Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

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March 15, 2011 By cheryl

Taqueria Las Comadres (Oakland, Calif.): Our Little Secret

There are several things that set my stomach aflutter whenever I step off a plane in San Francisco: a simmering hot bowl of pho topped with bright pink thin slices of steak still gradually turning brown at Pho Tan Hoa in Union Square, the roast chicken at the always lovely Zuni Cafe.

Once these items have been checked off the eating list, however, a new craving inevitably sets in: Mexican. While New York does have any number of decent Mexican places, the tacos and enchiladas at California’s ubiquitous taquerias always seem — to me — far superior.

So, when a break in book events and book store visits recently led me to Oakland, where my friend Ann casually mentioned an excellent little Mexican joint nearby, I immediately said, Let’s Go …

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Filed Under: California, Mexican, Oakland, Restaurants Tagged With: Bay Area, Beef, California, Chicken, Enchilada, Mexican, Montclair Village, Oakland, Pho Tan Hoa, Pork, Quesadilla, San Francisco, Tacos, Taqueria, Taqueria Las Comadres, Tostada, Zuni Cafe

July 7, 2009 By cheryl

Calexico Carne Asada: Taco Truck Fare With A Wait


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You would think that when a bunch of guys running a street food cart in one of the busiest neighborhoods in Manhattan get around to opening a restaurant, there wouldn’t be much of a wait for your food.

And yet there we were at Calexico Carne Asada in Brooklyn, mid-afternoon on a recent Friday, waiting for 10 minutes … 15 minutes … more, before our tacos and burrito finally surfaced.

We’re talking carne asada/pulled pork piled onto or wrapped up in tortillas, folks.

Assuming the meats have been prepped ahead of time, shouldn’t these be fairly easy to put together?

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Filed Under: Brooklyn, Mexican, New York, Restaurants Tagged With: Bay Area, Beans, Brian Vendley, Brooklyn, Burrito, Carne Asada, David Vendley, Food Cart, Jesse Vendley, Manhattan, Martha Stewart, New York, New York Times, Pollo Asada, Pulled Pork, Quesadillas, Red Hook, Rice, Saveur, SoHo, Starbucks, Taco, Tofu Torta, Torta

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