418058 Thu Jul 05 10:52:19 -0700 2007 22 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 2721369 I had my first dining experience at this brightly painted restaurant along the Sebastopol strip. It consisted of Pescado Zarandeado the special of the day and once I saw the cocineras bring out the tamarind pods for shelling at a table I ordered a tamarindo. Everthing tasted 'muy casera' very homemade carrot studed arroz, handmade tortillas, delicious moist chile-tomato basted fried fish. Thu Jul 05 10:52:19 -0700 2007 14086 kare_raisu 1 2721692 Pescado Zarandeado? Nice.... that is a rare sighting anywhere in California. Can tell us any more about it? Thu Jul 05 12:14:26 -0700 2007 2721369 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 2722047 double curious Thu Jul 05 13:55:38 -0700 2007 2721692 52212 Lori SF 2 2722379 Hey guys...I'm sorry I just wanted to get this in quickly before work. Normally I am much more descriptive. In fact, I wrote a practical dissertation of my meal at Cafe St Rose with the Chivo and fideos and as I was finishing typing on dessert - the guy at the other terminal of the internet at the SR Library knocked the power off. It really stung to have spent so much time to have it disapppear. Anyways - Regarding ALTex.: This place has long intrigued me as I ride my bike daily by it down Sebastapol rd. I had seen EN's and Melanies great posts on the restaurant which left me further famished for its food. Unfortunately I wasnt able to procure a ride down to El Rey Pakal for lunch on my day off so I figured that this was a good time to give Antojitos a go. They were quite busy for a midweek lunch -families, a few groups of friends. I like that this restaurant seems to be all female run. As I mentioned in the post previous, the food tasted very homemade - destinctly feminine; this appealed to me in contrast to the macho masculine food I have been getting here at taquerias. The two salsas served with the chips were solid - no 'wow!' factor but great tating - an aguacate style one with a def. kick and a table mexicana which seemed to be canned tomatoes but not bad at all. They have some nice flat screens which were playing some merengue on the spanish music channel. This was appreciated by me who always finds it akward to dine alone. English was not spoken at all not to me at least- but I got by pretty well. Everyone was really nice and my waitress even took time to tell and show me what it was she was bringing out to the guests (the chilaquiles verdes with carnitas looked heavenly - seems like a great combonation - crisp carnitas, semi soft, yielding chilaquiles). One surprise for me has to have been the Sope antojito the man next to me ordered. It looked wonderful - something out of Bayless book - a little picadillo perfectly crimped edges. I cant wait to get one next time. Ok the fish: Absolutely delicious!!! ( I love fish anykind) This seemed to be a halved talapia - that I suspect was shallow fried (possibly grilled) and a judicous light sauceing of a tomato the flesh side. There was some mysterious spice element going on - not sure if it was achiote or not - I forgot to ask. As I peeled back the spine the fish was really moist. The pieces slid into my warm tortilla accompnied by slices of perfectly ripe buttery avocado, and blessed with some nice lime juice. Nice slices of cucumber tomato and lettuce were on the side. The rice was pilaf -fried which made it a joy to eat with the fish. The perfect fuel for my bike ride out to Sonoma. Anyone up for a meal here? Thu Jul 05 15:40:31 -0700 2007 2721692 14086 kare_raisu 3 2723035 By the way that Last link on the traditional foods of the state of Nayarit is outstanding. It would be great to discover a restaurant devoted to its style - (see dried shrimp chileatole) Thu Jul 05 20:01:01 -0700 2007 2723030 14086 kare_raisu 4 2723492 If you're ever in Salinas in Calif. board territory, http://www.chow.com/topics/352019 Fri Jul 06 02:21:00 -0700 2007 2723035 10039 Melanie Wong 5 2723966 Nice find.... alot of places in L.A. label themselves as Nayarit style but don't deliver much. One thing I particularly like about this regional cooking is the connection to Aztec culture. Some anthropologists consider the wetlands around Mexcatitlan (which was likely an Aztec outpost).... as a good candidate for Aztlan. In any case, the village & indigenous cuisine of Nayarit matches the Spanish accounts of common Aztec (non-palacial) cuisine with the emphasis on freshwater seafood, chiles etc., Nayarit also has some of the best tropical rainforests in the country... and their is great cultivation of tropical fruits... resulting in some very interesting dishes. Fri Jul 06 08:02:42 -0700 2007 2723492 42572 Eat_Nopal 5 2724549 I grew up in Monterey - but unfortunately I was not old enough to appreciate