Lorena's new taqueria [Fresno]
After several months of a complete remodeling the little place on the NE corner of McKinley and Clark (across from Fresno Distributing) has opened as a second location of the original Lorena's across from Roeding Park on Belmont.
This past Monday's special was 3 tacos for $5.75, drink incl. I went with a tripas, cabeza, and a pescado. The fish taco is slightly more expensive (2.25, iirc) ala carte, but still included in the daily deal. All are on the regular two small corn tortillas but each was piled high enough to divide if one wishes. All were garnished with cabbage, onion and cilantro. The tripas was nice and crispy and even better than Zamora's I thought. The cabeza was quite different than any I've had in the past, small dice of darkish firm textured meat, not the moist, juicy/stringy style, but still quite good. The fish was a la planche, coarsely chopped, with excellent seasoning, that doesn't really require any additional hot sauce (except for this hound).
Warm chips and a nice salsa fresca were brought out right after I ordered and a very good roasted salsa that had been heated up brought with the tacos, very tasty.
Checking the menu board and hand written posted items they have posole (6.75), a good selection of mariscos, a camaron tortallita (sp?) for $2 that I'll have to go back and find out what exactly that is. Much to explore here, hoping to hear what the other local hounds think.
PolarBear
Mar 06, 2008 09:47AM
Hi PB... it should be a Tortita de Camaron which is a little Dried Shrimp Fritter usually served with some Nopales in a dark Pasilla sauce... very common Lenten dish in land locked towns of Central Mexico.
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Thanks EN, I was hoping you or KR would chime in with your usual stellar input. Now I see the connection, there is a little place in our Tower District, El Cochonito Contento, that has tortas camaron on Fridays during Lent. I haven't been able to get there yet this year but last season managed to try them, your description is perfect, don't go in expecting to get your usual "torta", no bolillo (sp?) involved whatsoever.
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Well, as much I as I hate to see the old "Tacos and Beer" sign disappear, I am glad it is getting a new life with Lorena's. Hubby and I are putting this on our rotation for lunch, since it is so close to Fresno City. We were eating at Zamora's yesterday (report to follow), and commented on the fact that we hadn't heard PB talk about Lorena's yet. We knew you had been following the construction progress and would surely be the first to report! Thanks for the heads up. I am assuming that they don't have the full Lorena's menu at the taqueria, is that correct?
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Sorry gbg, it's been a while since I've been to the original Lorena's so don't really recall how the menus compare. I do think there's enough to keep us local Mexican food addicts busy. I'm afraid I'll be bouncing back and forth between them and Zamora's and miss out on my Don Pepe's fix... well maybe just for a bit.
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Trying to catch up on reports. Our staff took over the back room at Lorena's a few weeks ago much to my surprise (choice rotates), overall consensus was thumbs up around the table of @ 12 people. Most of our folks (which incl. at least four Hispanics) went with traditional dishes, I was the only one that tried the pozole, which was fabulous. My supervisor quizzed me in detail on the dish (wishing she had ordered it as well), great broth, fall apart with a spoon tender chunks of pork, chopped cilantro and white onions, dried chiles, and a couple of other sides to add, simply a great rendition.
Went today for lunch hoping for a repeat, "sorry Senor, no pozole today"...... OK, I'll try the albondigas (having had this at their location across from Roeding Park). Again, a very good version, no oily pools floating on top, meatballs a little dense for my taste but the individual flavors of carrot, zucchini, green pepper, really shown through (I 86 the potato chunks). I did ask for extra cilantro and white onion, that combined with the side of rice and dark rojo sauce was just fine. Albondigas is 6.75
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PB, like you I'm way behind on my chowhound reports. Thanks for the update on Lorena's.
Did the pozole also have hominy? Was it good? I'm not really a fan of hominy but it's been a long time since I've had it & I'd like maybe to give it another try.
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I like hominy, but in moderation. Their version has way too much for my tastes so I left about half of it in the bottom of the bowl. The serving is so generous however, that I didn't feel that it crowded out any of the other goodies. The hominy was very good, btw. Need to get back to the little place on the NW corner of First and Tulare for a comparison.
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how was the broth on the albondigas (you may recall I thought that was the weakness at the original location)? And do they have the albondigas de camaron?
Now that I am in the neighborhood, more or less I have to get back to Lorena's again! Thanks for the report.
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Afraid I'm not much help, Susan. Been a long time since having the original Lorena's or any other albondigas for that matter, so can't really recall their broth enough to compare. Seems even back then there were only about three places I would visit, will have to ask around and report back. The do have the de camaron, about $10, iirc, in fact I almost ordered it.
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