“The burger with a Beach Mex Twistâ€
A hamburger patty has no business being inside a taco. For a chain that is known for their fish tacos, this foray into the American palette is a mistake. Burgers are meant to be on buns for a reason. The hearty bread structure soaks up condiments while still supporting the ingredients. Put these same ingredients in a flour tortilla and you got Rubio’s All-American Taco.
San Diego style Mexican food has been steadily encroaching upon the Bay Area. Which is good news to all SD transplants. There are rumors of what may be an actual (or not) Roberto’s in San Jose. A trip down from San Francisco will soon enough solve that problem, but one thing is for sure: there is at least one ’berto’s close by. Adalberto’s in Fairfield.
Rolled tacos and tortas are the two great SD style Mex foods that San Francisco taquerias cannot seem to get right. The burritos are very different too, but time has blended those lines with SD establishments occasionally offering rice as an option. As for the relatively recent trend of adding French fries to burritos, well, lets just say I don’t crave those burritos.
It was the rolled tacos that lured the Burritowing team to Adalberto’s in Fairfield. That and the opportunity to kick around the California Delta for the day. A previous trip to Suisun City proved to be a delicious excursion, perhaps the discovery of an honest-to-goodness ‘berto’s would surface as a much needed flavor the Bay Area has sorely been missing.
Forest and I went to check out the remake of My Bloody Valentine. I give it a solid A, not expecting the story line or casting to be top notch, which it wasn’t. It was good, just not great. Its positive grade reflected upon the fact that, to me, it achieved its primary goal of being a 3D movie filled with fun, camp and gore. It achieved that nicely. My buddy, however, expected more, highlighting that the cheesy pretty actors had no business being in a real horror movie. This is one of those rare times that we are both right. All I wanted out of it was a decent story that strayed far enough from the original. As long as the effects were good, I was happy.
We did not agree on the deliciousness of the pre-movie meal, which was a trip to the Rubio’s that lives in the bowels of the mall. This being near BWHQ, and as a San Diego native, I am quite familiar with the chain. Forest, somehow, entered blind. He played it safe by ordering chicken tacos. He later blamed me for not telling him Rubio’s was about the fish, a detail that may or may not be true. Either way, he enjoyed his tacos and was quite satisfied.
I was not.
I know damn well what ‘three rolled tacos with guacamole’ can ultimately be. Done right, the cheese sticks to the guacamole, which sticks to the rolled taco which forms a crunchy, creamy base upon which to pour liberal amounts of hot sauce. Unfortunately, this meal was not done properly. The rolled tacos had but a sprinkling of cheese, less than even in the photo above, which was from a previous visit. The guacamole didn’t last as long as the rolled tacos. The overall taste was good, but sadly I am reminded that true rolled tacos are still not available in this town.
I have an on again/off again relationship with Rubio’s, but that is more due to the side effects of their becoming a mall chain. Being the only game in town serving up SD style Mexican food, I have little choice but to accept Rubio’s shortcomings. After all, they do get some things right; it’s not like the food is bad. However, their expansion has unearthed a lack of focus that ultimately reduces the overall experience. Like My Bloody Valentine, which had the novelty of 3D to support it, if it weren’t for Rubio’s San Diego heritage, it would be just another sub par offering.
I re-re-discovered San Diego’s great Mexican seafood. A place I’ve been to before, and forgot where it was. San Diego does that to me. After years of trolling the streets of San Diego at all hours of the day and night, locations tend to blend away. No matter though, because reconnecting with old buddies Jeff and Cara led me back to the source. The source of deliciousness that is.
The place is hopping; its popularity is evident. As such, I won’t give out the name here, suffice to say I’ll just call it Z. No, that would be giving away too much. I’ll call it El. Yeah, that’s much better. El it is.
As you can see it was a rainy day in San Diego (further obscuring the identity of this delicious restaurant), and at first glance the menu inside mirrored the wet conditions outside; food that lives in the sea was definitely the star. All in all, I managed to sneak in two visits to El, each time taking in a different seafood delight. All were excitingly delicious. I had a lobster enchilada plate that came with a fish taco along with the obligatory rice and beans. Jeff didn’t take too kindly to the rice, but we both thought the beans were excellent, and as Jeff says, “you can really tell about a place from the beansâ€. Or something like that. Whatever the quote, the sentiment was there, El kicks ass.
The second trip brought me face to face with a scallop burrito (if scallops had faces, that is). This was truly a something special. Tons of scallops that were cooked to perfection resulted in a creamy and delicious burrito. The best thing about it was realizing what a great base scallops are for a burrito. It’s not hard to imagine some delicious combinations that could be harvested from the depths of El’s menu. As I always like to say when I find a great Mex food joint: Clearly, more research is needed. Just don’t go looking for the place so as I can still find a seat when I visit.
I’ve been thinking about a Nieto’s carne asada burrito for months. Which is odd considering that I’ve thinking for months about something I’ve never had. Nieto’s has won me over with rolled tacos, and their bean and cheese burrito, so I had high expectations about the gold standard for SoCal Mex food – the carne asada burrito.
Continue reading Nieto’s — Carne Asada
I’ve totally been into Rubio’s fish burritos lately. They’re good despite the fact that the chain is en route to mega-corporate blandism. Perhaps it is again my San Diego background that looks past the suspiciously consistent guacamole and instead focuses on the simple flavor combinations.
Continue reading Rubio’s
If I hadn’t known to look here, I never would have known to look here. It’s in a typically San Diegan strip mall, tucked away in some unassuming corner. Apparently invisible, I know for a fact this location used to be at least two other taquerias in the past. And every time I tried it, I was totally satisfied. Credit goes to Stimy for originally turning me on to the location, back when it was called… Lolita’s, I think. Linda’s, maybe. Either way, it was good then, so I was anxious to see how it was now.
…Continued form La Posta
(Miss Taca enjoys her anonymity)
Don Carlos is another old-time hangout. The veggies always loved it, cause of their potato rolled tacos. I always loved it cause it was just down the street form the coffee hangout, The Pannikin and the food was always good. Plus, they are right next to Dick’s Liquors. The eternal adolescent in me still considers that the best liquor store name, ever.
There it is. They are in there. There are possibly some being made even right now. There is nobody in line. LUCK! The rolled tacos are going to happen, and happen SOON!
I am not alone, yet I do not make a good conversationalist. Doesn’t she know I can’t concentrate? Rolled tacos are on the way!
“You’re not listening,†she said.
All I could do was point at the window where the tacos came out.
“I know, it’s ok. You’re distracted. Rolled tacos happen.†She said it with a smile.
I smiled, grunted and went back to studying the menu.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had machaca. Near as I can figure it’s what a breakfast burrito should be. Well-cooked shredded beef with peppers, onions and eggs all scrambled up. While it’s not rare to frequent any one of San Diego’s 24-hour taco shops so late that dinner turns into breakfast, it is still a rarity for me to see beyond the holy trinity of carne asada, chicken or carnitas. However, in the name of science I knew I had to forage on.
Continue reading Roberto’s Taco Shop