Get These Animals Some Glasses

 Blind Coyote Cantina

4975 Lakeview Avenue 

Yorba Linda, CA 92886

To succeed in the restaurant business, you must be willing to adapt and pivot. That's what Tony Monaco has seemed to do with his restaurant, the Blind Coyote Cantina in Yorba Linda. Until August of last year, this spot was the Blind Pig, a sister restaurant to the one in Rancho Santa Margarita. That speakeasy concept is still going strong in RSM, but Tony had a Californian-Mexican concept brewing in the back of his mind. Instead of starting from scratch, he decided to convert this restaurant into the Blind Coyote Cantina. 

The metamorphosis from pig to coyote took about three weeks, and for the most part, they retained their existing staff while making some changes to the interior of the restaurant. It's not surprising that the change went as smoothly as it did because everything that Tony has done recently has turned to gold. Along with the Blind Pig, he's also the owner of The Trough, and his latest restaurant, Monaco Italian Kitchen in Irvine, has garnered rave reviews, earning a 4-star rating on Yelp. 

Back to the Blind Coyote, located in the Yorba Linda Town Center on Yorba Linda Boulevard, between Imperial Highway and Lakeview Avenue. This shopping plaza is home to numerous restaurants, including The Habit, Seasurf Fish Company, Apollo Greek Grill, Cafe Rio, and more. With so many food options here, I thought parking would be an obstacle, but Katie and I both drove separately and found spots fairly close to the restaurant on this busy Friday evening.   

Luckily, we had made reservations, as the restaurant and bar were packed with people kicking off their weekend with a night out. The menu at the Blind Coyote is divided into starters, salads, four mariscos, specialties, taco plates, a 1, 2, or 3 combination option, and dessert. Entrees range from $22 for their burrito to $65 for a 20-ounce bone-in ribeye. Most starters typically fall within the $16 price range. Let's take a look at the food. 

First up, the Chips and Salsa that were placed before us when we were seated. The tortilla chips were fresh and appeared to have been recently fried, as they had a slight sheen. I liked both the red and green salsas. The green salsa is the spicier of the two, but it won't burn your tongue off; it's a nice, slow burn. The red salsa was mellow, and I found myself switching between the two frequently. According to their early Yelp reviews, they used to have a bean dip, but they stopped serving it. That's a bummer, as I always enjoy a good bean dip. 

While waiting for our entrees, we tried the Classic Guacamole ($12). The guac at the Blind Coyote is made with diced red onion, cilantro, lime, cotija cheese, and jalapenos. The consistency of this was spot on, as it was neither too chunky nor too smooth, like a puree. It's a delicate balance to achieve. The flavor could best be described as mild and would have been enhanced with some pepper flakes or another ingredient to give it a kick. Everyone else enjoyed it, and I did too, as it was a generous serving that we used with our entrees, which came out next. 

It seems like I've said it a million times on this blog, but my mom is a light eater. That's why she only ordered these Chicken Taquitos ($16), and she still took one of the three home for lunch the next day. I'm glad I didn't inherit the light-eating gene from her. The three taquitos came topped with red salsa, crema, pico de gallo, lettuce, guacamole, radish, and micro cilantro. So, basically, she could have taken all of that off the top of the taquitos and had a small salad, and then she probably would have eaten only one taquito. She did say that she enjoyed the taquito, as it was fried well, had a good crunch to it, and was filled with plenty of chicken. My parents have returned since this visit, and she has gotten this every time. 

I was torn between getting the burrito, combo plate, or what I eventually picked, the Carnitas Enchiladas ($24). I usually get a carnitas plate at Mexican restaurants, but this option was not available here at the Blind Coyote, which is a little odd considering they offer carnitas in tacos, nachos, quesadillas, their ranchero salad, fajitas, burritos, and these enchiladas. I liked these enchiladas, but as is usually the case with enchiladas, the meat inside got overwhelmed by the sauce and the cheese. I tasted it a little bit, but not enough to determine if the carnitas were good on their own. I did enjoy the Jack cheese and the enchilada sauce. The rice and beans rounded out this meal nicely. 

The Chili Verde ($24) is not a favorite of mine, as salsa verde can be too acidic for my taste. However, this was not the case at Blind Coyote. The chili verde had a good flavor, and the acidic tinge was well-balanced. My dad gave me a small piece of the pork shoulder, which was nice and tender. I wonder if the bigger chunks of pork were less tender, but he had no complaints about his meal. 

