Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Jaco Taco

21 W State Street
Media, PA 19063
(484) 444-2839
Website

There is a Jaco Taco in West Chester I had passed by on weekend strolls a few times, but never had the want/need to try. Mainly because it is a taco and JUICE BAR. While I am no stranger to some authentic fresh juice with my tacos, this was the yuppie version. That being said, I decided to give the Media outpost a shot.


The interior is nice, with a bar or high tops to sit at and your food is complemented with some New Jersey hot sauce, Hank Sauce.


The "Baco" juice drink boasts fresh squeezed OJ, carrot and ginger. I was here for a late breakfast, so I figured I would give it a go. Surprisingly my body reacted perfectly okay to the healthiest thing I have consumed in 2017.


To round it out, I got some tacos. And a burrito. From the top and going clockwise, a "Froman" burrito, a "Baco" taco, a pulled pork street taco, and an adoba chicken taco.


The "Baco" taco was shockingly my favorite. Avocado, sweet onion, tomato, sweet corn, cotija cheese, tomatillo salsa and roasted poblano crema, this one had the flavor that I wanted. Which was "a lot". The sweet corn and roasted poblano crema had the sweet and savory, with some tomatillo salsa bringing just a touch of heat. Can't believe the meatless thing was my fave.


The adoba chicken (hiding under that cabbage) had quality chicken, but it was dry and somewhat bland. This was kind of rectified by the addition of hot sauce, but this should have brought some chipotle fire. Braised chicken, cabbage slaw, cotija cheese, tomatillo salsa and roasted poblano crema should not be mild in flavor.


I could have used some more cheese too. It was lost in the jazz cabbage.



On to the Tijuana street taco with pulled pork. The pork was nicely rendered, but had a serious lack of salt. I want my pork salty, crispy and decadent. They did fine on the crispy edges, but this was again lacking any "pop". I did appreciate the nod to street fare.


The "Froman" burrito features scrambled organic egg, chorizo, potatoes, caramelized onions and blended cheese. This was a pretty tasty breakfast burrito, with the addition of some salsa it was livened right up.


Don't mind the color, just add some red salsa and ask for a side of the poblano crema.


Overall, they had a decent thing going here. If they jacked up the spice beyond basic gringo, I might be a regular.


Tuesday, February 21, 2017

El Tio

680 Lancaster Avenue
Berwyn, PA 19312
(484) 329-7717
Website

Someone alerted me to El Tio recently, and I thought I might have found a contender for the reigning champion of the Mexican throne in the burbs But unfortunately, it fell a bit short.


I arrived for a Saturday lunch around noon, and they still had the door locked, though they had been open since eleven. The hostess/server was incredibly nice and accommodating, instructing me to sit wherever I wanted.


The menu featured the standard fare for meats. Carnitas are always a plus, and if you don't serve al pastor, then you are doing it wrong.


Some chips and salsa to start. The chips were well salted, though they were not exactly fresh. The salsa had a nice heat to it, despite looking somewhat mild.


Also, some queso, which I ordered after the salsa, because I didn't realize it was offered. The queso had great flavor, but was lukewarm. Almost cold. I like a little more warmth on my melted cheese sauces.


Next up was the entree course. A shredded chicken burrito, smothered in mole and a house platter "El Tio" with al pastor.


The burrito was well endowed, and the shredded chicken was well executed, however the mole was bit lackluster. I guess I am spoiled on the perfect complexity of El Limon, but this seemed a bit flat.


They did not shy away from stuffings.


A well proportioned burrito.


The al pastor had promise, but was pocketed with chewy cartilage and overly fatty cuts. I liked the smoky flavor, and the char the pork received. but having to spit out a bad piece more than once put a damper on my experience. Observe one very said piece below, front and center.


The shredded Queso Chihuahua was a big plus, and melted perfectly on the warm tortillas. The guacamole has a nice acidity, and the beans and rice were alright. Nothing to write home about.


