Comida Yucatan y City Pizza update/Fruitvale Guatemalan Bakery

[kirinraj]

Since i couldn't find any recent information on Comida Yucatan y City pizza, today I decided to wing it and check it out. First I have to bring something up-- I don't really understand why people keep emphasizing that the block it's on is so terribly bad. So what If people are hanging around outside, it just adds to the character of the area. It didn't seem to be that dangerous. Now to the food. It's in a tiny space, and the other two groups of customers at the time there were speaking what I believe to be mayan. The daily special was mondongo, but since I'm not a fan of menudo and big pieces of tripe, I decided against it. I ordered a Panucho con Cochinita Pibil. It was amazing. The panucho itself was crispy and stuffed with a flavorful bean paste, and the Cochinita tasted like what I make at home. The whole thing was topped with some pickled red onion, and a small piece of avocado. For the main meal I ordered relleno negro, which was made with chicken instead of turkey. It was very flavorful...almost like a thin, very spicy, mole negro, perfumed with avocado leaves and burnt chiles. The chicken was baked, I think, and then shredded and added to the sauce. This was served with the most incredibly chewy and crisp handmade corn tortillas. The cook was very friendly, and helpful in explaining the menu. They also repeatedly offered more tortillas. I took home one of each of the three types of tamales--horneado, colado, and torteado. I'll report on how these are tomorrow after I eat them for breakfast. It came with a baggie of a spicy green sauce, and a bright orange-red sauce.

Since it was on the drive back to pleasanton, I decided to stop at my favorite guatemalan bakery, Chapinlandia Bakery in Fruitvale. This place is small, but it has some of the best pan dulce and empanadas in the area. There's a case of sweet rolls in the front that is self serve. The best ones are the round ones that look to be covered in flour or powdered sugar--they are richly spiced with cinnamon, and mabye brown sugar. At the front, there is a case full of the more specialty items. They have champurradas, a thin molasses-ey "cookie", the lighter guatemalan version of a quesadilla, and the incredible empanadas dulces. I cannot get enough of those. There are three kinds: Queso (cream cheese, my favorite), Leche (custard, my second favorite), and Pineapple (never tried it). Best of all, after buying a lot of the baked goods (enought to freeze, as I don't get out here often), the total came out to under ten dollars! The people who work here are really nice. One time, after I ordered, one man told me to wait a for a moment, as he heated up a bag full of 4 tamales. These were really good too--they were the kind called chuchitos, filled with pork. I asked them if they are making pan de muertos, and they said that they'll have it on Thursday and Friday. This place is a great, so I'm going to try and make the trip to try it.

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Comida Yucatan y City Pizza
294 Turk St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Chapinlandia Bakery
4737 International Blvd, Oakland, CA

[rworange]

I wonder if the chuchitos are new. I asked about tamales and he said they didn't make them and directed me to the excellent Guatemalan tamale lady who is there early on weekend mornings. Then again I didn't ask about chuchitos which are different.

Excellent report on both.

Thanks for the tip on the pan de muertos. Last year I went on a crawl buying all I could find. The Guatemalan bakery near me didn't make it. It isn't as good as Chapinlandia anyway. I was getting the cold shoulder from Central American places in general as far as the Day of the Dead.

If you do get over in the area ... while it is not that close it is worth the extra miles ... Arizmendi/Cheeseboard makes the best pan de muertos ... it is what I've actually read about. The large gingerbread man bread has a lovely anise flavor. It has a great crust and is lighlty glazed. Wonderfully yeasty too. Excellent, just excellent.

The second best was Casa Latina in Berekely. Everywhere else ... eh .. it all tasted the same. My crawl from last year.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/455730

Anyway, will stop by Chaplindia on my way to Sunnyvale. There's a Mexican restaurant down that way that supposedly does special tamales for DOD. May hit Oaxacan Kitchen in Palo Alto on the way home to see if they have anything going on.

[kirinraj]

I don't think that the chuchitos are a regular thing...it may have just been a special thing, as I've never seen them the other times i've been there.

The Cheeseboard has some reall great breads, but I don't think that I'll be able to get out there by Dia de los muertos. Same with Casa latina.

This morning, I ate the tamal colado from Comida Yucatan with both sauces, and it was amazing- silky, soft, and mushy, with a great chicken filling. It was wrapped entirely in banana leaves...not parchment paper or foil like most places.

I've been wondering about the Oaxacan Kitchen. Is it good?, because I've heard that some of its moles lack complexity.

[rworange]

Haven't tried it yet. I'm not expecting a lot but as long as I'm on the road in that area, I might stop by.

BTW, your other post about Guadalupe Day gave me the incentive to finally go to mass in Martinez this morning and see what was going on there. Next Saturday for Dia de los Muertos they are having as special 11 am mass after which there will be refreshments and mariachis. What is kind of cool is the mass will be at the cemetary. When I worked in Mexico, I never invaded anyone's personal space on that night. However, in this country it would be kind of cool to go out to mass at the cemetary and remember loved ones ... even though they don't happen to be in California cemetaries. Anyway, if this interests you it is Saint Catherine of Siena 925 228 1318. I have my Sunnyvale plans for that day, so can't do the mass thing. Maybe next year if I'm in the area

[kirinraj]

Damn...cant be there either. I have to be in oakland. Sorry, but what date or around what date is Guadalupe day again? thanks

[rworange]

December 12th. There's an arizmundi in oakland.

[kirinraj]

Thanks! I thought Arizmendi was only in SF.

[moto]

Arizmendi (plural) on the east bay side: Lakeshore Ave. (Oakland), San Pablo Ave. (Emeryville) and the Cheeseboard cookbook has many of the recipes they use. cheers