I knew one of my tablemates would opt for the combination plate route, and it was Katie who selected the 2-Item Combination ($22). The combo choices include tacos, with a $3 upcharge for a steak or fish taco, a cheese or carnitas enchilada, two chicken taquitos, or chicken tortilla soup. Katie had the chicken taquitos and a cheese enchilada, along with the beans and rice that come with the combo plates. She was pleased with this plate and said the standouts were the cheese enchilada and the rice. 

I enjoyed my visit to the Blind Coyote, but I wasn't overly impressed by it. Nothing stood out to me this evening, but neither was anything terrible. Yorba Linda is not really a hotbed of good sit-down Mexican restaurants. Most people would consider Blue Agave and Ranch Enchilada among the best the city has to offer, but neither of these would be regarded as providing upscale Mexican cuisine. The Blind Coyote is the only option in Yorba Linda if you're looking for elevated Mexican cuisine, and I feel that a good meal can be had here. We experienced fine service, and we will probably be back because my parents live so close; they really enjoyed it and have been back a few times since this visit. With the busy restaurant and bar we experienced on this Friday night, Tony may have made the right decision to pivot from a speakeasy to an elevated Mexican concept. 

Out of five Olympic medals (because writing this review, I learned that coyotes can reach top speeds of 40 miles per hour, way faster than that pesky road runner, and fast enough to win a lot of medals at any Olympics), five being best to zero being worst, Blind Coyote Cantina gets 3 Olympic medals. 

For more information about the Blind Coyote Cantina, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.blindcoyotecantina.com/

You Can Call Me a Mama’s Boy After My Visit to Calaca Mamas

 Calaca Mamas

1550 South Harbor Blvd. 

Anaheim, CA 92802

It's remarkable to think of the number of people who visit OC each year to visit Disneyland. According to one figure, 28 million people visit Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure each year. Sure, some of these people are locals, but I imagine that with Disney's worldwide appeal, a good majority of parkgoers are from outside Orange County. Yes, these people have to eat, and even though the park has one of the best corn dogs on earth and the churros receive rave reviews, some tourists might want to venture out and try a restaurant outside the park. Might I suggest Calaca Mamas? 

Situated on the east side of the Disneyland Resort, Calaca Mamas is located on an area of Harbor Boulevard, which is dominated by budget-friendly hotels and plenty of ho-hum chain restaurants to pick from; Denny's, Panera Bread, Mimi's Cafe, and Tony Roma's, (yeah, I didn't know that Tony Roma's was still in business either). Not a very impressive or good representation of the thriving restaurant scene that OC has to offer. Calaca Mamas shines like a beacon for tourists and locals seeking a more accurate portrayal of our treasured local restaurants. 

Calaca Mamas was brought to life by two sisters, Angela and Mariam El Haj, who, when they opened this restaurant in 2022, became second-generation restaurateurs. They got their feet wet in the restaurant business by working in their parents' restaurant from a very young age. Their restaurant is themed for Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, with vibrant artwork and a wall dedicated to honoring those who have passed. A breath of fresh air compared to their chain restaurant neighbors. 

Not only is the atmosphere at Calaca Mamas warm and welcoming, but their menu is something to behold. They are an authentic chef-driven restaurant that uses organic ingridients and responsibly raised meat and seafood in their kitchen. The menu featured a lot more authentic items than I had expected. Yes, they do have tacos and burritos, but they also feature queso fundido and a tlayuda, which is best described as a Mexican pizza. Prices for entrees range from $20 to $35, while starters cost between $15 and $20. They offer happy hour pricing on select items in the bar and patio, available from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Happy hour would definitely be on my agenda if I were spending the day at Disneyland. 

We arrived at Calca Mamas at 6pm on a recent Thursday evening. Parking is available at the Best Western Hotel, located adjacent to the restaurant. They will validate for two hours. We were warmly greeted by the hostess, who escorted us to our comfortable booth. Our server, Kyra, came right over and introduced herself, providing us with a rundown of the menu and sharing some of her favorites. We also met Osmani, who was doing double duty this particular evening, bartending and managing the restaurant. He did both jobs wonderfully, checking on each table, and as you'll see in a moment, his mixology skills were on point. Let's review everything we experienced on our maiden voyage to Calaca Mamas. 

