Comida time!

We haven't spent much time discussing my stomach lately so here goes. Saturday Leslie was away at a conference and I was batching it. Great center cut pork chops at Firehouse Broiler. With potatos and broccoli. Nice guy from Chicago, food is so much better these days. Give it a shot. All of my meals there have been both old school and excellent.

Sunday I decided to go to Rosa's for the best menudo in town. Fresh tripe in a lusty picante broth garnished with cilantro, lime and chili. Doesn't get better than Rosa's. These and all of the following shots are crappy cell phone fotos so you will have to forgive me, or not.

Brigitte came back from Cuba the other day and we met at Tekila. I ordered the shredded beef enchilada again but this time asked him to grill it and see if we could get some of that dry, crunchy texture I like. Almost. I also ordered a pork tamale that was delicious. They are really trying to push the envelope at Tekila and deliver something special and it shows.

On my recommendation, Brigitte had the salbutes (sic). They are specially marinated tacos with an extraordinary accompanying jalapeno sauce. Pickled something or other as well. Off menu, you have to ask for them. I highly suggest that you do.

She also had a simply gorgeous and equally scrumptious chile relleno. I  don't even like chile relleno's and loved this one.

Afterwards, continuing our latin theme, we had a quick stop at Northgate Market to take a look around. Like taking a trip to an exotic foreign country without ever leaving Fallbrook. I showed her the four foot chicharrones, don't even want to think about the time I attempted to eat one.

Northgate is really an amazing place. Top flight mexican bakery, including birthday and wedding cakes. Phenomenal meat market, with lengua, split chickens, pigs feet, all kinds of things you never see anywhere else in addition to a major selection of fresh salsas of every description.

The produce is usually so much cheaper than your white man grocery stores and a much wider selection. Sapotes, cherimoyas, mangos, cane sugar, beautiful potatoes. Hominy, tortillas, spices, plus the place is really very clean.

The fresh selection of cheese is incredible including really nice looking fresh cottage cheese, crema and cotija. The woman in the back sold industrial strength quantities of fresh masa.

If you have never taken a spin through the place, you owe it to yourself.

My brother Buzz in Toronto always hates it when I post great Mexican food because like New York, it doesn't exist up there. Hey you get good socialized medicine, everything in life is a trade.

Not a lot else to report, one nice sushi dinner next to Will and Helene, replete with Yama's famed sushi burrito, chopped maguro in a rice paper tortilla with a special ponzu. Hirame. Anago. Hotate hand roll. Amazing hamachi belly.

Chris at Main St. Cafe will be open soon and we will have a good breakfast place again.

I believe that Colleen and Steve have a new chef. Look forward to trying them out.

La Caseta has switched from pumpkin to their fabulous coconut flan.

Heard about a new soul food restaurant in Oceanside if you need to get your collard greens on.

I stopped off at the new Whole Foods at Flower Hill yesterday. Looked pretty typical but they did have an outstanding smoked meat counter. I bought smoked brisket and smoked pulled pork. The guy raved about the pork but the brisket was even better. Thought I brought some home but I guess I ate it all.
They also had smoked tri tip. Very addictive fare.

I parked in the new parking garage at Flower Hill. I walked passed the playground where upscale moms delighted in their precious progeny. I wandered over to the high end cheese shop, Venissimo, hadn't been there since the move, and sampled arcane swiss, finally settling on a nutty white cheddar called Quebec Vintage.

Cucina Enoteca is opening soon and I predict that it will take North County by storm, if it is anywhere near as good as its sister restaurant, Cucina Urbana.

Chef Boyardee, the real one. Ettore "Hector" Boiarde ((October 22, 1897 – June 21, 1990), name was too difficult for Americans to handle so we phoneticized it. He was the head chef at the Plaza in New York, born in Piacenza, Italy. He developed food for the Russian Army and was  awarded the Order of Lenin, for outstanding service to Russia from a civilian during war time, but the cold war put the kaibosh on his ability to acknowledge the award. Sold his brand for nearly 6 million bucks, serious moolah at the time.

Happy eating, compadres!

KJ sends the following: