Birria Bonanza at Navarro’s Taqueria

 Navarro's Taqueria

1535 South Standard Ave.

Santa Ana, CA 92707

I'm slowly going through my restaurant wishlist, trying to get to some of the places that have been on my list for a couple years or more. One of those spots is Navarro's Taqueria, which opened just over two years ago, near the intersection of Standard and Edinger Avenues. They won rave reviews from some food writers that I really respect. That was enough to get me up and out of the house on my day off, driving thirty minutes each way for an early lunch. 

Located between a gas station and an auto mechanic, across from Madison Park, Navarro's is a blink and you'll miss it spot. According to my friend that lives in the area, this location has been a number of restaurants over the years, but nothing has stuck. I have a feeling that with all the great press and the four and a half star reviews that they receive, Navarro's might be around for a long time. They also feature the one thing that might be hotter than Nashville hot chicken sandwiches right now, birria. 

For those of you that are not familiar with birria, here's a little history. Birria comes to us from Jalisco, Mexico, where it was made centuries ago. It's basically a stew, traditionally made with goat. The birria tacos we know today are birria de res, which is made with beef. The tortillas are dipped in the broth, which gives them their trademark orange hue. The beef is shredded and the tacos are served with the consomme, which is the broth that the meat is cooked in. It's topped with cilantro and onions, and the tacos are dipped in it for an even greater flavor enhancement. 

Navarro's gets a lot of love for their birria, but they also offer eight other kinds of proteins which can be made into tacos or burritos. There are also ten tortas to try, along with quesadillas, taquitos, nachos, and loaded fries. Breakfast is also done here for early risers. Prices are pretty modest, with only a couple plates exceeding the $12 mark. Their online ordering worked well for me, as my food was ready when I arrived. It was wrapped well to avoid spillage and was all accounted for. Let's see if my sixty-minute drive for lunch on my day off was worth it.  

First up, the famous Birria Combo B ($13.99), which includes three birria tacos, beans, rice, and consomme. The tacos are street taco-sized, but they provide plenty of the birria in each one, topped with plenty of cilantro and diced red onion. I was expecting the tortillas to be a little moist, but they were fried crisp. On its own, the birria was good, but when dunked into the consomme it became even better. The moisture and big flavor of the consomme burst through in each bite The beans and rice were pretty solid as well. 

With the exploding popularity of birria, it was just a matter of time before some hybrid birria items became mainstream, and that leads us to this wonderful Quesabirria ($9.99). Even better than the tacos, this quesadilla filled with birria and cheese was the perfect vehicle for the birria. Very cheesy and filling, these four pieces did not last too long. I especially liked the crispy tortilla which added a nice texture to each bite. You have to get this when visiting Navarro's. 

It was not all birria for me on this trip, as I had to give their other tacos some love. I tried the Al Pastor ($1.55), Asada ($1.49), and the Carnitas ($1.49) tacos. The best of the bunch was the pastor, which had a pleasing marinade seared into the pork, with a touch of sweetness from the pineapple dripping down the trompo. My silver medallist here was the asada, which was more tender than I was expecting, and got a nice jolt of flavor from the provided hot salsa that was packed tightly in my bag. The carnitas was, unfortunately, a bit dry, and lacked any depth of flavor that I was hoping for. Not awful, but it could not hold a candle to the other proteins at Navarro's.  

Navarro's Taqueria was definitely worth visiting on my day off from work. The birria, especially in the quesabirria was delicious and has gotten me inspired to seek out more of it as soon as possible. I was also impressed with their regular tacos, which were filled with way more than I was expecting, based on the price, and were anything but lackluster. If any of you have any birria places you think we should try out, don't hesitate to reach out via social media or with the email at the top right of this page. 

Out of five shot glasses, (because Jalisco, Mexico was not only the birthplace of birria, but also tequila, and as every college-aged student knows, a shot glass of tequila is a great way to start an evening of partying), five being best to zero being worst, Navarro's Taqueria gets 3.5 shot glasses. 

Navarro's Taqueria does not have a website, but you can get more information about them on their Yelp page by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/navarros-taqueria-santa-ana

A Taste of the Motor City in San Clemente - CLOSED

 Gibroni's Pizza

215 South El Camino Real

San Clemente, CA 92672

When I was growing up, I was naive about pizza. I never knew there were regions where pizza differed from the ones I consumed with great vigor after soccer games, birthday parties, and rounds of miniature golf. After a trip to the East Coast in the mid-eighties (yes, I am that old), I realized that all pizzas were not created equally after eating a pizza in New York City. That pizza we ate on that sidewalk in Manhattan all those years ago helped me see that there was way more to pizza than what I'd been eating at Chuck E Cheese or Pizza Hut. 