Maybe I caught them after a bad batch from the CarnicerĂ­a, but I really can't stand inedible bits in my meat. Especially al pastor.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Samesa

495 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 599-1154
Website

I had to do a quick trip to Brooklyn and knew I'd be in a part of Williamsburg that has a lot to offer with little mom 'n pop shops crammed into little row homes on almost every block. That's the kind of NY experience I can get behind.


I did some walking around and stumbled across this great little turquoise vestibule and thought, hey what the hell is "Samesa?" So I consulted the internet and discovered that not only do they serve up some of my all time favorite foods (Mediterranean) but it's also a spot run by celebrity chef-owners the Sussman brothers.


Brother Eli was in the kitchen that day, you can make out the back of his head here. It's a tiny spot, long and narrow with a kitchen run like a well-oiled machine. Shiny too. There was a Grub Street write up posted about their za'atar wings served with labneh ranch, and as much as I wanted to give them a try, I was in a rush to get back to Philly and was going to have to eat behind the wheel, so I had to skip. Sadly, also against the counter guy's recommendation.


That said, I was happy to have to order the chicken shawarma sandwich instead. They also had a great selection of pre-made salads, dips, spreads and sweets packaged to-go, more on that later.


Great little Gene Wilder meme. They were also playing "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" on a big flat screen which, while majorly hipster, was sort of fun. I mean, this is Brooklyn after all.


The chicken shawarma came on the house made pita with cucumber tomato salad, tahini buttermilk, green zhug (like an Israeli chimichurri with cilantro, parsley, hot peppers and garlic) and fresh mint.


The house made pita was paper thin but maintained just the right amount of chew. It was perfect.


The chicken was tender and there was a crispy bit of heavily seasoned shawarma in every bite. The fresh mint was a pleasant surprise and the combination of all of the other green ingredients was a flavor explosion. The cucumber salad had a bit of a quick-pickle happening that brightened the sandwich nicely.


This is one of the better chicken shawarma sandwiches I've ever had and at only $10, it was more than filling and did it's job for both lunch and afternoon snack on the NJ Turnpike.


I knew that I had to try some of their other offerings, so I brought home some of the aforementioned prepackaged goods to round out the day with a Mediterranean dinner.


The pumpernickel rye was fantastic. It was a hearty and flavorful vessel to scoop all of the goods.


Great rye flavor in there with the caraway seeds.


The Moroccan tomato and roasted pepper salad brought the heat and acidity that paired well with the roasted beet & tahini spread and labneh dip. There was not one bit of flavor missing from any of Samesa's food. I don't want to over describe it, so I'll just leave it at that.


Both the beet and labneh dips were incredibly smooth, whipped to perfection, and presented beautifully with their respective toppings, even in plastic.


Well worth the trip, but let's not forget that Philly is home to Dizengoff either...

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Jimboy's Tacos

1420 29th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 452-6451
Website

I was visiting friends recently in Sacramento, and was told there was a "down and dirty" local fast food fix I needed to try. They serve the "tacoburger," and these friends were absolutely correct.


First of all, this local chain is called Jimboy's Tacos. Swoon. It was love at first sight. Speaking of sights, check out the "scenic drive" sign marking the drive through. Delicious AND a sense of humor? How could this go wrong?


From their website listing of Tacoburger: "A unique Jimboy’s product.   A savory all-beef patty blanketed with melted American cheese, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, pickles & our special tacoburger sauce. Grilled in a corn tortilla and topped with our trademark parmesan cheese. Have it without the sauce for a full gluten-free meal!"

Not sure why the tacoburger sauce has all the gluten, but who cares! See below.


A fried corn tortilla with all the trimmings. This was way better than you would think. That tacoburger sauce does something magical to tie the whole thing together, so gluten-free warriors beware. Cheesy, mustardy (and apparently full of wheaty goodness), it tranformed this into a complete meal. The ingredients were put together correctly, and the sprinkle of parm somehow just worked. Not to mention the pickle slices. A perfect mashup.


Check out the patty tucked into its corn tortilla carapace. I am already craving another one of these. Well done, Jimboy.