As is our tradition when eating in a Mexican restaurant, I like to share a picture of the Chips and Salsa that started off our meal. The chips were fresh and ideal for dipping into the surprising salsa. I'm picky when it comes to salsa, especially regarding its consistency. This one had my desired amount of chunkiness to it. There could have been a bit more heat behind it, but I'd bet I'm more of a heatseeker than most of the people that visit Calaca Mamas. 

Almost every review on their Yelp page mentions either the cocktails or the awesome bartenders at Calaca Mamas, so we had to give their drinks a try. We had Osmani pick his favorite beverages for us, and he did not disappoint. For me, he selected the Miracle Agua ($17.50). It combined some gin, ginger beer, strawberries, rhubarb bitters, lime juice, and a sprig of mint, garnishing the glass. I found this drink light and refreshing, and not overly sweet, which is a plus in my book. The ginger beer was evident in each sip and nicely balanced with the crushed strawberries. 

Even though she's married to me, Katie is not much of a drinker, so she tried the Forgotten Grapefruit Mocktail ($10). This alcohol-free beverage was made with organic grapefruit and lime juices, an organic agave simple syrup, soda water, and a pinch of salt. Katie felt this exuded a fresh feeling when she sipped it. She loved that this beverage did not hit you upside the head with sweetness. It was very subtle, and the addition of a pinch of salt added a little complexity to the drink.  

For our starter, we tried the Taco in a Bag ($15). This interesting item was listed on the small bite portion of the menu, but I feel it should have been listed with the salads instead. Chicken tinga was mixed with lettuce, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, crema, and a good amount of Fritos. Growing up, my mom used to make a taco salad that also used Fritos, so that may be why I feel this was more of a salad than a taco. I enjoyed the playfulness of this and that there were extra Fritos in the bag, as they are one of my favorite chips. I'd opt for the carne asada option instead of the chicken tinga next time, as it might have stood out more than the chicken. The serving size of this was quite substantial, and we barely polished it off before our entrees arrived. 

Katie is a birria fiend, so I was not shocked when she ordered the Quesabirria Tacos ($24). If you're not keeping up with the hot food trends of the last year or so, birria is a slow-cooked beef dish cooked in a flavorful consommé, resulting in incredibly tender and delicious meat. This was also the case at Calaca Mamas. The tacos come three to an order and are filled with not only the soft shredded beef, but also an Oaxacan cheese crust, which brings the taco to the next level. Diced onions and an avocado mousse are dotted across the plate to enhance your taco experience. This plate is finished off with rice and your choice of pinto beans or black refried beans. Katie got the black refried beans, and this is the way to go here. They were fantastic, with a good texture and very flavorful, possibly with a hint of garlic. The rice was top-notch, also. 

Carnitas ($30) are my standard order when dining at a Mexican restaurant for the first time. I use this dish as a barometer as to whether the rest of the menu would be worth coming back for. If this crispy pork shoulder dish is any indication, we will be back to try more from the Calaca Mamas menu. Easily the best carnitas I've had all year. They were indeed crispy, and I liked the variety of the bites that I got here, some lean pieces and some a little more fatty. Everything I look for when having carnitas. Since Katie got the black refried beans, I decided to try the pinto beans. They were tasty, but not as good as the black refried beans. 

Dessert should not be skipped, and these Churros ($19) are a testament to that. They were served on a tabletop churro cart with both chocolate sauce and dulce de leche, and a little fanfare thanks to a large firework placed at the edge of the cart. The churros were dusted with sugar and cinnamon and came out piping hot. Katie and I differed on our opinions of the sauces. She loved them because they were not overly sweet, and I wished that they were a bit sweeter. We fought all the way home about this and haven't talked since. Kidding. 

If you've read this far, you must know that I was pretty stoked about our visit to Calaca Mamas. This is not just a restaurant for people visiting Disneyland; locals should also find their way here. If you're worried about traffic, this side of Disneyland is mostly pedestrian traffic. The freeway on- and off-ramps are less than a half mile away, and with validated parking at the Best Western next door, it's a snap to get here. As for my next visit, I have my sights set on their carne asada plate, a burrito with their delicious carnitas in it, and the queso fundido. Everyone we encountered on this evening was thrilled to have us here, and a quick check of their 800 Yelp reviews reveals that good customer service is a theme at Calaca Mamas. Also, a little insider tip: Be sure to snag a seat on their patio for Disneyland fireworks at 9:30 nightly and grab a cocktail or two. Thanks for having us, Calaca Mamas, and we'll see you again real soon.  

