Carnitas y Carnicerias
Went looking for a carnitas supplier this weekend, since I just got a tortilla press.
ELIZABETH MEAT MARKET (Pasadena) - Colorado Blvd, W of Rosemead. Way too salty, will not return.
LA PRADERA (El Monte) - Santa Anita Ave, south of 10 Fwy. Market only, no restaurant, had to get carnitas to go. Crispy, smoky, but still moist. Solid.
LA BLANQUITA (El Monte) - Valley Blvd near Garvey. Restaurant is separate from market/tortilleria. Terrific carnitas taco, chunky instead of stringy, crispy outside, melt in your mouth inside. Kind of a dive, but lots of aguas frescas and alambre too for those who miss Las Ruinas. Will definitely be back.
EL GALLITO (El Monte) - Valley Blvd near Durfee. A sizeable restaurant area inside the market. Carnitas similar to LA PRADERA, maybe less smoky. Interior more pleasant than any of the other markets.
VALLARTA (Baldwin Park) - Ramona & Baldwin Park Blvd. Carnitas looked good in the case, but at $7.99/lb, almost $3/lb more than anywhere, and the place is a madhouse, so didn't bother to order.
PASTOR'S MEAT (Pico Rivera) - Beverly Blvd, W of Rosemead. Haven't tried it yet, but friend swears they are the best carniceria around.
Robert Lu
Jun 12, 2006 01:49AM
Cinco Puntos, but forget your tortilla press because you can't make the great hand made tortillas they have to along with the carnitas and other meats.
Also try El Gallo Giro a chain of takeout restaurants/bakeries with great carnitas. They got a $9.99 family special which serves 3-4. Includes 1 lb of carnitas, tortillas, salsa's, rice & beans.
Cinco Puntos
(323) 261-4084
3300 E Cesar E Chavez Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90063
Link: http://www.gallogiro.com/
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The great Antojitos Denise's on East Olympic sells its carnitas by the pound, which is about as good as it gets. I make the trek almost as often as I go down to Phillip's BBQ. A party in a tray.
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You can buy masa for your tortilla press at:
La Adelita
Pico & Union
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Carnitas Michoacan, Victory and Coldwater Canyon, North Hollywood; also Carniceria Don Juan, Vanowen JWO Coldwater Canyon, North Hollywood.
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Hows that Mexican spot next to Swan Thai on Sherman was?
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Tacos Mexico -- not wonderful, the one on Van Nuys and Sherman is much better.
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Then which is the Sherman Way spot you suggested in another thread for really good taqueria Tacos al pastor. I'm not fond of that Carnitas spot on Coldwater & Victory, kind of shady
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It's El Taco Llama, on Sherman Way between Lankershim and Vineland.
Shady in what sense?
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Aren't there numerous locations for El Taco Llama, that spot on Coldwater-what I meant by shady was how its not kept up clean and is in the back of that run down little strip-sort of feels like being in Tijuana yet I'm sure getting the food to go is the solution. My current favorite is Tacos el toro on Laurel Cyn.
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There are many locations for El Taco Llama but some are good and some are bad. The best is on Magnolia near Cahuenga; second best is Sherman Way; at the very bottom of the list is Vanowen and Haskell (ick, ick, ick!).
Michoacan on Coldwater/Victory... haven't noticed any gross sanitary issues... they generally have an A (slipped to a B this time). I like the "eating in Tijuana" feel, and it's very cheap.
I just went to El Tapatio on Alameda and San Fernando in Burbank... they have a little bit of housekeeping but it's pretty good -- the asada especially -- and it's dirt cheap, four tacos and a large drink for $4.70.
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My new favorite Latino market is King Ranch, between Magnolia and Mayflower on Huntington Dr. in Monrovia. Much closer to me is Farm Fresh, at Los Robles and Orange Grove in Pasadena, and there's one in (I think) Hollywood as well. However, I'm not sure that FF has carnitas, but KR does have a cooked-goodies counter right next to the meat department, and a good selection of prepared meat items in the butcher case, too.
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I second Cinco Puntas. If you go to Pastor's, you have to try the chicharron also. They are the best. Warm and in a tortilla de mano with some salsa, doesn't get any better.
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Excellent handmade corn tortillas and carnitas. Their carnitas plus still-warm fresh tortillas = bliss!
La Azteca Tortilleria
4538 East Cesar Chavez Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90022
(323)262-5977
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