As I grew older, traveled more, and became a more adventurous eater, I soon realized that whether a pizza was made in the style of New York, Neopolitan, Chicago, New Haven, or Sicilian, they all had their own merits. Luckily, as the restaurant scene has evolved in OC, these pizzas are readily available without needing a plane ticket. 

The latest craze in the pizza game is Detroit-style pizza. Pizza Hut has been promoting it on TV, and my Instagram feed has featured plenty of it when I'm scrolling. There are now two places that serve pizza from this Midwestern city in OC, along with others in LA. I could not take seeing the glowing reviews and drool-inducing pictures anymore, so I gathered up two friends, and we headed to Gibroni's Pizza in San Clemente. 

Gibroni's operates out of the kitchen at JD's Bar, in the heart of downtown San Clemente, alongside El Camino Real. Tony and Lindsay Gioutsis had run a food truck in Texas but decided to make a dash for the beautiful shores of the Pacific. When the pandemic hit, they began perfecting their Detroit-style pizza, which they deeply missed from their youth in Michigan. They now run this pizza spot, Tony, in his trademark Detroit Tigers cap, Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

But what exactly is Detroit-style pizza? It's pizza baked in a pan with sauce on top, cheese to the sides, and a buttery crust that is crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Just like deep-dish pizza, making this kind of pizza takes a little time. They suggest you order on their website about 30 to 40 minutes before you want to eat longer during peak times on Fridays and Saturdays. We were going to be enjoying some beverages at JD's, so we just ordered online and waited for our pizzas to be ready. I was excited about my first Detroit-style pizza. Let's check it out. 

First up is the mushroom-centric Fun Guys Pizza ($16). This eight-by-ten-inch pizza comes with crimini mushrooms and is joined by sausage, white truffle oil, and porcini cream sauce. It is then finished with some parsley on top. Mushroom fans need to get this pizza stat, and even if you are not the biggest fan of shrooms, this flavor was very pleasing. It was hearty, and I loved how the crispy edges and soft dough in the middle contrasted. This could have had more sausage for my tastes, but it was an excellent start to my maiden voyage of having Detroit-style pizza. 

At Gibroni's, they feature a pizza of the month, and while we were there, we had this delicious Colonel Barry Sanders ($16). Hopefully, this one comes back soon. It's their take on the Nashville hot chicken craze at its peak right now. This one is topped with fried chicken pieces, pickled jalapenos, green onions, and their custom cheese blend. I detected a bit of heat and some sweetness in some bites, but I don't know where that came from. This pizza came with a side of their Cranch, which is what they call their house-made buttermilk ranch, which was excellent. For fans of buffalo wings, this would be your jam. 

This From the D Pizza ($16) is the most traditional pizza on the menu at Gibroni's. Double pepperoni, marinara, and parmesan made this pizza a winner. I loved the pepperoni they use here, which crisped up and formed little cups. The pizza was savory, with a touch of sweetness from the marinara. Because everything is layered on top of the pizza, it makes everything more prominent. 

We all split this Cheesy Bread ($11 with bacon added) as if we did not have enough carbs. The menu failed to mention that some sliced bell peppers and green onions would be included on top of this, which was not a big deal to me, but if you are not a fan, be advised. This was like their pizza but in breadstick form. It comes with either marinara or cranch, and we went with the ranch, which is always a good choice. 

Gibroni's lived up to the hype I had expected before my visit. You can now count me as a devotee of the Detroit-style pizza movement sweeping the country. This is more than a fad; this is some seriously great pizza. I loved the crispy edges and pillowy soft middle. This is a hefty pizza, much like a deep dish, which will make you full after only a few slices. The small pizzas will feed two adults, as two squares are enough for most people; even though I went through four during our visit, I was pretty stuffed for the rest of the day. Even though this was my first Detroit pizza, this is one of my top three pizza experiences in OC, joining Tony's Little Italy in Placentia and Terra Mia Pizza in Laguna Hills. I'm glad my tastes have evolved since I was a kid, and I loved all that mediocre pizza we got from Pizza Hut, Domino's, and others. 

Out of five Lakers (because Tony and Lindsay, the owners of Gibroni's, met at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, and their school mascot is Louie the Laker), five being best to zero being worst, Gibroni's Pizza gets 4 Lakers. 

For more information about Gibroni's Pizza, head to their website here: https://gibronispizza.com/

Brother, Can You Spare Some Barbecue?

 Brothers Barbecue

618 South Center Street

Reno, Nevada 89501

Lake Tahoe had been fun but went by way too quick. It was a great weekend getting to spend time with Katie's work family and seeing firsthand how generous her workplace is to their employees and families. We had some hours to kill before our plane left Sacramento to take us back home at 7pm. We had to vacate our hotel room at 11, so that gave us four hours to explore, minus the two-hour drive back to Sacramento. Where to kill some time?

I had thought of maybe exploring Virginia City, or maybe checking out the capital of Nevada, Carson City. As is usually the case, food was the guiding force as to where we would be heading. A quick check of the restaurant scene in both of these towns kind of discouraged me from visiting. Instead, we headed to Reno, which had numerous restaurants to choose from and had some casinos where we could lose our money. 

After a quick drive downtown, a selfie under the Reno sign, a quick jaunt to the Truckee River, and an hour or so of gambling, we were ready for lunch before hitting the road back to Sacramento. I'm not even sure how I settled on Brother's Barbecue, which is located in the Midtown area of Reno. They have a really respectable 4 and a half star rating on Yelp with over 600 reviews, which is something that I definitely look for, but I really think both Katie and I were just craving some barbecue this afternoon and were hoping that Brothers would be an excellent send-off to our getaway weekend. 

Brothers Barbecue has been open for business for the last seven years. They specialize in Texas-style barbecue, which means that they cook their meats low and slow, with smoke added for flavor. That means my favorite barbecued meat was on the horizon for me, brisket. Along with the brisket, Brothers also offers pulled pork, spicy sausage, and pork ribs. Beef ribs are available on weekends, while turkey is offered on Thursdays. The meats are available in sandwiches, bowls, plates, or by the pound until they sell out, which is usually a great sign that you've found a great barbecue spot. Let's see if that would hold true at Brothers Barbecue.  

As is the case when I'm eating in a barbecue restaurant for the first time, I get a plate so I can try as much as possible in one visit. At Brothers that meant that I'd have the Bro's Semi-Famous Brisket and Three Pork Rib Plate ($20). The brisket here was first-rate. It had a very nice pink-hued smoke ring running alongside it, had just enough fat which added a lot of flavors, and was not too moist where it would fall apart too easily. A very sturdy piece of brisket. The pork ribs were also good, with the requisite smoke ring present and plenty of meat on each rib. Each rib was kissed with just enough sauce so it was not too intrusive. No sauce was needed for either of these two proteins, but if you just gotta have sauce, both the original and the habanero were nicely done, but I was partial to the habanero one more, which had a very manageable heat level based on my palette. With my plate, I got the choice of two sides, and I went with the homemade potato salad and the mac and cheesy. The potato was the better of the two. The chunks of potato were fork tender and I liked the mayo-based dressing that coated each cube of potato. The mac and cheesy was a miss for me. It was served at room temperature with grated cheese topping it that had no chance of melting. It was devoid of the flavor that I get from other versions of mac and cheese. 

Katie strategically got her Bro's Two Meat and Two Side BBQ Plate ($17) with different items than myself, so we could try even more of the food at Bothers Barbecue. She went with the pulled pork and the spicy smoked sausage, both of which were very good. The pork was moist and flavorful with some nice pieces of bark intertwined into the pile. I was a bit more partial to their sausage, which definitely had some heat present along with a nice snappy casing. I'm not really a big fan of macaroni salad, but she enjoyed this version. The southern corn was a simple dish of corn kernels that were seasoned nicely and went well with the rich meats. The cornbread was not as sweet as I usually like, but Katie could not get enough as she took mine for herself. 

Brothers Barbecue was an excellent choice for what was going to be our only meal in Reno, before heading back home. The meats that we had were all standouts. I felt the sides were fine, but none really blew me away. Prices were not too bad for the amount of food that you get. Service was friendly and they got the food out to us in a very quick manner. I would not hesitate to return if I found myself back in Reno anytime soon. 

Out of five catcher's mitts, (because Reno is home to the largest sporting goods store in the world, Scheels has a 65-foot tall Ferris wheel inside, a 16,000-gallon aquarium, and  I'm sure they sell plenty of catcher's mitts), five being the best to zero being worst, Brothers Barbecue gets 3.5 catcher's mitts. 

For more information about Brothers Barbecue, head to their website here: https://www.bbqreno.com/