Can Jose Garces Bring the Baja to Philly?

Fast casual set up at Buena Onda. Bit of a line on a weeknight!

Buena Onda is Jose Garces' latest Philly opening at 19th & Callowhill, bringing his local empire to 12 restaurants. It's his most casual, "inspired by the fresh, tranquil, do-it-your-way spirit of Mexico's Baja peninsula." Order at a counter, pick your own seat and they'll bring out your food.

Having been to La Paz, the gorgeous Baja beach town 3 hours north of Cabo where we feasted on heavenly ceviches and fish tacos caught that same day, we had much more reasonable expectations for Buena Onda. It didn't exactly transport us back to the Baja, but we have to say "fresh" was the best word that came to mind after our visit and the ambiance did give off a more tranquil vibe than most fast casual joints.

Tacos de Pescado Por Favor!

With fish tacos at the center of the menu, we tried each - Atlantic mahi mahi, jumbo pacific shrimp and the catch of the day (perch). You choose to have the fishes fried or tequila-lime glazed, and all are served with a chipotle remoulade, avocado, red cabbage and jícama slaw in a house made flour tortilla. Both of us really enjoyed the light tequila-lime glaze on the mahi mahi and the shrimp, and the fry batter on the perch was similarly airy but flavorful. Might as well split up your order and try some of each.

Mahi mahi, perch and carne asada tacos

Shrimp and carnitas tacos

Off the meat tacos menu, Bradd  liked his chili-glazed carne, served with chile de arbol, queso fresco and cilantro in a corn tortilla, but had to improvise when the bottom quickly fell out. He made good use of both house sauces on the table, a spicy tomato and a salsa verde, to punch things up, too. I was a big fan of the pineapple topping that gives Garces' carnitas taco a tropical twist. The menu also includes quesadillas, tortilla soup and other smaller items, as well as margaritas and beer.

Chips and salsa, always a pleaser

Bueno?

I wouldn't call the shrimp "jumbo" but other than that, our only major feedback is that we'd love to see more tables out on the sidewalk. Pizzeria Vetri is two doors away and has quadruple the outside seating.

Could Garces have offered a more innovative food experience? Sure. For a chef of his acclaim, Bueno Onda isn't exactly the next Garces destination. But the ingredients were fresh and balanced each other out well - it was a solid, light dinner for a nice spring night. If we lived within walking distance, we'd be back more quickly. Given the short line that formed by 7pm, the Callowhill neighborhood doesn't disagree.

For 3 fish at $3.50 each, 2 meat at $3 each, salsa and chips ($5), and a margarita ($7), our bill was $31. Not bad, but not cheap when compared to South Philly taquerias. In the end, Bueno Onda is not trying to be the next El Jarocho so give it a try if you're feeling fishy one night this summer.

These Tamales Will Get You Up Early on Saturday Morning

There are a lot of great breakfast options around Philadelphia, but for something really different get up early one Saturday morning and go to Mole Poblano for tamales.

Just fold open and devour with a spoon.

The South Philly taqueria is supposed to be a great spot for all sorts of authentic Mexican food (we haven't been for lunch/dinner yet) but the real gem here are the tamales, available early morning on weekends only. Husband and wife, Papá Pedro Ríos and Ynes Sandoval get up at 5:30am to start making tamales by hand and have them steamed and ready for sale from about 8:00am - 10:00am. Perfect for a morning treat, or a way to make your next venture to the Comcast Service Center on Delaware Ave not suck (worked for us!).

Tamales look fairly simple, but are packed with a variety of rich, fresh flavors - and major TLC from the hands that make them. The inside "dough" is masa corn flour mashed with lard and homemade chicken and pork stock, then folded inside corn husks to steam along with any other stuffings picked that day.

We literally just said "one of each, please" and ended up with four: chicken, tomatillos and salsa verde; shredded pork with roasted salsa; vegetarian with stringy Oaxaca cheese, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions; and our favorite, pork with the chefs' housemade mole sauce. The mole added volumes of deep, rich flavor, baked right into the meat. As you unfold the corn husks, the aroma alone will capture your heart before you even take a bite.

