Estrellas

I want to recap my Fallbrook mexican food survey. So far I have dined at, and these are in no particular order, La Caseta, Rosa's, Mi Amigo, El Jardin, Village Taco, El Parque, Pedro's, Las Brisas, Robertito's, El Toro Market and Estrellas. I still need to eat at El Sombrero, Pala Mesa Market, Northgate, Bonita Foods and the  truck set up outside the Happy Jug at night. That is 16, if you happen to be counting from home. I will reserve comparative final judgement until all of the establishments have been sampled.

As I said when I commenced this intestinal trek on my digestive tract, all of these restaurants have their strengths, weaknesses and adoring fans. I have heard from many of you regarding this quest, many from far away, and I know how serious one can be regarding one's mexican grub. I certainly don't want any stale chimichangas thrown at my front door so I am trying my utmost to be objective. So far there are only two places that I will guarantee that I will never return to. I am sure that you can figure them out if you have been paying attention.

Yesterday I ate at Estrellas. Estrellas was in Bonsall until the freeway routed through earlier this year and they moved uptown. I never went to the place in Bonsall. Why? Because the place that was there before them was so dirty, scary and frankly horrifying. The sins of the father are sometimes unfairly transferred to the offspring. At least in my weird universe.

I had eaten their food at Hot Summer Nights and the Fallbrook Film Festival and it was damn good. But sometimes special occasion food is not always what you get at the sit down restaurant.

I have now eaten at the restaurant three times, counting yesterday. The first two times were rather perfunctory and not all that great. I had a combinacion plata the day it first opened, good but nothing special. The first thing you notice is the excellent quality of their dual style chips (flour and corn) and the nice and spicy salsa. Like the better sit down restaurants in its weight class, the prices are about double what you would pay at Robertitos and a little more than Rosas. The menu has an extensive offering of shrimp dishes, all around the twelve dollar mark.

Yesterday I had their carnitas plate, very nice and pleasing. Pork was pulled, moist and succulent. Rice and beans were so so, compared to La Caseta and Rosas, my favorites in this regard. It came with two tortillas, was really a three tortilla plate but I suppose that I could have always asked. On the subject of tortillas, none of the tortillas in town anywhere come even close to my gold standard, La Cabanita in Montrose or the better homemade tortillas like El Indio in San Diego or the Old Town Mexican restaurant. I like them thick, imperfect, limey  and clearly hand made. Anyway this meal was far better than my first two, the second of which was their sopes which were a bit of a bore. If I want sopes in this town, I will go to Las Brisas in a heartbeat.

Estrellas has a mixed anglo hispanic clientele and fierce devotees. Most of the hispanic people that I trust in terms of food count it as their favorite local mexican dining spot as well as many of my gringo friends. If I had been remotely scientific about this culinary excursion I would have ordered the same dish at every restaurant. The menu at Estrellas is too promising for me to dismiss it without venturing in to sample some of the specials. The staff and the owner I think I talked to seemed really committed to their food and were very nice as well.

My two longtime favorite dishes in this town are La Caseta's shrimp diavalo and Rosa's camarones mojo de ajo. Before I mentally stick Estrellas in some undeserved category I need to try their garlic shrimp plate. I look forward to it. Feliz Nuevo Año!