The Journey to Babita

I suppose I have fallen into “food block”. I have not put up a bite for weeks. I have even been to Babita recently and couldn't find the recipe for writing a post. So here I am finally, with a main course of words.

Ahh. The journey to Babita has a story behind it. My SO and I had been dating not quite 1 year when we realized that in a week or so the day we first stared into each others eyes over some margaritas and lousy Mexican food would be upon us. We decided to honor the event, to celebrate, and this time to find some delicious Mexican food to do so with that was worthy of the occasion.

Well we didn’t have to look or even think about it as I had wanted to try Babita for months! So thanks to my chow hounding friends no search was needed.
The restaurant is on San Gabriel Blvd right next to Saint Anthony’s Church; it is on a corner, and from the outside you could never imagine the tastes, smells, and the culinary adventure that being on the inside will take you on.

The reservation was for 8 and we brought a bottle of 1997 Stags Leap Merlot. We were seated by none other than the chef himself, and I immediately engaged him in a dialog about his menu. He joked quite a bit with me and told me that he wouldn’t order the soup, which I had inquired about, and then went on to describe it in such a matter my mouth watered. I get it he is playing with me! When he opened the wine he poured it he then proceeded to pick up the glass and take a very deep sniff of the bouquet, he was so obviously enjoying it that we offered him some. “No, not while I have to work”, he declined. And then when I asked him for recommendations he told me to close my eyes and pick! He was such fun, we enjoyed the banter immensely!

I noticed he circulated among the tables that had all been seated about the same time. Then disappeared to cook, and his wife took over. It is almost as if they arrange the seating, since they did not have a 7:30 reservation available, but the resturant was far from full when we arrived and during our meal it did not fill up. It was nice.

The Shrimp Topolobampo was on my must try list, but I was discouraged to order it by our waitress as I had indicated I didn’t want anything too spicy. I ordered a ceviche instead and it was amazing. Fresh, light, tangy, not fishy, it was red snapper and perfect We also shared a Cesar salad. I know, who orders Cesar salad at a Mexican restaurant, but this was an incredible blend of flavors.Probably one of the best I have had, you could tell the dressing was just made; it was rich and had a strong bite of anchovy perfect.

The lamb shank was what my SO wanted, but they were out of it when we arrived so he settled on the Barbacoa. I ordered the Cochinita Pibil. My pork was melt in your mouth and 2 tangy cold salads of one of red cabbage and one of onion accompanied the pork. The beef cheeks, which neither of had ever had were very good. My SO thought a little fatty, but I assume that the nature of the dish. Fresh tortillas were on the table and we finished everything!

The evening was perfect, for every reason. I suppose the only complaint I might have is that there was a long wait between courses the evening being a bit of a slow process. It seemed that Roberto and his wife were the only ones there.

I want to go back and try one of his seafood or fish dishes next. Or maybe get daring and get the Shrimp Topolobampo

Albondigas

I grew up with my grandmother, she was from Chihuahua, and grew up in a small town in the Sierra Nevada’s in Northern Mexico. I could tell you all kinds of cool stories about her and food, she used to go pick wild mushrooms with an Indian, and he would tell them which were edible and which ones were not. But those stories are for a different blog, right?

She was a super cook and made the best Albondigas Soup. She taught me how to make a lot of delicious things, but Albondigas was not one of them, thus the quest for the best Albondigas in the SGV began.

What is Albondigas you ask? A delicious soup that usually will have zucchini, potato, carrot, onion, tomato, celery and meatballs that are very light and fluffy because they use rice instead of breadcrumbs and a secret ingriendient; the broth is flavored from all the vegetables and my grandma always added a small can of tomato sauce which gave it more flavor.

I have tried this wonderful comfort food at almost every Mexican restaurant I go to. So far I have tired Max’s in Azusa, Caberra’s in Duarte, Peppers in Arcadia, La Nueva Posada in Pasadena, Mijares in Pasadena, Los Gueros in Monrovia and Sergios in Azusa, and probably more. That is not counting mi abuelas.

So is there a clear winner? Not really. I liked the meatballs at Caberra’s but the broth had no flavor, the broth at La Nueva Posada was fantastic but the meatballs were a little dense and there were no potatoes. Sergios vegetables were way to mushy, Max’s had a good average on everything, but probably the best was Los Gueros, everything was good but there were no potatoes. Obviously I have my perfect soup all picked out. I will order one of my favorite comfort foods again at Los Gueros, Max’s and La Nueva Posada, but after that the search is still on.

