Tag Archives: Mexican Food

Sol Cocina in Newport Beach

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Living in Southern California, we are surrounded by an abundance of delicious Mexican food.  As much as I love Mexican food, I actually don’t have it very often, and when I do it’s usually at my staples Taco Mesa or Taco Rosa.  For my mom’s birthday this year we all decided to branch out and headed to Sol Cocina in Newport Beach.

Sol Cocina is known for having happy hour 7 days a week, so when we arrived the place was packed with people enjoying discounted margaritas and tacos.  We had reservations so we were seated immediately and then waited and waited.  Finally after about 20 minutes our waiter appeared to take our drink orders.  And then we waited again (notice a theme?)

The drinks finally appeared and we decided to get some guacamole to share amongst the table.  The Guacamole Sol came with mango, tequila and goat cheese.

Sol Cucina Guacamole

I normally wouldn’t think to add goat cheese to guacamole, but this was delicious!  The tang of the goat cheese combined with the sweetness of the mango and spices in the guacamole complemented each other perfectly.  Our table pretty much housed the entire thing in about five minutes.

Of course, there was more waiting and waiting before our entrees were served (I get that they were busy, but seriously?) and finally food started arriving at the table.  I ordered the Puerto Nuevo Lobster Tacos with flour tortillas on the side since corn and I aren’t exactly friends.

sol cocina nuevo lobster tacosI was super excited to try this dish since I haven’t had lobster in ages and I found it to be a bit of a letdown.  The black beans and quinoa on the side were delicious, but the lobster was overcooked and a bit rubbery.

The Englishman ordered tacos, and those were excellent.  He went with the Beer Battered Shrimp Taco, the Taco Vampiro and the Taco Bufalada.

sol cocina street tacosI loved the crispness of the batter on the shrimp taco, and the meat in the Taco Bufalada was juicy and tender.  The Englishman also loved the spiciness of the Taco Vampiro.

My parents each ordered the Taco Plate which came with two tacos, black beans and rice and raved about them.

sol cocina fish taco plateBut the highlight of the evening for sure was the Pork Carnitas my brother ordered.  I unfortunately didn’t snap a picture, but the meat was so flavorful and seasoned perfectly.  It was so good that everyone was asking him to share bites.

We ended the evening with some homemade birthday marble pound cake.  Recipe to come soon!

marble pound cakeAside from my lobster dinner and the lackluster service, I really enjoyed the food at Sol Cocina.  I could definitely see myself coming here for happy hour and enjoying some of their tacos and a margarita or glass of wine.  And if I come back for dinner, I’m definitely ordering the carnitas.

 

More Mexican Food Fun

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I  seem to be on a Mexican food kick lately fellow readers (all 5 of you), which I can only attribute to my recent vacation to Cabo San Lucas and the abundance of yummy eats.

This week our Mexican food journey takes us to Javier’s, which has locations in Irvine, Crystal Cove and (gasp!) Cabo San Lucas.  While I find Javier’s to be pretty decent, it is on the $$ pricey side and not quite as delicious as my beloved Taco Rosa/Mesa.  But still good nonetheless.

Every Mexican meal must start with guacamole in my book, so that’s what we ordered.  With a side of flour tortillas of course.

Holy onion batman!  While the guacamole had a nice texture, there was almost a little too much onion for my liking – so much in fact that it overshadowed the other wonderful flavors guacamole has to offer including the avocado, cilantro, lime, tomato and salt.  Next time Javier’s a little less onion and a little more guacamole mmmk?

For dinner I went with the soft taco dinner – one chicken and one steak with a side of rice and beans.  It was good, but nothing mind-blowing.

I think after having really good food in Mexico I have a pretty high standard now and so far California isn’t quite cutting it yet.  Perhaps a trip to Taco Rosa will turn it all around.

But that being said – Javier’s is a good Mexican restaurant with a good atmosphere and is definitely worth checking out.  Just be sure to ask for less onion in your guacamole.

Javier’s

45 Fortune Drive #400

Irvine, CA 92618

Que Delicioso! Dining at Mi Casa in Cabo San Lucas

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This past week brought a much-needed R&R vacation in Cabo San Lucas Mexico.  There was nothing on this trip agenda except eating lots of yummy Mexican food, drinking wine (and margaritas) and relaxing by the pool.

We were fortunate enough to stay at the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Resort just a few miles north of downtown Cabo San Lucas.  If you ever make it down to Baja California, be sure to check this place out – between the pools overlooking the ocean, the private beaches, and villa-style accommodations, this place is top-notch.

While the food at the resort was fantastic (I’m still thinking about the Quesadillas al Camarron), our dinner at Mi Casa in the heart of Cabo San Lucas was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Mi Casa isn’t too hard to find – just look for the brightly painted purple building on the side streets of Cabo (read: non touristy areas).  Once you walk inside you are surrounded by authentic Mexican artwork and crafts and are eventually led to the patio/dining area.  As soon as we sat down I saw woman in a corner making homemade tortillas by hand.  Yep, we were at the right place.

Naturally when you are in Mexico the beverage of choice is the Margarita, and Mi Casa doesn’t disappoint.

Margarita the size of my head? Sure, why not.

When it came time to order dinner, I decided to try the Chicken Enchiladas (with flour tortillas not corn since I’m allergic) and they were delicious.  The chicken was juicy and seasoned perfectly.

Chicken Enchiladas for the Win

My brother’s carnitas dish was also pretty fantastic but unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of all of the carnitas glory since we were too busy devouring our food.  Other notable standouts include the shrimp ceviche and the guacamole, but again, eating instead of photo taking was the priority at this meal.

Of course, no meal in Mexico would be complete without some authentic entertainment… Mariachis!

Entertainment at Mi Casa

And then there was some not-so-traditional entertainment most likely due to a few too many margaritas…

Mexican Blanket or head wrap? Either works...

We ended our evening at Mi Casa with their homemade flan.  I’ve never been a flan fan myself, but after the flan at Mi Casa I may be changing my tune a bit.

That's two flans for five people. And yes, we ate them both.

Mi Casa is a great restaurant if you want the real deal;  authentic Mexican cuisine that you couldn’t  make yourself at home.  A lot of people tend to have reservations about going off the beaten path (especially in a place like Mexico), but trust me, the food is so worth it.  Fancy hotel and resort food can be/is wonderful, but there’s nothing like enjoying a meal in the warm evening air while listening to traditional music with some of your favorite people in the world.  That my friends, is what it’s all about.