For more information about Calaca Mamas, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.calacamamas.com/

**We were provided this meal for free in exchange for an honest review of their service/food. No other compensation was received. **

X Marks the Spot in Mission Viejo (Plus My Top 10 South OC Mexican Restaurants)

 Xclusive Mexican Kitchen

25571 Jeronimo Road #1

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I often hear it from people, "there's no good Mexican food in South OC." I agree that most of the great Mexican food in OC is located north of Irvine, but there are some excellent Mexican restaurants in South OC; you just have to do a little more hunting to find them. I'll post my top ten Mexican restaurant spots in South OC at the end of this review, but for now, let's see if Xclusive Mexican Kitchen can crack my top ten list. 

If Xclusive sounds familiar, it might be because you have been to or heard about Xclusive Taqueria Moderna in Ladera Ranch. I reviewed that restaurant in 2020, right before the pandemic threw everything into chaos. At that time, they were a fast-casual restaurant, where you'd order at the counter, and then the food was brought to you. They pivoted sometime after I published my review to a full-service restaurant, and even though they don't have the most high-visibility location, they are still thriving and have a very high 4.6-star rating on Yelp. Very impressive. 

The men behind Xclusive are Manny Velasco and Eddie Rivera. Manny was the executive chef and co-owner of Sol Agave, but I'm unsure if he's still with them, as there is no mention of him on their website or in recent news stories about the restaurant. I was also surprised to learn that Sol Avage has expanded to six locations, with two of them in Utah. It's very interesting, and I'm sure there's a story behind it, but back to the restaurant I'm reviewing. 

Xclusive started out as Xclusive Mexican Seafood and changed its name to Xclusive Mexican Kitchen sometime after its 2022 debut. Their menu is still primarily seafood-focused, but it also offers a variety of beef, pork, and chicken options. The menu is very approachable, and almost everyone who walks through their door can find something they'd like to eat here. Entrees range between $20 and $43. Taco Tuesday is celebrated here all day with food and drink specials. 

We arrived at Xclusive at 7 p.m. on a Wednesday and were greeted by a fairly full restaurant. Upon entering, a large bar area is located off to your left, featuring an L-shaped bar and four TVs mounted above it. The dining area is spaced out nicely, as you are not right on top of other tables. A couple more TVs are scattered throughout the space, and a wall display proudly showcases their tequila collection. We made our selections with our server and waited under 15 minutes for our food to hit the table. 

The Bean Dip served with Chips and Salsa is a signature dish from any Manny Velasco restaurant. It was hard for Katie and me to keep from gobbling this down as we waited for our entrees. The bean dip here is addictive. The chips were fresh, and the salsa had a great consistency—just right for dipping. The waitstaff was very attentive to refilling our drinks, salsa, bean dip, and chips during our visit, which was greatly appreciated. 

Katie's order this evening was fairly straightforward: she selected the Two-Item Combo ($18), which includes a Crispy Chicken Taco and a Cheese Enchilada. The taco came with pico, crema, queso fresco, purple cabbage, and chicken. The chicken was nicely done with a mix of crispy and tender pieces. The tortilla was fried lightly and held everything together well. The cheese enchilada was topped with lime crema and queso fresco. It was bigger than most enchiladas we have had. Katie was pleased with this combo plate and would not hesitate to get this again. She loved the crispiness of the taco shell, the chicken's flavor, and the enchilada's understated cheesiness. The plate was rounded out with rice and beans. 

I would not normally spend over thirty dollars on two enchiladas, but the Lobster and Shrimp Enchiladas ($31) came highly recommended on Yelp, so I had to try them. Like the cheese enchilada on Katie's plate, these enchiladas were on the larger side. They did not skimp on the amount of lobster and shrimp in these either. Every forkful had at least some shrimp or lobster. The red sauce complemented the insides of the enchilada wonderfully. The little salad was okay. I would have rather had some beans, but the rice was a nice vehicle for the excess sauce. 

We both enjoyed our meal at Xclusive this evening. The portion sizes are generous, but the prices might deter some people, which is a shame because what comes out of the kitchen is some really high-quality Mexican food. I look forward to trying one of their molcajetes, steak tampiquena, and carnitas on future visits. The service we experienced was excellent, but did they make my top ten of South OC Mexican restaurants? Read on to find out.  