Can you recommend the perfect bowl?

Los Gueros 313 West Huntington Dr., Monrovia (626) 358-0200

Mexican Fried Chicken

Ok, so the best Mexican food in the SGV is Babita’s, but I have not been there yet! So this rant will review some other place that you call Cal-Mex for the most part. I can’t contend with “The Great Taco Hunt's” level of taste tests. This post has been spurred on by my recent discovery of Mexican Fried Chicken, at La Nueva Posada in Pasadena.

Yes that is what I said, “Fried Chicken”. We, my S.O. (significant other) and I decided to try someplace new for Mexican food. What we were actually craving was a good margarita, but we figured if the food is good so are the drinks, right? (go figure) Well sorta, the margarita was ok, I have had better. The menu of margaritas at El Cholo, and The Border Grille, that used to be in the Paseo (gone now) has yet to be beat in the SGV, at least from my tasting. BTW Babita serves beer and wine only, so we have no idea what alcoholic concoction could come out of that kitchen!

Saturday night, the place is packed, lot of kids too. I look at the menu, same menu different place, until I spot Mexican Fried Chicken. Hmmm. I ask the waitress, she says it takes 30 minutes because they make it to order, and it is very good; this is a good thing!

My immediate hunger is placated with some really good albondigas soup, chips and salsa, good but nothing to write home about. I liked the texture of the salsa, although it needed a little more zing. When the chicken shows up at the table it is sitting in a thin red sauce, I assume it is the marinade. It is a half of a chicken with the breast cut in half. The chicken is moist and full of flavor, without being spicy. The meat actually has flavor, not from the skin or the sauce, it was actually marinated! I let my cut bites soak up more sauce before I pop them in my mouth; moist, crunchy, not greasy, full of flavor. Yum! How charming. I wonder who thought that recipe up! It was good but could have used more sauce on the side, don’t want ruin the crunch with soggy. I even ate it cold the next day, it was still good. I am wondering how this chicken compares to Dino’s chicken, which is a mariachi band playing in your mouth!

I would definitely go back for the chicken, the carne asada looked tempting. I might try that, and would definitely go back for albondigas a great big bowl!

La Nueva Posada 2835 E Foothill Blvd Pasadena, CA (626)793-7191

Soup is Good Food

My favorite thing to eat on a cold winter night is soup. But not out of a can!!! I make some decent homemade varieties, but they always are an all afternoon affair, and not something that can be “whipped up” after a long day at the office. I have found two restaurants, inexpensive and ethnic, that offer some delicious soups.

Young’s Gourmet is a hole in the wall Chinese place in a little strip mall in Duarte. I go here for lunch at least once a week.

My favorite dish is the “Chicken Noodle Soup”. It is a huge bowl of steaming rich chicken broth, filled with ramen noodles, vegetables and chicken. The flavor of the broth is consistently perfect; the vegetables are stir fried to order and placed on top of the ramen, and the ramen is cooked perfectly, not mushy or hard. What I like about this is when you order this “to go” the broth is kept separate from the remainder of the fresh ingredients so nothing gets over cooked or soggy on the ride home. YUM. Their Won Ton Soup is also very good, and I love the Mu Shi Pork (not soup). This is not on the lunch special menu, but can be ordered anytime.

The service is always good, and the waitresses Annie and Lena are exceptionally nice.

Young’s Gourmet 1340 E. Huntington Drive Duarte 626.358.8763

If you prefer something south of the border try Ranch los Magueyes, or as the locals call it “Max’s”. Max is always there to great you, and makes a killer margarita. They have some soups on the menu you don’t find at Mexican places everyday. I especially like a soup called Fideo. It is a chicken tomato broth, flavored with onion. In it is simply fideo noodles, vermicelli, which are toasted in oil before being cooked in the broth so they will not get starchy. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods, I make it at home, and Max’s is as close as I have found to my home made. They also offer Cocido (vegetable soup made with beef bones), Sopa de Albondigas (meatball soup), Menudo every day not just on the weekends.

Rancho los Magueyes (Max’s) 248W. Foothill Blvd. Azusa 626.334-9695