the Mexican cuisine scene that your awesome reporting has made known. Thanks for the intriguing link. Fri Jul 06 10:39:53 -0700 2007 2723492 14086 kare_raisu 3 2723170 Good links, I am familiar with Mexconnect the others are new to me..thanks for your great posting. Thu Jul 05 21:06:57 -0700 2007 2723030 52212 Lori SF 4 2751334 ...which links are you referring to? Don't see any in this thread beyond Melanie's link to a Salinas experience.... Sun Jul 15 09:27:40 -0700 2007 2723170 11234 toodie jane 3 2723162 thanks for the detailed report I am so excited to try this place. Thu Jul 05 21:03:15 -0700 2007 2722379 52212 Lori SF 4 2724600 Being only 10 minutes from my house, I went back last night after work for a late night dinner. I ordered the huarache con pollo asado ($6) and a sopecito de picadillo ($2). Wow. Among the best versions of both I think I have encountered thus far . The huarache was huge - looked like those I have seen in pictures of DF street food. Many different levels of flavor and textures: Dusting of cotija, slices of ripe avocado, shredded lettuce, light application of salsa roja, flavorful and generous chicken pieces, application of refritos, warm crisp corn bead. The sope was a great foil for the saucy picadillo with diced zucchini, and carrot. Nice little handcrafted guy. All in all very satisfying. Next time though only the huarache - its HUGE! The waitress las night was Oaxaquena and apparently she cooks once in a while - she said that if I come the tuesday after next she will have some Comida typica de Oaxaca. I really like the owner - she kind of has that 'nonna'/ grandmotherly affect on me. Birria de res and chivo is available on the weekend. Fri Jul 06 10:52:35 -0700 2007 2723162 14086 kare_raisu 5 2724714 Nice! I didn't realize you were talking about saucy, vegetably picadillo... that really is a home touch. Fri Jul 06 11:24:14 -0700 2007 2724600 42572 Eat_Nopal 6 2736326 I went there this weekend based on your recommendation. We had the chilaquiles verdes with carnitas and various tacos with homemade tortillas to try out the different meats. It was delicious! I had never had such wonderful homemade corn tortillas - moist with a very nice chew factor. The carnitas was quite tasty, and the horchata had some nice cinnamon in it. Maybe we'll go one day without the 2 year-old so I can wait for the mojarra to cook. This is definitely going to be one of our regular haunts, so thanks for the post!!! Tue Jul 10 11:46:37 -0700 2007 2724714 96080 homerandsatchi 7 2737259 Credit due to Melanie as I tried it based on her reporting. Tue Jul 10 15:36:57 -0700 2007 2736326 42572 Eat_Nopal 7 2740813 And I credit both Melanie's and EN's posts for making me want to try this restaurant out. It makes me very happy to hear you and your son really liked it. Its becoming my haunt as well on my ride home from work. Wed Jul 11 14:23:46 -0700 2007 2736326 14086 kare_raisu 5 2748346 I, too, have included La Texanita in my regular rotation of restaurants after reading about it here on Chowhound, thanks to you all. The first time I went, I asked the woman who took my order for something interesting and different that I haven't tried before. When she suggested the carne asada plate, I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. "Carne Asada??" I thought. "Is she kidding? Since when does carne asada count as interesting and different?" Of course, in hindsight, I can see how silly it would be to ask that question, as she could have no idea what I have or haven't tried. At the time, however, I simply trusted her advice. I could never have expected how delicious a simple plate of grilled meat and sides could be. Instead of consisting of the thick chunks of steak that I had become accustomed to (Sorry!), these thin cuts were satisfyingly chewy, imparting their deeply grilled, beefy flavor for far longer than I could have hoped. The beans were full of a kind of rich, porky flavor I had only read about. The rice was actually flavorful and provided a perfectly light counterpoint to the beans and meat. And the tortillas! Never have I had such fluffy homemade tortillas. For those who have had extensive experience with authentic Mexican cuisine and can distinguish between Oaxacan and Yucatan cooking, this might just be a great meal. For me, this was a revelation. This was the real deal. In fact, I’ve eaten at Super Cocina in San Diego and loved my meal. Why this proved to be so enlightening was that I was able to eat an incredibly familiar concept (that is, a plate of meat with sides and some tortillas) and see how much better every component can be when given the proper care. Since that lunch, I’ve eaten the carne asada plate two times and spread the word about Antojitos La Texanita. Granted, it’s not perfect. My mom mentioned that she thought