Another September, another sister trip to Los Angeles – the city of angels, of glam, and of great food. This year’s trip was a shopping bust but, luckily, a food boon.
We arrived on a Friday night, and almost immediately headed to Lotería Grill, my sister Cara’s current favorite restaurant. It’s not difficult to figure out why. This regional Mexican kitchen on Hollywood Boulevard boasts a varied menu at reasonable prices, plus mouthwatering margarita concoctions.
We started with a pitcher of tamarind margaritas which were curiously sweet and sour, as well as the probaditas sampler, which was a plate of mini tacos.
We sampled a number of dishes (it helps that there were five of us), including the summer salad; the red snapper with capers, olives and plantains; the green arroz (uniquely minty); as well as the papas con rajas taco and the mole poblano con pollo taco. We also were treated to dessert (gratis!), including their oh-so-good coconut flan and the refreshing lime-tequila sorbet.
The open floor plan of Lotería allows guests to see what’s happening in the kitchen and in the bar. The restaurant’s décor is all clean lines and warm wood, with painting-sized vintage Mexican playing cards lining the walls. “Lotería,” in fact, refers to a family game, similar to bingo we were told. Hey, we’re game!
On Saturday morning, we hit The Aroma Café for a breakfast/lunch thing. I loved the feel of this café – a worn-brick patio and lush garden setting with a chandelier overhead and an attached bookstore.
The food was great, too. While we didn’t sample their desserts, which looked mightily tempting, their breakfast and lunch offerings were a big hit with my sisters, including the Eggs Aroma and their tuna salad sandwich. And what’s a visit to LA without a star sighting? While we would never think of interrupting his meal, we wanted to say, “We loved the Ocean’s movies!” Can you guess who it was?
On Sunday, just before our flight home, we headed to the Mustard Seed Café located in Los Feliz (across the street from my favorite café, the Alcove, which I discovered is a partner restaurant to The Aroma Café).
The environs at the “Seed” are humble, but the food is fresh, delicious and eco-conscious. Our orders were all over the place – the chicken chutney salad, BBQ chipotle chicken wrap, a fancy BLAT, a veggie omelet, and the grilled vegetable and goat cheese sandwich – but the food was true to its reputation.
As always, it’s hard to say farewell to LA and our annual sister weekend, especially since we’re choosing a different city for next year’s trip (Cabo? Seattle? Carmel?). Stay tuned!
Last Friday at Zócalo
My fiancé and I wanted to kickoff the weekend by trying out a restaurant in Sacramento that we had never been to. Since we both are pretty new to the area, this wasn’t a difficult task. I’m a Mexican food lover and I had heard good things about Zócalo, so we decided to give it a try.
Zócalo immediately reminded me of this gorgeous villa I stayed at in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago. The restaurant was very spacious with large open windows and authentic décor – I felt like I was back in Mexico the whole time I was there!
We started out our meal with chips and margaritas, as we do at most Mexican restaurants we go to. The chips were warm, salty and delicious – the quality of chips and salsa are always very important to my dining experience. The margaritas were smooth and refreshing.
There were so many choices on the menu that I had a tough time making a decision. When it came time to order I chose the flautas de pollo and my fiancé chose the carnitas burrito.
The flautas were crunchy and topped with cabbage and radish, which was a fresh twist. The carnitas burrito was absolutely delicious, the pork was very tender and flavorful – I kept stealing bites off of my fiancé’s plate! The entrees were served with black beans and tasty cilantro-flavored rice.
We were also surprised to find that a mariachi band plays at Zócalo on Fridays. There’s nothing wrong with being serenaded while eating delicious food!
Zócalo
1801 Capitol Avenue
(916) 441-0303
Dos Coyotes, Sacramento
You may have seen the T-shirts, but have you experienced Dos Coyotes recently? I’m referring to this Tex-Mex restaurant’s motto “Have you had your Dos?” – prominently displayed on its menus and T-shirts – because, truly, once you’ve started eating at Dos Coyotes, it’s hard not to make it a habit. (Just ask my husband!) Fresh and delicious, with plenty of offerings to satisfy both young and old, Dos Coyotes is a great informal place to experience southwest food.
We head for our “Dos” about once a week. On this visit, we indulged a bit and ordered the Santa Fe Nachos with chicken to start. These nachos are heavenly – blue corn tortilla chips smothered in cheese, black beans, guacamole and sour cream, plus a hefty portion of grilled chicken breast. The secret ingredient for these nachos? A touch of their chipotle chile BBQ sauce – a savory-sweet-smoky concoction that I always order a side of so that I can smother whatever else I happen to be ordering with it.
We also ordered the Yucatan Chicken Salad, probably my favorite salad on their menu, which boasts charbroiled chicken breast, black beans, red onion, carrots, jicama, sweet peppers, cabbage and corn drizzled with a southwest vinaigrette, chipotle cream, fruit salsa and crispy tortilla strips – all served on a flour tortilla. This salad is enormous, and can easily feed two – or save some for the next day.
Dos Coyotes also has a kids menu, and we take advantage of that! My daughter prefers the chicken and rice, while my son almost always orders the rice and black beans. They also offer kid-friendly quesadillas – either with beef or chicken – plus dinners with steak or carnitas.
The menu is large and varied, which ensures there’s something for everyone: the border bowl is a low-carb option; the lean and mean market burrito is designed for athletes; their seafood – mahi, shrimp or salmon – come in both burrito and taco form and are citrus marinated and then grilled; plus, there are enchiladas, taquitos, burritos, tacos and much more.
Don’t miss their fresh salsa bar, which has at least six fresh salsa offerings. And if you’re planning a party or feeding a crowd, check out their catering menu.
What sets Dos Coyotes apart is its commitment to fresh and flavorful ingredients that are the building blocks of consistently great southwest-style meals. Don’t you think it’s time for your Dos?
There are several locations in the Sacramento area. Click here to find the location closest to you!
Cinco de Mayo (Not to mention Tres and Cuatro!)
Just because Cinco de Mayo falls on a Monday this year, doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with a fiesta or two! Looking for mariachi and margaritas? Craving tacos and tequila? Pick your poison, because the Sacramento area is the place to be this Cinco de Mayo!
Azul Mexican Food and Tequila Bar
1050 20th Street, Ste 140, (916) 447-4040
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!
May 3rd, 4th AND 5th
Mariachi and Live Music
Daily Drink Specials
See what others have to say about Azul:
Centro Cocina Mexicana
2730 J Street, (916) 442-2552
Monday, May 5
Live Music
Margarita Bar
Taco Bar
Maria’s Mexican Restaurant
226 East Main Street, Grass Valley, (530) 274-2040
Saturday, May 3 at 6:00 PM
Live Music by Levi Thomas
Zocalo
1801 Capitol Ave, (916) 441-0303
Got Cinco?
Saturday, May 3 at 6:00 PM
Live Mariachi
Drink Specials
$2 Tacos
If you’re planning to stay in, celebrate with this tasty Margarita Slush from Rachael Ray. Fellow SacFoodie Jenna Kirkwood has tried it and reports that it’s “tangy and sweet because of the lime sherbet and lemon sorbet, which also gives it a refreshing frothiness.”
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
The Shack is en Fuego this Thursday Night
This Thursday, April 17th is Mexican night at the Shack, and Section R will be playing!
Chef’s Choice Menu is $18 per person.
The Shack opens at 6pm with food and music around 7pm.
Hope to see you there!
The Shack
5201 Folsom Blvd.
(916) 457-5997
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