The siren call of Taco Loco’s (955 Main St., Fortuna) cushy, thick, handmade tortillas is nearly impossible to resist but sometimes lashing yourself to the mast and sailing on to a couple new items on the menu pays off. Not that there’s a wrong time for chilaquiles, as excellent for breakfast as they are for […]
Mexican cuisine
Posted inEat + Drink
What’s Good? Lao Noodles and Birria Ramen
Piak Sen Weather February’s wet and windy exit is hardly the last we’ll see of chilly weather. Well, fine. The edge of cold and dampness makes hovering over a bowl of hot noodles and broth just a little more pleasing. Ramen has lately popped up on more menus to challenge the near noodle monopoly pho […]
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Follow the Trompo
Whatever I crave or plan when I walk up to a taco truck so often goes out the order window when I catch sight of a trompo. All that spice-reddened al pastor sizzling and dripping on a vertical spit is nearly impossible to pass up. And in the nighttime glow of the Tacos Don Paco […]
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What’s Good? Back to Summer and Fieldbrook
Fieldbrook Country Kitchen When the Fieldbrook Market (4636 Fieldbrook Road) closed, Paddy O’Dwyer was among those who grieved. “We used to come here a lot on the weekends,” he says. “It was pretty sad when it closed — it kinda’ preyed on me. Every time I’d drive by, I’d think what it would take to […]
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Sun’s Out at Taco Town Fruteria
Some days, even the most chunkily be-scarfed among us is hit with a wave of seasonal affective downer, the need for a little sunshine. Sure, there’s light therapy, but it can’t hurt to try tacos. Taco Town Fruteria (320 F St., Eureka) opened in July, in the former home of Chuchi’s and before that Masaki’s […]
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Mexican Restaurants Support English Express for Cinco de Mayo
Before Mary Ann Hytken found space to hold classes and establish the local nonprofit English Express, she says, she made do in Mexican markets. “I had a little folding chair and table, and I would give one-on-one English lessons.” She also taught ESL in the more conventional classrooms of College of the Redwoods. Then, she […]
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Meeting in the Middle at Aromas Café
Cut in sturdy rectangles and topped with waves of whipped cream, Adela Rodriguez’s tres leches cake takes a full day soaking in whole, condensed and evaporated milks. It’s a bit firmer than usual, holding up to and holding in the sweet liquid. Marisol Madriz, with whom she co-owns Aromas Café (1651 Myrtle Ave., Eureka), thinks […]
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UPDATE: Belly Up to the Salsa Bar
UPDATE: In sad salsa-related news, Paco’s Tacos, the Eureka Mexican restaurant that briefly dazzled us with its array of salsas, has closed. When contacted by the Journal, the owners responded that the partnership “didn’t work out,” but they are hopeful that they’ll be able to open elsewhere down the road. PREVIOUSLY: The revolving door spot […]
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Disaster Response, Crowley, Art in Piles and Salsas
This week we’ve got a look at how disaster response on the North Coast has evolved from blackouts to wildfires. Then we’ll talk about some concerns regarding Crowley Maritime’s human rights track record and how they might impact the potential wind farm the company could be working on. We’re also checking out a big pile […]
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What’s Good
Belly Up to the Salsa Bar The revolving-door that is the spot on Eureka’s Fifth Street that formerly housed Los Sinaloenses and its marvelous white menudo occupied has flipped again. Alfa Torres and her husband Bosacio Villagrana have opened their first restaurant, Paco’s Tacos Taqueria (1134 Fifth St., Eureka) there, bringing big flavor in the […]
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What’s Good: Dipping and Frying
Double dipped If you came to El Chipotle (850 Crescent Way, Arcata) in the mood for a torta, the prize specimen isn’t listed with the others served on bolillo rolls. Flip to the house specialties page of the menu to find the showstopper pambazo. Chef and co-owner Oscar Anguiano’s Mexico City iteration is a traditional […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Double Dipping at El Chipotle
If you came to El Chipotle (850 Crescent Way, Arcata) in the mood for a torta, the prize specimen isn’t listed with the others served on bolillo rolls. Flip to the house specialties page of the menu to find the showstopper pambazo. Chef and co-owner Oscar Anguiano’s Mexico City iteration is a traditional soft, white […]