some of the flavors became muted when combined, which I can see, even after adding plenty of lime to kick up the flavors. I ordered the chicken flautas and was rather disappointed with the quality of the chicken. Perhaps I’m wrong, but it seemed to be rather flavorless boiled chicken that isn’t a whole lot better than those around town. Though I suggested to my good friend not to get the burritos (as I had heard about them being lackluster on the PD biteclub), she ordered the beef burrito and was incredibly disappointed. She pointed out that the burrito was just lacking in flavor and excitement, and I had to agree. The beef was different than the thin slices of the carne asada, instead consisting of softer, less boldly flavored pieces of beef that didn’t enjoy the same deeply grilled carmelization that the other does. I’ve gone back also for the ceviche that I saw others eat so many times when there, and I have to say that it is quite good, if not rhapsodically delicious. I wanted a bit more of the fish flavor, but I had only heard about ceviche before trying it there, so that could very well be the norm. Strong lime, onion, and cilantro flavors, made especially tasty when applied with some of the green and red sauces that come with the chips. The large slices of avocado were, as kare_raisu said, ripe, buttery, and incredibly appealing to see on top of the tostatada. I will certainly come back for it when I feel like eating something on the lighter side. The horchata is pleasant and dissipates some of the heat nicely, and the flan is one of the most dense, rich renditions I have ever tried. I’m looking to trying the rest of the menu. Everything sounds great to me, and I have been looking forward to trying my first birria for quite some time. Because I always go by myself or those I go with tend to be less adventurous than I am, I haven’t been able to try them all as quickly as I have wanted. Kare_raisu, you mentioned meeting there, and I would love to eat there with you and/or anyone else as soon as possible. I know I have a lot to learn about all kinds of Mexican cuisines, and I’m excited to do so. Where better than Antojitos La Texanita? Fri Jul 13 17:45:33 -0700 2007 2724600 89834 LikeFrogButOOOH 6 2748434 Wow! What a great response LikeFrog...awesome encapsulation of your experiences at La Texanita...and from a person who has dined at my favorite restaurant...Super Cocina no less! Anytime, Id be down for a meal there --you can email me if youd like on my profile page. Maybe we can get some local hounds together? Fri Jul 13 18:35:34 -0700 2007 2748346 14086 kare_raisu 3 2749239 The Nayarit-style grilled fish prep, "pescado sarandeado," is served at a number of seafood-oriented Mexican restaurants here in Chicago, with the majority of it cooked over real mesquite charcoal. The fish (usu. Red Snapper) turns out quite dry, with a tight, almost meaty texture and intense flavour. And, much as you describe, diners seem to enjoy making tacos from the flaked meat and whatever raw vegetable matter is at hand. At any rate, that would be very curious if your fish was instead fried. If you return, be sure to let us know! E.M. Sat Jul 14 08:01:55 -0700 2007 2722379 11340 Erik M 4 2749677 The skin of the fish seemed crisp as if indeed fried - although this may have occured due to the high oil content with grilling....not sure. hmm... Sat Jul 14 11:54:12 -0700 2007 2749239 14086 kare_raisu 5 2762789 Two friends were looking for somewhere new to try out so I suggested Texanita as a sure bet. A sure bet it was. Not being very hungry I just had a little sope and taco de pescado. Sope: nothing short of delicious once again - cannot get enough of their version Fish Taco: Well, I can tell you that its handmade tortilla ALONE would of killed any Rubios whole taco I have had in the past. The crema seemed to be slightly 'chipotle-fied', crispy warm fish was breaded rather than beer-battered. Nice accompniment of sliced rabanos and jalp en escabeche. Tamarindo was just one notch sweeter this time around. I suggested the huarache to one friend and this was subsquently polished off. Other friend - not as adventerous had a solid quesdilla. I just want to add that all of the waitresses here are really nice and there is a sense of hospitality that I appreciate. Wed Jul 18 17:45:06 -0700 2007 2749677 14086 kare_raisu 6 2767543 You just drove a stake through my heart... I had no idea Texanita offered them.... I can't believe how many months & meals I have wasted not knowing that (my last fish taco experience at Carmen's Burgers was not that good). Fri Jul 20 08:12:41 -0700 2007 2762789 42572 Eat_Nopal 7 2769537 I have yet to try Carmens - I would like to try her out - maybe we can convince her even to make some corundas? Fri Jul 20 18:43:23 -0700 2007 2767543 14086 kare_raisu