Out of five vigilantes (because back in 1997, Mission Viejo was home to a minor league baseball team of this name, which played in the now-defunct Western Baseball League), with five being best and zero being worst, Xclusive Mexican Kitchen earns 3.5 vigilantes. 

For more information about Xclusive Mexican Kitchen, head to their website by clicking here: https://xclusivemexicankitchenca.com/

Top Ten South OC Mexican Restaurants (I've been to so far) 

#10  Perla's Taqueria - Mission Viejo (no review yet)

#9  Baja Fish Tacos - Mission Viejo/Lake Forest

#8 Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Mission Viejo

#7  El Campion - San Juan Capistrano (no review yet)

#6  Sol Agave - San Juan Capistrano

#5  The Taco Stand - Mission Viejo

#4  La Cocina de Ricardo - Lake Forest

#3  Calo Kitchen and Tequila - Laguna Niguel

#2  El Maguey - San Juan Capistrano

#1  Tacos de Birria Estilo de Guadalajara - Laguna Woods/Aliso Viejo

Is This SOL Mexican Cocina’s Moment in the Sun?

 Sol Mexican Cocina

1910 Main Street

Irvine, CA 92614

Sol Mexican Cocina will always hold a special place in my heart. In the early days of this blog, I wrote about this restaurant quite often. It turns out it was only four times, but that still seems like a lot to me now, as I always wanted this restaurant review blog to be as diverse as possible. There were two reasons for the overabundance of Sol Cocina posts. We were invited to their media events, of which they had one every few months or so. The second reason was that we genuinely enjoyed the food here. This is where we'd come for special occasions, and we even spent a memorable Valentine's Day lunch here about ten years ago. 

This was also the first place where I really enjoyed what people called elevated Mexican food. When Sol Cocina opened in Newport Beach in 2011, the only restaurants that fit this description were Las Brisas and Javier's, which I have never really enjoyed. Sol Cocina was brought to fruition when Deborah Schneider, an award-winning writer of Mexican cookbooks and executive chef, and her business partners decided to bring her Baja-inspired recipes to the public.

Sol Cocina's expansion was measured, but it progressed over the years. They operate five locations: their initial Newport Beach spot, Playa Vista, Scottsdale, Irvine, and Denver. An outpost at the Forum Shops in Las Vegas shuttered last year. Sol Cocina spawned a more casual Mexican restaurant, Solita Tacos and Margaritas, which has two locations, Huntington Beach and Valencia.   

In 2019, Xperience Restaurant Group acquired both of these restaurant concepts. The group also operates El Torito, Chevy's, Las Brisas, Acapulco, and others. This was our first visit to Sol Cocina since it was sold to the new restaurant group, and it's always a crap shoot whether it's going to be as good or slide downward in food and service quality. I was intrigued to find out which way it was going to go. 

My aunt and uncle have been including Katie and me in their family celebrations, and for my aunt's birthday, they decided to have it at Sol Cocina in Irvine. This location is situated alongside Main Street in the Irvine Concourse, also home to Goldfinch, The Trough, their soon-to-open sister restaurant, Monaco Italian Kitchen, and Izakaya Osen. Quite the ensemble of restaurants for an area of town mainly dotted with hotels and multi-story office buildings. 

We arrived at Sol Cocina at half past 6 on a Sunday evening. The restaurant was sparsely populated, and our server met us immediately as we were seated. The dining room was sleek and modern. We weren't sitting near it, but the dining room's centerpiece is a glass-enclosed kitchen, which would be interesting to sit near if you are into watching the inner workings of a restaurant kitchen. 

It's been a long while since we've eaten at Sol, but since the ownership change, the menu has not changed much, which is nice to see. Four of the ten starters are different versions of guacamole, and the rest of the menu is broken up into sections of salads, specialty plates, tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Entrees go for anywhere between $20 and $42 for a wagyu steak. We made our selections, and this is what came out for us.  

No sizzling skillet for the Sol Fajitas ($30) here. This serving of flap meat featured some really nice grill marks on the steak, and came with some fajita vegetables, an excellent cilantro chimichurri, pico de gallo, and sliced avocado. I was sitting at the far end of the table from Casey, who ordered this, but I did not hear any complaints from him from where I was sitting. I liked the change of pace of forgoing the pomp and circumstance of having the fajitas steaming hot and sizzling for all the restaurant to hear. Very understated. 

