I just read an article in Los Angeles magazine about Chef Rick Bayless’ new restaurant in LA, “Red O“. For those of you who haven’t yet met Rick Bayless, he is one of the current “star chefs”, specializing in gourmet Mexican food & he won the Top Chef Masters competition in 2009. He’s a chef superstar; wikipedia him for more info.
However, Rick isn’t the point of this blog entry – gourmet Mexican food is.
Given the plethora of taco trucks, stands, Mexican food cafes and restaurants that abound in the greater LA area, I’ll admit, I’ve wondered about the concept of “gourmet Mexican”. If I can get a $1.25 taco at El Taquito, one of the best tacos in LA (at least according to Yelp and my belly), are any and all more expensive offerings elsewhere simply gringo food, purposed to separate a fool and his money under a heap of guacamole, cheese, sour cream, beans, onions and salsa?
The answer is no. I offer to you, ladies and gentlemen, CaCao Deli (a “Mexicatessen” in Eagle Rock). We landed there two Sunday’s ago, quite by accident. We were cruising for lunch, and looked for inspiration along the Eagle Rock “strips”. When nothing inspired we aimed for Spitz, a reliable and tasty favorite. Sadly (yet fortunately) we couldn’t find parking and so we carried on, tummies rumbling. A little while later, further east on Colorado Blvd, we arrived at CaCao Deli.
I was dubious. $3 tacos! A half hour wait for food! Gringos beware! Right? Right?!
Wrong.
Suppressing my misgivings, driven by hunger and the desire for family solidarity, I followed my routine and ordered a trifecta (three tacos – any fewer is unmanly). I ordered one each of chorizo con papa, corn truffle, and carnitas de pato tacos, as well as some mole fries.
Oh.
My.
Gawd.
For the first time in my life, I got the concept of gourmet Mexican. The chorizo con papa taco: such a panoply of flavors. Wonderful texture! Corn truffle taco: truffle!!!! Who doesn’t love, love, love truffle? We took our honeymoon in Piedmonte, partially in the pursuit of truffles! Put that on a taco and you’ve found handheld heaven. Carnitas de pato: while slightly fatty (but what duck dish isn’t?), it still presented a wonderful blended sauce and meat combination.
Indeed this was gourmet. Not even comparable to carnitas, pollo or carne asada tacos. Nothing wrong with either – just two very, very, very different experiences.
So a hearty recommendation for CaCao Deli, and … an endorsement in principle into what Rick Bayless is trying to do. Next time you are considering Taco Bell, think outside the box and dream of tacos with truffles, duck, chorizo and … heaven.