South Philly Taco Toss Up: El Jarocho vs. Tacos El Rodeo

Best tacos in Philly--hands down. All tacos come with pickles veggies and avocado. I haven't encountered this anywhere else. Moreover, everything is inexpensive and simply delicious. And they're open late (around 11:30 PM or until they run out). Can't be beat.

The comment above is from reader Jake who suggested Tacos El Rodeo as place we had to visit. A comment like that leaves little choice but to tackle a good ol' taco toss up - El Jarocho vs.Tacos El Rodeo.

El Jarocho has been our taqueria king since our first visit in 2011. It was also our only blog post to include an ode to the great footballer Chicharito, who plays for Manchester United. But I digress...

I jumped on my bike and headed to South Philly to eat three al pastor tacos (pork typically shaved off a vertical spit), my favorite type, at each joint.

Tacos El Rodeo

Tacos El Rodeo is actually a food truck and always located at 10th and Washington. You can't miss the colorful, muraled truck. An added touch I like is the collection of milk crates on the sidewalk so you can sit and enjoy your tacos.

Tacos El Rodeo's side mural

Outdoor seating

The "trompo" is Tacos El Rodeo's version of al pastor with a sweeter taste. I think the server said pineapple is included. I got it with "everything," which also includes tomato, lettuce and avocado. Three tacos are only $6 total!

Taco Truck Takeover at The Porch

Next up in our quick review of food trucks at The Porch at 30th Street: TACOS! For more on The Porch and why we think it's awesome, see our intro posts on What's to Eat at The Porch and two other trucks, MacMart and Jimmies Cupcakes.

Mesa Fresh

This new food cart serves well-stuffed burritos, ensaladas and tasty tacos. For $6.75, I got two yummy barbacoa pork soft tacos with pickled red onion, ancho sauce and salsa, plus a small handful of white corn chips and fresh salsa (the 75 cents was added for cheese). It was plenty of lunch for me and frankly one of the cheaper food truck options these days. Three tacos with chips are $8. Tacos come in a soft or hard shell, with the typical menu of options: chicken, al pastor, carne asada, pork, ground beef or veggie. No fish.

Friends gave the burritos - meat and veggie for $8 and $6 respectively - a thumbs up. The cart is an extension of the retail Mesa Fresh locations in Wayne and Springfield, PA, so maybe they have their act together pretty well from that in-store experience. Twitter: @MesaFresh

Love the sign - "This is what our salsa looked like this morning" At right, a Mesa Fresh soft pork taco with cheese.

Taco Mondo 

Less exciting, unfortunately, was the new taco truck from the Street Food Philly folks. On my first try, the fish tacos with some sort of slaw on top were over-fried and lacking in flavor. Friends didn't love their tacos either, so we haven't been back.  Anyone else had something good there? Street Food Philly, on the other hand, is great, serving a rotating menu of sandwiches, salads and of course parmesean truffle fries. It's often found on Drexel's campus at 33rd and Arch. Twitter: @TacoMondo

Not so delicious fish taco from Taco Mondo

Mesa Fresh and Taco Mondo are not on the Porch schedule for the rest of this summer, but follow them on Twitter for other locations. Like all the trucks are doing these days, I'm sure we'll see them at festivals and night markets galore. If you're near 30th Street, Penn or Drexel and have a taco craving, seek out the dependably delicious Cucina Zapata at 31st and Ludlow for a short rib or Cap'n Crunch fish taco.

Neighborhoods: Where to Eat and Drink in Fairmount

In the second post of our neighborhoods series, let's talk about Fairmount.

The Fairmount section of Philadelphia offers a haven from the bustle of Center City and distills a unique neighborhood charm at all times of the day. Brunchers, dinner parties and afternoon boozers in between pack the area's growing number of approachable restaurants and bars during all seasons.

Expanding from its traditional hub along Fairmount Avenue, anchored by London Grill at 23rd St. and Bishop's Collar at 24th, Fare, BlueCat and Hickory Lane are pushing the local food scene further east a few streets. La Calaca Feliz and Paris Wine Bar fill in the 2300 block with new concepts for the area.

Gluten-Free Pure Tacos Hits Center City

Update: Pure Tacos closed in May 2013. Not shocking. 