The taco plates come with three tacos and two sides of your choice. They offer carnitas, grilled chicken, or this Carne Asada Taco Plate ($21). The corn tortillas contain pico, onions, avocado sauce, and cilantro. These looked fine from where I sat, but I would have asked for extra salsa. The black beans and red rice were an easy choice over the other two sides, spicy slaw and quinoa salad.

This would have been my pick if someone had not snatched it up before me. This Short Ribs 'Barbacoa' ($32) resembled a chile colorado. The short ribs were tender, and the red sauce had a nice, almost smoky flavor but did not detract from the meat. This came with the rice and beans as the tacos, but also had three pieces of sweet potato on the plate, which I thought was a little odd. For $32, I thought they could have included a little more short rib. 

I always favor pork in Mexican restaurants, and that was true again on this visit to Sol when I selected the Pork Carnitas ($23). This was a very solid version of this dish. The pork had a nice mix of fatty and lean pieces; there were some crispy ends, and adding the chicharon, which was not listed on the menu description, was a pleasant surprise. The rice and black beans were good, but I prefer the bean dip you get at the start of your meal with the chips and salsa. The bean dip brought this pork to a whole other level. I'll ask for extra the next time I'm here.  

Katie selected the Chicken 'Desmadres' ($23) for her meal this evening. I promise there is chicken under all that arugula, red onion, tomatoes, peppers, and avocado salad. It was an interesting presentation because a citrus drizzle acted like a light dressing, topping this. I would have liked this salad served on the side, so getting to the chicken would have been easier. Katie liked this well enough but thought it was also an odd dish. The chicken was tender, but it needed a flavor boost. 

I've never really understood why quesadillas need to be as expensive as they are. This is not a knock on Sol Cocina, because every restaurant, whether it's elevated Mexican, a modest taqueria, or even Del Taco, which offers its chicken quesadilla at $6, has a massive upcharge for this delicious snack. Half a dollar for the tortilla, a dollar for the cheese, and two dollars, conservatively, for the chicken, for a grand total of $3.50 for something that gets upcharged 400 percent at most sit-down restaurants. This Grilled Chicken Quesadilla ($19), I'm sure, was better than most, and it did come with a drizzle of salsas, tomatoes, and onions on top, and two sides. So, it's a relative bargain compared to most restaurants' quesadillas. Sorry, I rambled here, but I needed to get it off my chest.  

I'm glad Sol Mexican Cocina has not fallen off the rails since they changed ownership. Some of the novelty of their food has dimmed a bit because upscale Mexican food has become more common, but I'd place Sol right in the middle of all the elevated Mexican restaurants I've visited. They are better than Las Brisas and Javier's, but not as good as Calo, Red O, or Sol Agave. The service was nice and cordial, and their prices, except for the quesadilla, were not outrageous. A worthy restaurant for a family gathering or a date night. 

Out of five soccer balls (because the Los Angeles Sol was a professional women's soccer team that won the regular season championship in their only season, with five being best and zero being worst, Sol Mexican Cocina gets 3 soccer balls. 

For more information about Sol Mexican Cocina, head to their website by clicking here: https://solcocina.com/

Some Really Fine Mexican Food at Casa Fina

 Casa Fina

1842 1st Street

Los Angeles, CA 90033

Usually, when we are driving up this way, it's a happy occasion. We leave OC to cruise up the 5 Freeway to Burbank for a family party, graduation, or baby shower. This was more of a somber trip, as Katie's uncle Jim passed away suddenly a month before, and we were up this way to lay him to rest and have a celebration of life. 

Uncle Jim would have loved a celebration. When I went to my first big family party in 2009, he was the first person I felt a real connection with. He was the life of the party, cracking jokes, making sure people were having an excellent time, and introducing me to people who would eventually become my family as the years passed.  

Katie and I had to leave a little later in the day than we would have liked, so we drove up around 5pm and headed straight to our hotel. We needed to grab dinner along the way, so I tried to find a freeway close spot with some good reviews. I checked out Eater LA, and they raved about the food at Casa Fina, also adjacent to the freeway, so we plugged it into our map app and were on our way.  

Casa Fina is one block from the historic Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights. The restaurant is conveniently located in a little swath of land between three freeways, the 5, 10, and 101, which makes it super convenient. Casa Fina opened in 2017 and took over the spot that La Serenata de Garibaldi had for 32 years. They moved to the West Side, and Casa Fina has thrived here. 

