chips and salsa were more addictive than any I've had anywhere.

[Gary Soup]

I've had sopapillas (a savory version) at Cocina Primavera's stall at the FBFM.

[Mick Ruthven]

Thank you! That's worth a trip just to try their sopapillas and ask about them. As far as I can tell from the internet, Cocina Primavera exists only at the FBFM. Correct?

[Gary Soup]

You probably need to ask them when they will be serving them. They rotate their specials and do not have sopapillas every week.

[Mick Ruthven]

I assume there is no way to ask other than going to their stall at the FBFM. Correct?

[Gary Soup]

Thanks to Robert Lauriston in another thread,

Primavera Products
17070 Sonoma Highway
Sonoma, CA 95476
[phone]

HOWEVER, once I had my full coffee dose for the morning, it occurred to me that what I had had at the Primavera stall was sopes, not sopapillas, if it matters. I don't really know if sopapillas are in the rotation or not, but maybe Karen will put them there if you ask.
Karen Waikiki

[Mick Ruthven]

Aha, yes, sopes are quite different from sopapillas. I don't even think sopapillas are Mexican, but instead are Southweastern U.S. (think New Mexico).

[Laura2]

Last week I was at a reception catered by Colibri Mexican Bistro on Geary near Mason and they were served and were delicious. Haven't been to the restaurant but have heard good things about it. Perhaps they have them on the menu?

[Sasha]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think it begs the larger question: are there any authentic and good New Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area? Sorry if this is splitting the thread, but it's certainly hand-in-hand with the original question.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
-Sasha

(image courtesy of reddirtrose on Flickr)

[larochelle]

Short answer: NO.

[Mick Ruthven]

Try La Ultima in Danville and see what you think. I wrote all I know about it above in my first and second posts. As I said, I'm no expert on New Mexican cusine but I did like the place the one time I went. It was just that their sopapillas weren't exactly what I was lookng for.

La Ultima
455 Hartz Avenue
Danville
510-838-9705

[pvmurthy]

I have always loved Rio Adobe at cupertino -- They have a pretty good sopaphilla too

http://www.rioadobe.com/

[chef chicklet]

I was going to suggest the same. I lived in new mexico for a time, and they were served there with alot of the dinners. I learned to make them when I got back to CA. Imagine the sweet suprise I received when I went to the Danville Hotel and they served them!
Just whip them up yourself, take care of that fix anytime you need to. Thery're easy to make.

[Mick Ruthven]

Care to say anything more about sopapillas at the Danville Hotel?

[Melanie Wong]

Possibly a reference to the Celia's Mexican restaurant located in the Danville Hotel?

[chef chicklet]

I don't really know we always had just referred to the place as the Danville Hotel.
They had wonderful popcorn shrimp too. Is it now named Celias? I would imagine they would of kept the menu if they changed hands, we always loved it anyway..

[Dave MP]

I ate them in Chile all the time when i lived there....I wonder if Cafe Valparaiso (in Berkeley) ever makes them.

[Melanie Wong]

Maybe the OP needs to clarify which style,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopaipilla

[Dave MP]

Thanks for the link. I'd love to find any of those in the Bay Area! :)

In Chile, the sopaipillas I had were always fried and were slighly sweet (depending on amounts of sugar and pumpkin in the dough). Often served w/ hot sauce.

[Melanie Wong]

I would too! And, I'm glad you brought up Chilean sopaipillas, as I was only aware of the Sonoran version.

[The Chowhound Team]

Sopapillas recipes moved here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/370652