JoeAnn's Corner

So I know many of my readers are from Cali so I will put this disclaimer that Tex-Mex is totally different then Cali-Mex and different then authentic Mexican. It is totally unique in my opinion.

We flew into Houston around lunchtime and texted a good friend asking about the best Tex-Mex in town as we are not from there. She mentioned two restaurants and we picked Lupe Tortilla based on location as we were staying by the Galleria.

We pull up and immediately the partner was like whoa - I know this place, I can't believe I forgot about it. The place has very cheesy cute decorations like sombrero lights but still is so cute.

First and foremost we had to start with the margaritas because anyone who has had a Texas margarita knows those are the best! I had 1/2 of a cup and could not even finish it sadly - yes light weight! Phenomenal especially with salt and on the rocks.

The homemade salsa here was too die for and oddly but in a good way, they also had pinto beans with just a little bit of pork in it. It might not sound awesome but let me assure you, dipping chips into these amazing beans were surreal. Sooooo super tasty! Of course, after we demolished the first batch of chips, I had to stop or ruin my appetite.




Fajitas - holy moly seriously omg. Yes the beef and shrimp were sizzling, because the were cooked on the platter - not just placed on it after it was already cooked, which is what so many places outside of Texas do.

The sizzle alone makes you salivate. The homemade salsa, the freshly made tortillas that come out warm, the guacamole - especially the warm tortillas. There is something to be said about fresh warm tortillas that were just made.



All in all - it was a productive eating trip to Texas based on this meal alone!

Hi all,

I want to apologize for being absent for the past few months. As some of you know, I went back to school and have been slammed. I am back and will aim to post hopefully once a week. Just a heads up - I'll be posting things that I have cooked as well.

Coming up - blog on some darn tasty Tex-Mex from Houston as well as some recipes from a great blog - http://www.wanderingchopsticks.com

I am so excited as we just moved to the Southbay to Redondo about 15 minutes away from the Hermosa location of this tasty restaurant. As a Miami resident for 2 years, I am fairly familiar with Peruvian cuisine!

Ummmm so first things first - depending on where you go, there is a different vibe. There is a location in Lawndale that is very casual down home sit down. We went to the Hermosa location on a Saturday night and it was nicer sit down and they had a live band playing. They always start you off with a chicken rice soup which is a freebie as we have never paid for it!

Food = spectacular, though I do think the Hermosa location has better quality food in terms of quality ingredients. First the traditional Lomo Saltado - the first time I had this in Lawndale - I was disappointed as I could not get over the tough beef that was used. However, the one in Hermosa was simply delicious - perfect combination of beef, onions, tomatoes, and french fries were spectacular.

The standouts are really the seafood dishes though.

The Filete de Pescado Encebollado con Arroz is is pan friend with sauteed onions and tomatoes and is one of my personal favorites.

The hubby def appreciates the Picante de Mariscos and the Parihuela which is a seafood stew.

And for some random reason they have really tasty desserts! My personal fav is of course the rice pudding!

Also been cooking a lot so tune into later postings on that!!

Such a classic institution, simple foods, simple menu. Now I want to preface by saying the food here is not spectacular or mind blowing. It is just simple good foods served at a counter. Health freaks need not come as this would not meet those requirements.

Logistics:
10801 W. Pico
Los Angeles, CA

I usually just do street parking in the residential streets behind the place. Etiquette rules is there is an informal line so you would not skip if the people right by where you are standing get up to leave. You would allow those who were there before you to take the seats unless of course they pass.

Onto the food, the simple menu consist of burgers,fries, and pies. Personally I prefer the burger with the hickory sauce as it is more tasty to me. The fries are nothing special but if you are one of those people who needs fries with their burgers - go for it!




This pie was the highlight of the night - this is the BEST pecan pie I have ever had! The apple pie was also really good! Very affordable and right next to Westside Pavillion too!

So after Lee's comments in the last post regarding deserts - I was motivated to post regarding my fav cupcake place in LA! Now just to let you know, prior to Hotcakes, I was a Sprinkles fan even though they were too sweet. The cake was tasty and the flavors were awesome!

Then I had Hotcakes and it was all over! So logistics

As requested by a colleague:
Hotcakes
4119 Centinela
Los Angeles, CA

There is parking in the back. Now onto the most important things. Hotcakes serves both full sized and baby cupcakes. I personally prefer the smaller ones as I can try several flavors.

The only one I get full sized is the Boston creme pie, which is not done is a smaller size. This cupcakes is yellow cake with a creme center and the top is dipped in chocolate - simply fabulous!



Look at those little baby cupcakes - don't cha just want to grab it and stuff your face :-). I have tried several and they are all pretty fabulous. The standouts are def Boston creme pie and Red Velvet.


Being from the south, I am pretty finnicky about this flavor. However, this red velvet is as good if not better then our wedding cake - which is saying something!



The reason these cupcakes are so good is that not only is the cake moist and tasty, the frosting is not too sweet - the combo of the two spectacular. Neither cake nor frosting overwhelm each other - rather they complement each other very well.

This is worth the drive if you can make it!

So the hubby mentioned that I should do reviews of places we were not fans of as well. As much as I post about all these amazing food experiences, he is right. It is not always so rosy and tasty. There are places that we have not liked whether it is for horrific service or terrible food. Now I don't need 5 star treatment or anything like that but there should be baseline expectations of either food or service or a combo when you are going out to eat.

This is where we experienced major challenges with Jerry's Deli in Westwood. We came in one weekend when it was fairly empty - a few tables at most. After waiting a few minutes we were seated, and then proceeded to wait for 20 minutes while a waiter passed by us at least 4 times to serve other customers. After waiting, we got up walked to the back and asked for a manager. He offered to serve us personally but after waiting 20 minutes we were too angry to eat there. We never even got water or anything.

From coming once before I know the food is decent but no restaurant in their right mind allows customers to sit for 20 minutes. I know we will never come back.

Took my parents here this weekend as it is one of their fav restaurants in LA - due to the fact that they have rice :-). My parents just can't seem to enjoy a meal w/o rice - I wonder if that will happen to me when I get older.

So some logistics, the restaurant is above a Thai grocery store so just keep that in mind. You will see the grocery store, turn in, get a ticket from the parking person, and drive up to the 2nd level, where the restaurant has a separate entrance.

Just a note - medium spicy is pretty spicy for my taste buds at least. This is a place that means spicy so if you cannot handle it, get mild.

Hands down, no questions asked, the standout is actually an appetizer, the papaya crab salad. A papaya salad is the norm at a Thai restaurant, but Thailand Plaza kicks it up a notch by adding salted crab to the dish. Get this medium spicy and it will heat you up inside!




Some classic favs include the fish cooked in a spicy broth. We usually ask that they fry the fish first. The dish comes out in a pot, they will then light flames and it heats up and cooks in front of you. The spicy broth also has veggies in in as well. For those faint of heart - the fish does come out whole (with head and all) but is oh so tasty.


Panang beef curry here is beyond excellent. We usually get this at medium spicy. Personally I think Thai curry is best out of all of the different ethic curries.

They also have Thai iced tea the way I like it, which is a fresh combo of tea and milk versus already being pre-mixed. Oh and I forgot to mention, the place is owned by a former Thai pop star so sometimes he will come out and start singing which is pretty fun because he is talented!