El Salvadoreno

In the past, I never cared too much for pupusas, but it wasn't until I tried them at Grand Central Market that I started liking them more. So one day, I was suddenly in the mood for these stuffed tortilla treats and thankfully, right in the city that I live there's an El Salvadorian restaurant called El Salvadoreno, where I was able to fulfill that particular craving.

So off I went and ordered 2 pupusas and a taco to bring home for lunch. Once I got home, I sat down and eagerly opened up the foil and took my first look at them. One was a cheese and squash blossom and the other was pork and bean. I have to say that they were looking pretty good. I saw the grill marks and while these pupusas weren't as thick as the ones I had at Grand Central Market, they still were a good size.

Being a cheesehead, I bet you know which one I went for first. The cheese and squash blossom pupusa was delicious. I would have liked more cheese, but than I think that's the cheese greed talking. I did top some of the sections with the pickled veggies that came with the order, but found them too warm and promptly removed them. Those pickled veggies were put in a ziploc, which I don't think was a good idea because I think they were warmed by the hot food in the bag. But then that cabbage and stuff was just garnish and I was perfectly fine with the pupusa just on its own.

Then I went for the pork & bean pupusa, which I found pretty tasty. The only problem was that the filling was a tad too oily and also just a little too salty, which didn't take away too much from my eating enjoyment, but this pupusa would have been more of a home run if those two things weren't put into play.

I was actually filled up by the time I got to the Carne Asada taco. I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered it. In looking at it, I can say that El Salvadoreno wasn't shy with their toppings. I couldn't even pick up the taco without stuff flying everywhere. I finally settled for just taking a few bites with my fork. The carne asada, though not spectacular, was not bad. It could have been more flavorful and a little more tender, but at least, it was certainly filling.

Overall, the pupusas definitely left a good impression and I'd go back for more as well as to try other El Salvadorian specialties that I spied on the menu while waiting for my order. This is definitely not a fancy place, but I'd rather have good food than good ambiance.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157600266360161/

El Salvadoreno
1313 Huntington Dr
Duarte, CA 91010
(626) 359-1594

Casa Bianca

I have been a Casa Bianca lover for over 10 years now and to this day, I think they have one of the best pizzas in town and is definitely deserving of the kudos that I'm giving it. Before I say anymore, I should preface that the praise is really just for the pizza. I've tried their various pasta offerings over the years and have never been wowed by any of them.

As for the pizza, there are so many reasons why I love it, that I almost don't know where to start, so I'll just start from the bottom and move my way up. First, I love the crust. Without fail, it's always thin, light and crusty and I like the fact that the thin crust goes all the way to the pizza's edge. There isn't that big honking bready hard speed bump that I've experienced with other thin crust pizzas. By the way, I advocate eating the pizza there. It loses something when you have it for take-out.

As for the sauce, it always tastes fresh to me. Whether it is or not, I don't know, but I've had pizzas in the past where the pizza sauce tasted like canned tomato sauce and I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about. Canned tomato sauce can be too sweet, so I like how the Casa B. sauce adds just the right amount of acidity without being overwhelming. I also like that Casa B. doesn't over sauce their pizzas. There's always a good proportion between the sauce and the rest of the toppings.

What I like about the cheese is that you get just enough to fulfill one's craving for oooey-gooey melted goodness, but not so much that when you take a bite out of your pizza, both the cheese and toppings slide off your slice and is all hanging from your mouth down to your chin. Now that's an attractive sight, don't you think?

Now on the toppings. If and when you ever make your first visit to Casa Bianca and you're not vegetarian, be sure to order a sausage pizza. All the sausage is made in-house and is packed with lots of great flavor. My personal favorite is meatball and tomatoes and occasionally, depending on who I'm with, I'll either add olives and/or anchovies.

A couple things to note about the toppings. If you order eggplant, it comes breaded and if you order mushrooms, what you'll get are canned mushrooms. So if breaded eggplant and/or canned mushrooms aren't for you, than skip them.

Now in regards to wait, ambiance and service, there are a few things I want to mention. Yes, the wait can be very long and parking can be a pain. It's a very popular restaurant, but I think it's worth the wait. As for ambiance, they really pack people inside their two dining areas, so it can get very noisy to the point you can't hear yourself think, so you may want to consider coming at more of an off hour.

Because it is very busy, service can be a bit spotty, so sometimes you just have to be more aggressive about signaling to your waiter or waitress. One last thing. Many people don't realize that Casa B. will take large group reservations with a minimum of 6 up to 15 maximum, but only during specific hours. During the week, large group reservations are after 7:00 pm. I'm not sure about weekends. In either case, you probably want to double-check with Casa Bianca personally.

For this meal, my friend and I shared mozzarella sticks (how can you go wrong with deep fried cheese?), a meatball, eggplant and olive pizza (delicious as usual) and Zabaglione Ice Cream in a white chocolate shell which was a sweet way to end the meal.

Overall, the pizza at Casa Bianca is quite stellar and every time I've gone, I've never been disappointed.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157600130431990/

Casa Bianca
1650 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 256-9617
http://www.casabiancapizza.com/