The Casa Fina menu includes appetizers, soups, salads, pasta (?), combo plates, house specialties, entrees, and seafood. Most plates hover around the $20 price point, with only the molcajetes eclipsing the $30 mark. Our server, Emily, quickly took our order, so let's take a look at what came out for us. 

Before our ordered food arrives, let's check out their chips and salsa setup. This was, for sure, the most neon-green salsa we've ever had during the course of this blog. I'm partial to red salsa, but this one was good, as it was not too acidic and had a good amount of heat. It was not an uncomfortable amount of heat, but enough so it was noticeable. We were not presented with any red salsa, even though their pictures on Yelp show it as being served here at Casa Fina. The chips were fresh and crispy, with just a few blue corn chips in our basket. 

Queso Fundido ($16.50) is one of our favorite starters in a Mexican restaurant, and this version at Casa Fina was a good representation of it. They give you the choice of having this with either chicken, steak, or chorizo, which we chose. The chorizo was in big hunks when it came out, but it broke up easily once we mixed it with the bubbling cheese. This might have been our first fundido with sour cream on top, which disappeared quickly because of the heat coming off the skillet. I liked this flavor; the contrast between the chorizo and the cheese was excellent, and the tortillas, which I did not snap a picture of, were delicious. A very comforting start to our meal here. 

After a big breakfast, Katie was less hungry, so she selected this Taquito Appetizer ($9.50) with a Side of Rice ($2.95). The plating looked odd, but the taquitos were good. They had a nice amount of crema and maybe an avocado salsa on top. They were crunchy, and the chicken inside was tender, which is not always true in Mexican restaurants. Katie really enjoyed the rice. 

When I'm eating in a Mexican restaurant for the first time, I'll get the Carnitas ($19.95), a plate that I can use as a barometer to judge how good a Mexican restaurant is. I enjoyed these carnitas. There was a good mix of fatty and lean pieces; the tips were crispy and had a good depth of flavor. All good signs when I'm eating carnitas. The beans were delicious and helped with the few bites of pork that were a little dry. I enjoyed the rice more than usual in most other Mexican restaurants. This was a very solid meal. 

Casa Fina was just what the doctor ordered this evening. The food here was delicious, and I had no complaints about anything we had. They passed my carnitas test, so I'd like to try one of their combo meals or the shrimp enchiladas on my next visit here. We received some outstanding service from our server, Emily, and everyone we encountered this evening was very friendly. It was a slow Sunday night, but parking might be tricky during peak times. We got lucky and found a spot right out front on the street after circling the block only once. For a sad reason, we were up this way, but Casa Fina was a sliver of sunshine in a rather dreary time. 

Out of five anchors (in honor of our Uncle Jim, who served proudly in the US Navy, and an anchor is included on the United States Navy Seal), five being best to zero being worst, Casa Fina gets 3.5 anchors. 

For more information about Casa Fina, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.casafinarestaurant.com/

Instagram Brought Us to Tacos Don Goyo

 Tacos Don Goyo

379 West Central Avenue

Brea, CA 92821

When scrolling through my Instagram feed, I usually mindlessly try to get to the next thing. It's infrequent that I stop and notice what I see on my phone screen. What had me drooling, you ask? It was Tacos Don Goyo and their carne asada fries. Well, it was really everything on their Instagram page, but the way they showed them making their Don Goyo-style loaded fries made me take notice. I almost immediately made plans to meet my parents here that weekend. 

Tacos Don Goyo has three locations, this Brea spot and others in the City of Industry and Downey. The Downey location opened in 2018 and is named after chef and owner Ricardo Jasso's late father. Ricardo describes his Mexican cuisine here as a cross between the food you can get in Mexico City and Tijuana. He's a native of Mexico City, and this place is an homage to the taqueros of that city. It also filled a void for good tacos he craved when he first came to the United States.  

If it weren't for Instagram, I never would have known about Tacos Don Goyo. This location in Brea is far removed from the busy area near the mall, in a small strip of stores alongside Central Avenue, between Tamarack Avenue and Memory Garden Memorial Park. There's a hearing aid store and urgent care, and the only other notable storefront is the Phoenix Club, now based here after many years near the Honda Center. I made a note and must return to satisfy my bratwurst and schnitzel cravings.  

