Las Brisas

Spot number three on my Mexican food tour was Las Brisas today. Las Brisas is in its 18th year of operation in Fallbrook but I have a confession to make. I only started going there last year. Why? Because when it opened many years ago we tried to go in one day and it smelled a bit funky to us. We never went back. Creatures of habit.

Over the years many of my friends have extolled me with the many  virtues of this place. It is apparently known as the most favored mexican eatery by the people who should know best, the mexicans who live here. My neighbor Brian really likes the place as well and he is a gringo.

I finally wandered in about six months ago for the first time. I don't remember exactly what I ordered but there was no bad smell and the food was quite good and a bit different than the other mexican menus in town.

I went back the other night and ordered sopes. If you don't know, sopes are a mexican delicacy, usually carnitas, chicken or beef in a fried masa cup with all of the normal vegetable ingredients on top. Sometimes crema is added. It is really hard to find decent sopes around here, I ordered them at the new Estrellas the other night and was not impressed at all. These were pretty good, I ordered a chicken and a pork. If you have never had a sope, check it out because the corn meal base is much more interesting than another tortilla variant. The meal started with their chips, a combination of flour and corn, I find myself hunting for the flour ones, which you rarely find.  Salsa cups are a little too small to dip a chip in optimally. I got into a long conversation about the food with a couple next to me and the hawaiian guy at the next table asked me if I was Fallbrook's Anthony Bordine (sic)? Good dinner. Tight parking lot, the restaurant is at the end of a little strip with a very authentic mexican market.

I decided to give it another go and went back today for lunch to get a better feel for the place. Las Brisas has a nice selection of specials on the board. I ordered the number four, soft tacos of carnitas and carne asada. I introduced myself to the owner, something I rarely if ever do and asked her if I could take some pictures. Owner Blanca was very gracious and made me up this pretty plate.

Very nice and a nice little cup of guacamole to boot. It had more onions than I care for but I like the idea.  Blanca said that soft tacos are her specialty and pointed out the outside taco bar. The carnitas was fairly ordinary, I like Robertitos a bit better, but the carne asade really had the nice char flavor and was the best I have ever had in town. Beans and rice were okay but not extra special. What was extra special was their own homemade roasted chile salsa. Amazing. In fact hands down, Las Brisas has the largest salsa selection in town and this roasted stuff is just awesome!

There are an assortment of delicious salsas, the green is damn good too. Also, limes and cilantro and the whole shot.

I enjoyed the mellow ambience and flavor of Las Brisas. Plastic utensils, the place isn't very green. I threw away a lot of paper. Food and people were really nice and I know that there are a lot more things to discover on the menu. Now I am beginning to understand why Las Brisas has such a devoted following. It has a menu that is different than the other places in town and delivers a very satisfying meal. I look forward to returning with my wife one day soon.