Surf N Taco - Ventura, CA

I went to Santa Paula and Ventura to hit some of the spots you guys had recommended as well as record an episode for my friend's local radio show: Chris the Sound Guy here in Bakersfield. It will be airing this Thursday @ 5pm, and the entire one hour episode documents our burrito adventure down in Ventucky. I will be posting a link to the podcast once it goes live.

One of FIVE stops on our coastal excursion is Surf N' Taco located on Baja Bay in the marina. Ocean air seasons the meal with lapping waves and sail boats visible from the parking lot. Halibut and shrimp options worried my underdeveloped sea palette, but when I read "Shark" the decision was made.

My shark burrito arrived in an with freshly fried chips in an ocean blue cardboard tray. The cross-section cut revealed a gorgeous shark filet surrounded by rice, beans, cheese, and cabbage with a verde salsa on the side in a cup. The bite was tender and flaky with a clean finish. No disturbing sea funk contaminating the flavors.

This was a welcome respite from the heavier contenders of the day allowing my waistline to breathe a little bit before resuming the fray.

The chips and salsa were forgettable leaving Chris no other option but Tapatio for spiciness.

Not every day do I get to eat Jaws or consume the meal equivalent of shark week, so I definitely recommend Surf & Taco to lovers of seafood. 

Some behind the scenes information for those wondering. Yes, we ate 5 burritos, but 4 of those were cut in half for a couple of reasons. One, we didn't want to get so stuffed as to not be able to give proper reviews, and two, cutting the burrito in half allows for pretty pictures. The day of reviews was spread out over about 8 hours. I suggest using some form of this technique if you wish to emulate a burrito adventure.

Tinga - Los Angeles, CA

Sometimes a place gets me on a personal level. The style and delivery at Tinga on La Brea in LA fits right into my aesthetic. From the taco and burrito inspired art of Brett Westfall plastered over the walls, including some great murals in the bathrooms, to the southeast Asian meets southwest American inspired cuisine. If I were to tell someone how I want a restaurant to look, this would probably be it.

I ordered the chicken tinga burrito and short rib tacos to split with D. Of course, I threw in a few cold lagers to wash everything down. The shredded chicken swims in a chipotle sauce which reminds me of a peanut curry with black beans, gaucamole, lettuce, chipotle salsa, montery jack, and crema creating a wonderfully rich bite all piled into what appears to be a scratch-made tortilla. Every bite made me wonder why there isn't more Mexican/Indian fusion in the world. Channa samosa chimichangas for days.

 The braised short rib tacos were less than stellar with the beef slightly under-seasoned although fall apart tender, and the fluffy rustic handmade tortilla ripping underneath the weight of all the fixings. I may not have minded so much if the taco tortilla added flavor or texture, but it was spongy in the wrong ways and overall bland. Kind of surprising due to the emphasis on tacos in the Tinga menu. The ingredients were a bit tryhard here with ginger and shitake marinade, pickled red cabbage, salsa verde, papas bravas (rough-cut roasted potatoes), queso fresco, and crema. Interesting flavor combinations to be sure, but they lack cohesiveness. It felt like culinary shock and awe leaving my pallet with PTSD. 

Great service, a nice selection of seasonal light beers, and a window painting of a taco cowboy riding a unicorn elevated the entire experience to a whole new level. A lot can be said for the relaxed atmosphere and sense of humor at Tinga. I hope to explore more of their menu with the conchita pibil and lamb adobo at the top of my hit list. 

I know you wanted to see it. 

El Azteca - San Diego, CA

I have been doing a lot of traveling up and down California seeking the best of the best in burritos which leaves me with a ton of great content I will be supplying over the next few weeks.

Recently, my travels brought me to sunny San Diego in hopes the proximity to the border would lend itself to quality Mexican food aplenty. A bit of research and luck later brought me to El Azteca in La Mesa.

Unassuming hole in the strip mall that it is seemingly promises nothing new, but D and I pushed through and ordered THE breakfast burrito.

A trend in SD I began noticing was a lack of options. I have grown accustomed to ordering a burrito while specifying the meat, but on more than just a few occasions the burrito on offer was the only one of its kind. An approach I prefer because I know I am being served what they are confident in making, and it eliminates the extraneous costs of keeping a multitude of meats on the ready.

What arrived was simple enough: potatoes, scrambled eggs, melted cheese, and cubed ham accompanied by a red bottle of house hot sauce, but after one bite everything had changed. This simple arrangement of perfectly prepared breakfast staples lifts above the fray staring down with judgement on all lesser breakfast abominations. What magic is this? Why is this so tongue-numbingly good?

First, the ham takes you by surprise. Not many places opt for the ham as the go to breakfast burrito meat filler, and if they do, too often it is the stuff of bargain basement deli counters. This is different. Sweet and salty play against the full-bodied potatoes. The cheesy scramble spreads evenly throughout leaving nothing untouched by the mainline injection of hell yeah, so every bite left me proclaiming the possibility of a heaven and pondering the burrito I may find there.

I was halfway through before it occurred to me to touch the salsa bottle, but I'm glad I did. A comforting heat rose up through sweet tang of the red, and I began to squeeze it over every bite.

One burrito alone made the trip worth it, but, luckily for me, there were so many more magical experiences I can't wait to share. Some of the best burritos I have ever had. Until then enjoy a sexy close up.