Pure Tacos is a new, 100% gluten free, fast casual taco joint at 20th and Chestnut. Kristy visited with a gluten free co-worker several weeks ago and said it was worth checking out for myself.

The Philly location is an expansion of Pure Tacos' original namesake that debuted on the Ocean City boardwalk several years ago and received rave reviews.

Kudos to Pure Tacos for striving to serve high quality, gluten-free food. We have several friends with gluten allergies and their hunt for quality food can be burdensome. Hopefully, more places pop up with a focus on gluten-free. Another to check out is The Quick Fixx at 15th and South, which has gluten-free pasta.

Brunch Week! Add a Little Kick to Your Eggs at Xochitl

Part II of Brunch Week... time for some Mexican food at Xochitl in Headhouse Square. 

If you want to put a little kick into your brunch, Mexican restaurants around Philly offer some great brunches. Xochitl is also right across the cobblestones from the Headhouse Square Farmer's Market, so it's an excellent spot to dine before/after you pick up the week's fresh groceries. Brunch is served Sunday 11am - 2pm.

Keep in mind that since I ate there, owners Steve Cook and recent James Beard winner Michael Solomonov (of Zahav fame) decided to sell Xochitl. The staff is supposed to remain but it looks like some additions are coming to the menu. No word on brunch changes yet.

Xochitl only launched its brunch menu in May and offered us a complimentary visit to try it out, so I took my trusty food-loving Queen Village Friend (she's made appearances before at spots like Sabrina's and Carman's and will continue to, so henceforth she will be referred to as my QVF). The very nice chef came out and chatted with us but otherwise I think our experience was similar to that of the patrons around us.

Birthday Brunch at Distrito

Distrito has been a 22nd & Philly favorite for a while now. Bradd even found Jose Garces' recipe for hamachi ceviche and adapted it for his birthday dinner last year. But we're not frequent brunchers, so when I had the chance to celebrate a friend's birthday over a Distrito brunch, my stomach immediately started growling.

If you haven't been to Distrito yet, the ambiance is cool enough to at least stop in the door one day and check out. The downstairs area (shown below) has a nice long bar and a good number of tables. The bar tables are not up for grabs, though, you have to be seated by the hostess. The backs of the chairs downstairs are pretty funky and look to me like giant versions of those thin rubber bracelets we used to wear as kids. Upstairs has another bar, a smaller bar seating area with fun porch swings and a ton of tables and big round, basket-looking booths.

Taqueria El Jarocho in South Philly

Mexican soccer sensation Javier Chicharito Hernandez is the inspiration behind this look at El Jarocho, a popular taqueria not too far from the Ellsworth-Federal subway stop in South Philly.

Chicharito scored yet another goal for Manchester United in their Champions League victory over rivals Chelsea this week.

El Jarocho was a pit stop on a recent tour of South Philly and not a minute too soon considering our last taqueria visit was over a year ago to Taqueria Veracruzana.

In my book El Jarocho was a clear winner, especially if you adhere to the how-fast-the-food-is-devoured test. You get three soft shell tacos per order and I went with chicken, pork and sausage.

All three were delicious with the sausage taken the Best Of award in close vote. My father, who joined me on the visit, would add the steak to the list of ones to try.

I also gave a tamarind soda from Jarritos a try and it wasn’t bad considering sodas are not something I usually drink. Worth the purchase if you’ve never had one.

Taquerias stand in stark contrast to high-end places taking advantage of the interest and influence of Hispanic food in Philly. But, the no frills atmosphere is just as enjoyable, is much cheaper and frankly the food is just as good - if not better.

At El Jarocho, the three soft shells cost $6 and were filled to the brim. Compare that to Guapos Tacos where you get two tacos for $6-8 and they are not stuffed (as we stated before Guapos Tacos is for the experience, not just the food).

I’m huge fan of taquerias and desire to visit more. Any favorites to suggest for the next stop??

Check out this fabulous song for Chicharito from the World Red Army featuring famous salsa artist Choco Orta.

Guapos Tacos Food Truck: Bringing Jose Garces to the People

Jose Garces' latest project, the Guapos Tacos food truck has only been out and about for two weekends now, but is generating quite a buzz. 22nd&Philly tracked it this Friday night to 2nd and Poplar Streets, thanks to Twitter. Here's how it went down, and why I think the Guapos Tacos Truck is a home run, for now.

The most amusing part of the experience was running into the truck (figuratively speaking) at about 7:10pm, when it pulled out onto 22nd St. right in front of our cab en route to our mutual destination. The truck drives a little slow though, so we arrived at 2nd and Poplar first and got to be the cool kids who informed the small crowd already gathered for the advertised 7pm opening that it was on its way, but apparently running late...

As soon as it arrived and parked just south of Standard Tap, the more zealous Garces groupies made a mad dash to be first in line, only to find out the truck still needed about 10 minutes to get ready. So we waited...

It was somewhat amusing to watch the staff of four open everything up and start cooking (or at least heat stuff up, I couldn't tell). Others in line helped us examine the funky design on the truck's side, which is actually thousands of beer bottle caps glued into hexagonal shapes. No, they are not all interesting Spanish or Mexican beers. Saw lots of Corona caps but also plenty of Bud, Amstel and Miller Lites, too.

The first chick in line was super anxious to get her tacos. She had tried last weekend but said the truck  "broke down" by the time she got there and wasn't able to cook. Guess they are still working out some kinks. 

The line kept getting longer as we waited for the truck to be ready, but it was a fairly patient crowd. Couple dogs, a few pregnant girls, some vegetarian UPenn kids, a handful of cameras, and plenty of growling stomachs as it started to smell real good...

Think they need a permit? It kind of just pulled up wherever there was space...

Guapos Tacos was finally ready after 15 minutes and the whole order/food pick process seemed to work well. You order from this fresh-faced fellow and pay up front, then they call your name and hand your food out the left hand window. Here's the best shot I got of the menu. They also passed out paper copies of it to people in line - smart move to keep the order process going faster. Bradd was nice and patient until it was our turn. We were probably about 16th in line.

And finally, the food!! We got the Esquites, typically found in Mexican streets or at fairs. It's sweet corn mixed with onions, chiles, salt and a handful of herbs, served warm. Though "spicy" is stretching it, the esquites were the spiciest thing we ate and really tasty as a starter. Bradd ate it so quickly I had a hard time stealing a photo where the container wasn't in motion. Saw others with the guacamole/chips which looked very good too. 

We got the Chipotle Short Rib (at right - short rib, white onion, radish, cilantro, crema, queso fresco) and the Carnitas (below - chicken, black beans, and pinapple-habanero salsa) and. Both yummy, I liked the short rib better. Neither totally blew me away on taste, but at least half the reason you go to Guapos Tacos is for the experience, not just the food.

The tacos are served very fresh on hot tortillas, so be prepared to scarf them down right there on the street before they get soggy. They likely won't taste great cooled down.

There are plenty of napkins and utensils available at the truck and Mexican sodas for sale if needed. The tacos definitely will make you super thirsty so buy something or plan ahead for the nearest bar to wash it down with a cold beer.




Analysis: The Guapos Tacos truck from Jose Garces is a home run novelty for Philadelphians and visitors alike. Since I didn't go to college in the city, and I don't work in town, the whole food truck concept is a little foreign to me. This was something different to try on a Friday night and though it doesn't take up too much time (depending on the line), the experience makes for a tasty little dinner and better yet, a good story. I'd be curious to revisit the Guapos Tacos truck late at night to see how big the crowd of drunken sailors gets - and what the truck's max is before running out of food.

Guapos Tacos was a very smart move by the Garces empire, if to do nothing else than generate social media buzz among the Twitter, Facebook and blogger crowds (1700+ Twitter followers already) and attract new fans that don't regularly spend the money a full meal takes at one of his restaurants. Love, love, love them all, but honestly, they aren't cheap.

The food truck concept brings Jose Garces to the people, and I hope he'll make random appearances at the truck to keep it that way. It may not stick around for years before the novelty wears off, but by then I am confident the smart marketers at Garces Restaurant Group will have come up with five more home run ideas, and that Bradd and I will be one of the first in line to try it.