La Ballona - "Mexican" Food

La Ballona.

Sounds great, no? Mmmmm... no.
Not.

We dropped in on a Friday night, it was busy. The TV in the place, out of place, was showing Olympic reruns. Why? No clue. It was tough to tell who our server was, random people, some not in any specific attire, came to our table, near our table, to deal with food items.

Margarita! Not gonna screw that up, had to get one. Cadillac, to be exact.
SCREWED IT UP.
Nearly no taste of anything resembling tequila. There's more machismo in the tap water. So I ask the guy who brought the margarita over - not sure if he worked there or just partially owned the place, as he was chatting-up random tables - if we could remedy the margarita si-chew-ay-shone. A pause... he takes the 'rita back to their bar area.
The hope now is that the margarita is remixed, new glass, shaken up with a little more tequila, and repoured. The last thing you wanna do is just float a shot of tequila on the top. Balance it out.
My re-'Rita had a shot of tequila floated on the top. Nice effort.

I ordered a combo of enchilada and one taco. My dining partner ordered chicken enchiladas and one tamale, I think. I say "I think" only because the meal wasn't memorable.

Not every meal in every restaurant has to make you want to not tell anybody about the place so that you can always find a seat there... but this was bland. It was like "here's some mexican food, if you don't mind." In an area full of Mexican, Southwest, Chicano, and Tex-Mex cooking, this was like the McDonalds of Mexican food, minus the desire to produce anything you'd want to return for.

So, ))shrug((, I wouldn't eat here again. When asked if we wanted the rest to go, I said "Yes, away." Perhaps they want to go out of business and sell it off to somebody who would rather handle a restaurant instead of treating people like we're imposing on their ability to chat up other tables and not make a proper margaroodle. Not the time to be taking customers for granted. We walked to In-N-Out for a Double-Double/Protein and an order of Well Done. Eat THAT with your eyes open.

1 0f 5 M's, only because, hey, free shot of tequila.

Thai Best Dishes

We went for Thai food, a fave of ours no matter where we go.

We probably won't be going back to Thai Dishes at 9901 Washington, in Culver City.

I had the Phad Thai. Traditional staple, and kind of what most folks call a "solid starter" dish. This was too spicy, even for the "2 Stars" I ordered. The spice overpowered the flavors of the dish. Too much heat, and I couldn't get close to half of it, so it starts to look like a money waster. Far more noodles than anything else.

We also ordered chicken/mint leaves/rice dish, which was about 2lbs of rice and 1/4lb of chopped chicken and mint leaves. It was just kind of "OK." Nothing spectacular. Total cost was $20 for the two dishes.

There were some interesting dishes we may try another time, but it will be a while until we do. 2 of 5 MM's.

What's With the Prop 8 Ad?

Google is apparently okay with selling Political Ad Space.

Fine. Let's hope it's gone soon.

Campos Burritos

Had a big craving the other night for a taco. A good, filled, hard-shell taco. The taco's spirit is all about the meat, the filling, the mix of flavors. And I was sober, so fast-food taco was out of the question.

Nearby was a Campos Burritos, a place revered in Culver City for, well Burritos, and all other items on their menu. There are 2 that I know of, one on Jefferson out near Marina Del Rey, and one closer to downtown Culver City on Washington. I hit the latter.

I ordered a hard-shell ground beef taco, and my compatriot ordered the soft-shell al pastor (pork!) taco. We didn't have the space for a full burrito, just wanted a nibble. The great thing about the LA sunshine is that the heat kind of commands you to eat light. So we did. Our previous experience with a local Mexican restaurant was dismal (as you may have read by now), so the bar wasn't too high for Campos to usurp the crown. And after one bite, well...

We're hooked!
AWESOME stuff. The simplicity of the food was also the majesty of it. Nothing fancy, it's warm, spiced perfectly, served quickly, and well-priced. ($4.30 for both tacos). The rest of their selections all looked great, so we'll be back for sure. The meat used in their burritos is likely the same in their tacos, so you're gonna win again. Lots of standard meals to choose from, but also the a la carte options if you need something small to tide you over. Arriba! Fantastico! No wonder they're famous.

Campos Burritos gets 4 big MMMMs. Go, chowdown. Enjoy.

What Am I Doing?

Thanks for reading this blog! Recently I moved to the Culver City area and found it to be full of places to eat, with a few of the big chains sprinkled in. There are some pricey joints, some sensible $15/plate places, and the ever-reliable wine bars. But I didn't know any of these places to be any good, could find mixed reviews only, and wanted a fresh start. So...

I decided to try a new place in Culver City every week, and write a blog about these places. I may hit 2 a week, budget allowing, but this way I can give some insight as to what's going on in the dining scene in Culver City. I'm not going to review ONLY their food. If the restaurant's dishing phat eats and crappy service, I'll say it. Everyone has an off day, sure, so it may not be the Final Word. BUT, hey, the best restaurants are known for their consistent delivery of excellence in accordance with their price range. No white tablecloths at McD's, fine... but I don't expect a waiter in a worn-out T-shirt bringing me a $20 meal, either. Seating, ambience, service, diners, all that matters will be included.

My only qualifications are that I've eaten at some of the best restaurants on the West Coast, love trying new places, and enjoy writing. It's all just opinion, of course, so if you have a problem with that, move to a nation that's less free than America. (sigh)

Check back when you can to see what's good in Culver City!