Back to Tacos Don Goyo. We arrived at 5 p.m. on a Saturday, walked right in, and ordered at the counter. However, that was not the case as our visit went along. They got pretty busy, and the line stretched almost to the front door for the remainder of our stay. Maybe one reason for the long line was the considerable menu. It's a little overwhelming, even for me. They offer ten types of meat and fifteen ways to utilize them, such as tacos, burritos, mulitas, and more. Depending on the item, they also have a top sirloin option, which costs between thirty cents to a couple dollars more. We grabbed a table and waited for our number to be called. 

I've said it often, but my mom is a light eater. This evening, she only had one Carnitas Taco ($3.07 plus 52 cents for adding cheese). She also requested no onions or cilantro on it. This is not a good representation of a Don Goyo taco, but I wanted to include it to show they are willing to accommodate their guests. My mom loved this taco and thought they were generous with the pork they provided. She was also excited that guacamole was included at no additional charge. 

My dad selected this Chicken Taco ($3.07) as the first of two items he'd be having at Tacos Don Goyo. He loved it, featuring plenty of seasoned chicken, onions, cilantro, and guacamole. He felt it was in the upper echelon of chicken tacos he had. He wouldn't hesitate to get it again. 

My dad is approaching 80, and this is his first time having a Mulita ($4.68). He selected carnitas as his protein of choice, and he might just be a mulita convert now. For those of you who are unsure what a mulita is, it's best described as a quesadilla, but instead of one folded tortilla, it uses two tortillas with the filling sandwiched between them. This one had shredded pork, cilantro, onion, and guacamole. I stole a piece of the carnitas that had fallen out and felt the pork was good. It had the consistency of pulled pork that is served in barbecue restaurants. Almost a little too moist, but still good.  

Like father, like son, I got my own mulita but opted for the Chorizo Mulita ($4.68). The chorizo was a good choice; it had a big flavor boost and went well with the other ingredients. I enjoyed the corn tortilla here, as it was left on the grill just enough to make it sturdy enough to pick up and hold most of the inner workings of the mulita inside. 

I like to try as many different kinds of meats as possible at any Mexican restaurant, so I got both a  Pastor Taco ($3.07) and a Buche Taco ($3.07). Both were good, but the al-pastor was the better of the two. The marinade they use on the pork has an excellent flavor profile, with equal parts sweet and savory in each bite. The pork was tender, and the taco was traditionally served with a pineapple slice. Not all pastor tacos are created equally; this one at Don Goyo was one of my favorites. Buche is not something that most people like, but I'm a fan. For those unaware, buche is the pig's stomach lining, stewed for several hours until it becomes soft. I've had some excellent buche, and some were pretty bad. This is in the former group.  It had a good chew to it but was not overwhelmingly tough. If you're curious about buche, this might be the spot to start your buche journey. 

Since I enjoyed the al pastor so much, I also got it in their Quesotaco ($3.38). This one came with everything in their regular tacos but had fried cheese. It was well worth the extra thirty-one cent upcharge. I'll get all my tacos like this on future visits to Tacos Don Goyo. 

Saving the best for last, here's what got me to visit Tacos Don Goyo, their Don Goyo Fries ($17.67). I selected the carne asada for these fries, which were topped with beef, nacho and white cheese, onions, guacamole, sour cream, and cilantro. I was full after all that I had eaten here up until this point, but I could not stop myself from trying to finish this. It's meant for more than one person, but I had little help from my tablemates with this. They were very generous with the toppings here, and plenty of carne asada was included, and it had a nice smokiness. It is one of the better care asada fries I have had. I'm usually averse to nacho cheese, but it worked here. Their Instagram page showing this being made got me here, but after having this, it's also what will bring me back. 

We did not have any misses on our trip to Tacos Don Goyo. It's a legit taqueria that I look forward to trying again soon. I am already planning what I will have next time; one of their burritos, a quesadilla, and the papa loka, a loaded baked potato with your choice of meat and cheese. I'll also be hard-pressed not to get the Don Goyo fries next time. The prices were not too outrageous here, as the tacos were packed with meat, and the serving size of the Don Goyo fries was more than generous. The girl at the counter was patient as we took a little time to order our food. Be aware that this place gets packed with people at peak meal times. They may also have seen Don Goyo's Instagram posts and decided to head over. It was an excellent decision.  

Out of five oil derricks (because the flag, seal, and logo of Brea all feature an oil derrick alluding to the economic boom that helped the founding of the city in 1917), five being best to zero being worst, Tacos Don Goyo gets 3.5 oil derricks. 

Tacos Don Goyo does not have a website, but you can find out more about them by checking out their Yelp page by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-don-goyo-brea-brea