Big Man Bakes Cupcakes

Been having a wicked cupcake craving since October that hasn't been satisfied yet.  Walking to my car last night after dinner at Baco Mercat, I saw a very unglamorous storefront with a fat display of cupcakes.  I was so full that even dessert didn't look appealing to me, so I only bought one.  Under normal circumstances  I would have purchased like six of them. minimum.

Triple Berry

 Each bite you take contains a generous amount of plump blueberries, and as if that wasn't enough, the moist tender cake gives off an intense berry aroma to flood your mouth with fruit.  The icing is also very noteworthy--thicker, richer, and less sweet than fancy cupcakeries'.  My only complaint is that the crumb is not fine and delicate enough.  No one asked for my opinion, but I think they should dry out the blueberries a bit more so the 'stronger' crumb isn't required to give the cupcake sufficient structure when the berries start to bleed during baking.  9/10 in the taste department, though.

In retrospect, I should have splurged for more cupcakes.  Next time perhaps.  Can grab a bite at Baco while I'm there too.  It's just across the street.  Love it when good food is located so close together.  At $3.25 a pop for an XL cupcake, you might as well skip dessert at Baco and come here.




Big Man Bakes Cupcakes
413 Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213.617-9100

Baco Mercat

So Charlie mentioned that he hadn't been to Baco Mercat during a kickass dinner at Starry Kitchen Nights @ the Tiara Cafe and I just had to beat him to the punch. Yes! Finally the one time I'm not playing catch-up!

I did not bring a tripod to dinner, so this is a photo-less post that is more for my reference than it is for foodporn browsing during business hours on a slow day.  Rest assured, a second trip is planned.  Just skip the rest of the post if you haven't already.  Text blows.  Anyone actually still reading this?

Arrived at 6pm w/ a party of three on Wed. night to find all tables inside Baco already reserved.  Outside seating was available, and actually preferable.  I found the interior to be a bit too cramped and dark.

Ordered way too much food.  Server raised his eyebrows.

3 Bacos (flatbread sandwich)
All Bacos are made with a very tender yet sturdy flatbread that's good enough to eat by itself.
1. OG- pork/beef carnitas, salbitxada
Pretty sure the pork cut is from the belly.  Meats are crispy outside but still tender on the inside despite being dry.  I'm not making any sense, I know.  But that's what it's like.  The Chinese have a similar way of cooking meat.  Beef cubes were much leaner and this was a major problem if you didnt get a hunk of the pork belly along with it in the bit you just took.  Beef-only bites were pretty dry and took some jaw-work.  Bites w/ the pork belly were juicy, creamy bliss.  So very rich.  The salbitxada spread plays a huge role in the OG's flavor, but that's okay because of its depth and complexity.

2. Beef tongue schnitzel-harissa, smoked aioli, pickle
Tender tongue that still had enough chewiness.  Accompanying spread and sauce brought an awesome combo of sweet, spicy, and light acidity to make all the ingredients and spices come alive in your mouth.  Best of the three.  Absolutely brilliant balancing of flavors.

3. Toron-oxtail hash, pickle, cheddar, tater, horseradish
Think: med.rare oxtail burger+crispy breakfast tater+yogurty sauce w/ pickles and arugula.  Meat was cooked perfectly but needed more salt/seasoning.  Everything else about it was fine.  Could have been a lot better if Baco used lamb.  Tastes good, but not as interesting as the other two.

2 Coca (crispy flatbread aka fancy pizza)
1. El Cordero- merguez, harissa, feta
Fantastic combo of flavors.  The harissa and spicy sausage went so well together with feta giving a light pungent aroma at the back of your palate.  Served with arugula and cheese on top of the pizza.

2. El Starts w/ a "B" but I Forgot the Name- three cheese, spicy peppers, sausage
Loved the use of Thai basil here.  It provided a fresh 'bite' to counter the heaviness of the sausage and cheeses.

Soujouk Pork Belly Ragu- ricotta cavatelli, pecorino, tomato
Small portion, and appropriately so.  Super dense and hearty dish.  Thick and creamy.  I would not suggest you solo this one.  Very heavy on the soujouk sausage seasoning.  I think this is a really good dish, but I'm not sure.  Was so full at this point that it only tasted "good" but I'm sure under hungrier circumstances it would have tasted amazing.

Fried Chicken & Biscuits
Shut up.  I was curious so I ordered it.  Baco Mercat continues their theme of slightly spicy, a little bit sweet, and a touch of acidity.  Pretty good take on fried chicken, which they sandwich between huge biscuit halves. At $13 I would say not worth it except to satisfy your curiosity.  Plan Check (post coming soon) does chicken a lot better and around the same price.  If your a biscuit fan and don't mind shelling out dough for this dish, then you're gonna love it.  Excellent biscuit that's light and flaky yet sturdy enough to soak up juices and hold the chicken.  Especially liked the buttermilk twang and sugar to round out the flavor.  Light sugar glaze on top was a nice touch.(I do the same when I make 'em!)

