Enmoladas (Tortillas drowned in black mole and queso)Here in LA, the Health Department gives restaurants letter grades that must be displayed on the premises: A, B or C. Though the Department describes a C as "generally acceptable" in food handling and many a Chowhound consider it a badge of honor to eat at C-level restaurants, the bright red letter (A's are blue, B's are green) makes me nervous. Until yesterday, I'd never knowingly eaten at a C--and you know what? I survived.
A few weeks ago, the LA Times gushed over La Morenita Oaxaquena, a cozy Oaxacan spot near Koreatown. Close to my old office, it was a convenient spot to meet with my friend and ex-coworker Axel, a Mexican food expert who has explained to me the real way to make cochinita pibil and generously cooked me his grandmother's delicious chocolately black mole.
Huitlacoche EmpanadaAs I walked up to this strip mall restaurant, I immediately noticed the bright C in the window, but the call of mole overcame my worries, plus the LA Times writer hadn't mentioned it, right? I like to eat out with Axel because he encourages me to try new things--yesterday it was huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on ears of corn. The Aztec name translates to "raven's excrement" and in Mexico the smoky black mold is prized. We ordered the huitlacoche empanada (looked like a quesadilla to me). The mold mingled with chewy queso, and Axel pronounced it good but canned (canned mold?!?) because of the saltiness.
Barbacoa StewAxel's barbacoa (goat) soup was rich and red, full of fork tender chunks of goat. My emoladas (tortillas drowned in black mole and queso) had bite and I nearly cleared my plate. The Times article highlights the red and green mole here, but I'm a sucker for black. They also serve tlayudas, crispy tortillas topped with all sorts of goodies--a Oaxacan pizza if you will.
Prices are reasonable but not ridiculously cheap--most main courses were in the $8-9 range. If I was still working in the area, I'd work La Morenita into my lunch rotation---and cross my fingers that they get that B soon!
La Morenita Oaxaquena
550 W. 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA
213-365-9201
10 AM-1o PM, and they take credit cards
11 comments:
Sounds good to me. I ate at a C once and survived quite well.
I've always been curious about corn mold--thanks for being my guinea pig.
Greetings from beautiful Mexico!
You'll want to look at Mexico Cooks! this week for another taste of cuitlacoche (what you called corn mold). It's not really mold, it's a fungus (like a mushroom), and it's delicious.
Enjoy Mexico Cooks!--and feel free to add it to your blog roll, if you like.
Best
Cristina
I've always been curious about corn mold--thanks for being my guinea pig.
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Wou, the pictures posted there really encourages me to learn the recipe of those dishes above there.
Yummy corn mold! This is a really good read for me, Must admit that you are one of the best blogger I ever saw. Thanks for posting this informative article.
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Me & my neighbour were preparing to do some research about that. We got a good book on that matter from our local library and most books where not as influensive as your information. I am very glad to see such information which I was searching for a long time.
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Isn't all this looks great?? I think so. Wonderful dishes!
You know, modern mole is a mixture of ingredients from three continents, North America, Europe and Africa, making it the first international dish created in the Americas
mmmmmm looks tasy, how much time is it take?
Very appetizing, need to go eat something.
I saw a great deal of helpful information above!
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