I went to these places on Church Street at lunchtime on Wednesday. The first is behind Hamburger Mary's at the train tracks. The second is across the tracks near Graffiti Junction. The third is in the old Frank N Stein's spot on Magnolia. That spot is now called market on Magnolia. It has three tenants.
El Buda - This is run by some chef named Roberto Trevino. I guess he was on Iron Chef. I saw a piece on local tv that said he'd be in the kitchen. He wasn't when I was there (showed up half way through lunch and just puttered around) and the kitchen needed extra hands. The wait aside, I liked what I had. It was an effort to choose a dish. Not because they sounded so good (those items are available only at dinner), but, because the lunch menu is so small and dull. Some of the dinner apps and three sandwiches and three entrees. One was a noodle dish. The other two were mid-twenties in price. Hardly lunch appropriate. I ordered his "famous" pork dumplings ($15) and some chicken chimichanga egg rolls ($9.50 but marked as $9 on the menu). I really was having a hard time finding a second item. The egg rolls (3) were good. More like spring rolls. Not oily. Gooey cheese. Moist chicken. The dumplings were very good. Six I think. Covered in tobiko. I think he uses that tofu skin they use on sushi rolls/balls. I think they were steamed and then pan fried. Pork and sweet plantains. Terryaki "sauce". A soda was $3. The glass was filled with crushed ice, but, they refilled. I have to reiterate that it took them over 30 minutes to fill the order. Even after I had made it clear that I was in a rush. They had a big party down stairs. I understand, but, I do have to point it out. If a single work party put them out of sorts in a nearly empty lunch service with a limited menu, what is a crowded dinner like? Which brings me back to the menu. It is Latin Asian. All the goodies (and there are some) are on the dinner menu. Prices are $20-$30. Things like ropa vieja bimibap and sous vide duck. And fish dishes. Service was doing the best they could and polite. They did a little redecorating. They reopened the cellar. It has a bar. The patio is open. They opened in December I think. I've been to a few restaurants in this space. Some very good. I hope he has better success than they did. I will need to come back at dinner to get a true taste. This was enough to allay any concerns. I think you can dine without apprehension.
California Tortillas - California Tortillas are undeniable. Daisy Dukes. Bikinis on top. Is that how it goes? Oh, the things I have inside this little head of mine. I grabbed a small Classic Mesquite Chicken Burrito to go. It cost $7. It was surprisingly good. Chicken was smokey. Filled with dirty rice, beans, veg and sour cream. They make nachos, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, bowls, etc. All around $8. I guess mesquite is their thing. They prepare it in an assembly line that you can see. It looks very generic. It could transform into any type of restaurant if it had to. Glass walls. Tile. Plastic-y. Pretty busy. I think they opened in January. They were building this forever. Not sure if it is a chain.
081 Wood Fired Pizza - I was rushing to get back to my car before the meter expired, so, I didn't get a chance to ask what 081 signifies or how hot the oven gets. I grabbed a New Yorker to go. It cost $10. It is your basic processed mozzarella and sauce pizza. It was very good. Better than some of the "pizza expert" places I've been to lately. And they also solved the personal pizza dilemma. Personal pizzas always are fat and always suck. Their 10" (I think) stayed thin. It had a great chew. The bottom had a little char. No bubbles. a San Marzano sauce, The cheese wasn't salty and oily. Thin crust. Not bad. They also do five other types and you can custom design. Prices are $10 to $15. They also have wood fired wings and salads. It just an oven and counter and the shared seating in the market. The market also has a Gnarly Barley concession that does beer and sandwiches and a Da Kine poke outpost that has some properly prepared poke options. This market is a nice addition. I think it opened in December. Good pre-party spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment