The burrito war is on

I visited El Jalisciense today for lunch: Man, it's weird stepping into a brand-new taqueria! Everything looks too... clean, and there was only one other customer in the joint. That having been said, I got a regular chile verde burrito, hold the sour cream (that's right, the regular comes with sour cream and cheese). It came with a tin foil twist of chopped jalapenos, radish slices and pickled carrot slices.

I have to mark the newcomer down on burrito integrity -- perhaps because it uses refried beans as a default, the product has a sloppy, fragile feel, as if it might explode in your hand. I kept the foil wrapping up as high as I could without biting into it, used care, and managed to finish without disaster.

However, the pork and green sauce were superb. Spicier and more pork flavor than the incumbent shop, Los Comales. I think El Jalisciense may use a fattier cut of meat. Also, man, pretty darn big burrito for a regular. I feel like a sea lion beached on a sunny dock right now.

The Internet has discovered pupusas!

And I have proof:

A simple google of the term now yields 63,000 results.

La Prensa has a slideshow of the largest pupusa in the world.

Pupusas are on YouTube.

And The Vegan Lunch Box even has a pupusa in it.

Had a great burrito pastor at Antojitos in Westly, a truck stop on Interstate 5. You have to kind of look around for the place, as it's next to a Subway that has much bigger signage. It doesn't look like much, but there was a pretty good line to buy lunch. The flavor was similar to Alejandro's in Fairfield, but the spiciness was definitely turned up. One of my dining companions had a bisteak torta. After one bite, he put the sandwich back on his plate and gave it a tender pat. "I love you!" he told it.

Also: El Jaliscience opened last Monday. I'm giving it a few weeks to work out the kinks, then will check it out.

So, what the heck: I visit it in person

La Cascada brags that it has been voted "Best Burrito in the East Bay." And at $4.20 (tax included) for a taco, it sets expectations high. I have to report, however, that the carnitas version really delivered: the pork was not just tender, but actually juicy, full of a delicious meaty flavor of its own and not just a vehicle for delivering spice. I'd go back!

Two tortillas up!

I finally got to try some food from La Cascada in Berkeley. Good stuff. The chile verde was a little more lemony/vinegary than at Cactus, but I give that more as a description than a complaint. The pork was perfect.

Burrito Wars!

The Vietnamese/boba tea place down the street from my house has closed, and a large banner hung across the front: "NEW TAQUERIA COMING SOON!

Yesterday, the signage went up: El Jalisciense. Uh oh! What does this mean for my old standby, just a block away? Can my neighborhood support two taquerias?

More out-of-town burritos

La Morenita in Cold Springs continues to serve some of the best Mexican food in Tuolumne County. But after we got a flier from the new Mountain House Cafe in Twain Harte that boasted of having the best Chile Colorado north of the border, I had to test their claim.

One of my mom's friends says that, whatever claim an ad makes, you should figure the product will display the opposite qualities. So, in other words, "MORE LEMON FLAVOR" means it won't taste anything like a real lemon.

Don't get the Chile Colorado at Mountain House. To be kind, it is obviously homemade. But it tastes more like Dinty Moore than anything you'd be served at a respectable taqueria.

On the other hand, their fried green tomatoes? Awesome.