Upside-down Caramel Cake
$10 disappointment.  Way too sweet and the crumb was not tender enough.  Menu said it is served with apples so I hoped at least some acid would cut through the sugar...but no.  Apples were super sweet too.  Baco Mercat should consider a lighter cake, holding back the sugar, and some acid or tartness.  This sugar bomb is just not appealing to me.


Yes, it wasn't a perfect experience, but what I failed to describe is the bright complex flavors of each dish that are brilliantly balanced.  It's something you have to taste for yourself because words just aren't up for the task.  I can't remember the last time I had this much fun eating.  Okay Starry Kitchen was pretty good, but Baco Mercat impressed me a lot more with combinations of textures and flavors that I've never experienced.




Note: Parking next to meters is free after 6pm.  Plenty of parking on Main St. or the alleys.


Baco Mercat
408 Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213.687-8808

Tacos Mexico

Another one of those places where you drive by almost all your life and never even notice its existence.  Behold, Tacos Mexico and its $.075 taco Tuesday/Wednesdays:

Six asada tacos spread on a plate.  Photo taken w/ friend's iPhone.

Typically when I want to satisfy my after-dinner Mexican fast-food cravings, I go to Taco Del Rio on Azuza in La Puente.  $6 gets you a monster burrito with all the fixings.  Their tacos are also generously portioned and priced at just over a buck.  What we ate as UCSD students can't even compare to TDR.

...fucking Sergios, Cotixan, Robertos, Rigobertos....ugggh I'm not gonna continue listing them.

Then I was told about Tacos Mexico in Hacienda Hts who are open 24/7.  $0.99 gets you a taco that tastes just like a street taco.  So effin' satisfying.  To hell with my East LA taco crawls.  I'll save myself the drive and just come here.  You'll finish a taco in 3-5 bites (2 if you're a pig) so order a lot of 'em at once if you're hungry.

They serve other stuff too like sopes, gordidas, and breakfast items.  Combo plates also available.  I think I'll keep it simple and just stick with the tacos.  Their meats are pretty decent--well seasoned and juicy.  But, Taco Del Rio meats taste better.  You'll just have to decide whether you want  a street taco from Tacos Mexico or a more meat-oriented Taco Del Rio.

I've read the Yelp reviews on this place and I have to disagree with some of them.  Jason K and Neil's reviews are pretty spot on though.  Yes, this won't be a mind-blowing, life-altering gastronomic experience, but at these prices and their 24/7 business hours, the value is pretty goddamn good for what you get.  The place is clean, tacos aren't soggy with oil, & the meat tastes good. Just make sure you come early enough while it's still freshly cooked.  I'd say a 3 star rating.  My second choice after TDR, which closes at 10:30ish.




Tacos Mexico
1133 Hacienda Blvd
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

Fresh Donuts

No this is not a post about my home cooking adventures.  The donut shop is called Fresh Donuts.  In my opinion, three of their donuts are wickedly good.  The best in their category that I've had to date.

So uh...I actually planned on higher stacks of donuts for the photo-shoot, but I ate too many on the drive back home...

From the top: Devil's Food, Honey Oat, Blueberry.  

What sets Fresh Donuts apart from other shops is that their donuts feel light and clean on the palate because they are less sweet and oily than most.  It also tastes like they change the frying oil frequently.  (Fry enough donuts at home and you'll know what I mean.) Crumb structure is also pretty good, although I've had some inconsistencies with the traditional buttermilk in the past.

The Devil's Food has a strong cocoa presence and doesn't feel bogged down by oil and sugar when its in your mouth.  It is very common to see this type of donut suck up mindblowing amounts of oil as it cooks.  Another common mistake is to overload it with sugar like all creations from Krispy Kreme.  BTW, KK makes bad donuts.  Sorry if you're a fan, but it's true.

Honey Oat is something I don't see very often in donut shops.  Maybe they sell out when I get there or something.  I don't know.  Fresh Donuts achieves a perfect balance of sweetness and nuttiness that keeps me coming back every week for more.

Blueberry is also particularly noteworthy.  They don't skimp when it comes to ingredients.  Each donut contains a generous handful of berries so your mouth and nose will be filled with blueberry aroma with every bite.  Freakin' amazing.

I have a larger version of the following photo as my wallpaper.  Always brightens my spirits when I look at it.

I've also had the chance to try all their yeast-raised donuts (ie. OG glazed, sugar coated, bear claw, apple fritter, etc).  These are merely average.  There has not been a single donut shop whose yeast-raised dough can compete with mine.  I even find popular ones like Cafe Dulce's to be lackluster, if not slightly below average--especially given their high prices.

Restaurants, however, are a different story.  Mariah Swan (former pastry chef at Grace and currently at BLD) always impresses me.



Fresh Donuts  (next to Trader Joe's)
409 Avenida De Los Arboles
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
805.492-0566