Tamarindo Antojeria, Oakland

While usually boasting about my own food writing skills, I do believe that Carol Ness wrote everything I ever wanted to say about Tamarindo. We'll call this review an "update" that just happens to echo every single one of her sentiments. I was so stoked to eat at Tamarindo Antojeria. It's been touted as the big rival to Dona Tomas' stronghold on upscale Mexican cuisine in the Bay Area, but I rate it with a big 'ol MEH.

The service was friendly, and the restaurant is cute but the food was very disappointing. As I look over the menu now, I realize that we weren't even offered whatever the special dinner/large plate was that night (the menu is mostly small plates), which is frustrating because some of the descriptions of the bigger plates sound like they could bump Tamarindo up a star. The service did do a great job of pacing the courses and not overloading our tiny bar table, but that's about where the fun ended.

We started with the Queso Fundido, Tamal Oaxaqueño, and Empanadas de Hongos Y Queso. The Queso Fundido ($10) sounded oily, gooey and delicious but only succeeded in acheiving my first two adjectives. It was a bowl of melted cheese with a few tiny pieces of chorizo served with tortillas. It needed a lot more meat, texture, and flavor. Maybe a veg to garnish or if it had been served with chips we'd have liked it a lot more. The tamales ($7) were incredibly dry and disappointing. I covered mine in salsa which still didn't help the stringy, overcooked meat. The empanadas ($8) were decent; I like mushrooms, I like fried things, but I could get the same thing for half the price at Picante and for even cheaper at some place on International that I haven't been brave enough to try yet.

Next, we had the Sopes Surtidos, and Frijoles Charros. The Sopes Surtidos ($9) are crispy masa "boats" topped with meat and/or vegetables. The "boats" were very tasty little corn tart-like shells that had great texture and flavor. One was topped with roasted peppers and cheese, another with carnitas and red onion and the last with carne asada and potatoes. The beef one was very good--the meat was tender and flavorful, but again the pork was dry. While I hate to toot the horns of Picante or Tacubaya too much because I think they're overrated as well, the food's just as good and way cheaper at both. The pinto beans ($7) were served almost as if they were in a soup with bacon slices and jalapeno. The flavor was definitely there but the dish lacked texture, which we quickly remedied by dumping our leftover Queso Fundido into it. Delicioso.

For dessert, we tried the Crepa con Cajeta ($7), which was a crepe covered in caramel sauce, sprinkled with walnuts and garnished with a strawberry and vanilla ice cream. The vanilla ice cream was icy, creamy and delicious but I had major beef with the fact that they garnished it with a strawberry. It's March, people, strawberries are totally out of season. Why serve one even as a garnish when there are so many great seasonal alternatives? The crepe was not very good either. The caramel sauce tasted like the stuff you can buy at Safeway in the plastic tub and the walnuts weren't even toasted so they blended in with the chewiness of the crepe.

It's too bad, I really wanted to like Tamarindo but at this point I'm not even tempted to go back and try anything else on the menu. Plus, you can get most of the small plates on their menu at their sister restaurant, La Calle, for a fraction of the price.

Los Cantaros Restaurant and Taqueria, Oakland

There are certain places that I patronize for just...one...thing. Los Cantaros is one of those places...Well maybe they're the place I go for just...two...things.

The free chips and salsa are really, really good here. I don't know what it is, but they always have the perfect amount of salt on them and the chips themselves are thick and crunchy without being too oily. The salsa is tangy and spicy, and so good that I could almost drink a bowl of it.

In order to get the chips, I learned that you have to buy something. It being a rainy week, I ordered the Caldo Tlalpeno ($5.50). It's a spicy chicken broth soup with vegetables and tons of chicken served with a lime and tortillas. I know, it doesn't sound like anything fancy but this soup is so addicting that I've gone back to get it three times in one week. Plus, it's incredibly filling (the bowl is HUGE), pretty healthy and very affordable. I leave stuffed every time, even when I go there after the gym.

Since I know my readership consists solely of family members I will mention that most of the meat they give you are giant chunks of tender dark meat. Did I win you over yet? The soup is so flavorful and satisfying--especially with the added depth from the lime juice, and has just the right amount of heat to bring a healthy pore-clearing sweat to your face.

I've had a burrito and the enchiladas from Los Cantaros as well, but I don't think I'll ever be able to go and not order the Caldo Tlalpeno. Oh, and their water is really good too because they put cucumbers and lemon in it. I always wait to fill up my water bottle until I get to the restaurant.

Los Cantaros is located at 336 Grand Avenue in Oakland.
They are open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays.

Cocina Poblana, Emeryville

Cocina Poblana is a relatively new restaurant in Emeryville, on the corner of 65th and Hollis. I had passed it a bunch of times while driving from Nolo to the Women's Community Clinic. When they started advertising a happy hour, my friends Anna, Heather, and I decided we'd continue on with my unemployment celebration.

We were seated almost immediately, but it took about fifteen minutes for us to be able to order our food. To add to the wait, the hostess was unable to tell us anything about the drink selection, and when my margarita came it had a hair in it!

When we finally were able to order, Heather got the Ensalada Poblana ($7), with Romaine lettuce, a full serving of grilled chicken, avocado, Mexican cheese and black beans. Not the most exciting order ever, but Heather seemed to really like it. Plus, the portion was huge. I wasn't totally in wannabe food critic mode, so no, I did not try it. Sorry.

I ordered two appetizers, the ceviche ($8) and taquitos poblanos with beef ($6). The ceviche was made with shrimp, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and cilantro. This wasn't my favorite dish because it lacked a ton of flavor. Plus, the veggies were kind of overwhelming; when I get ceviche I want there to be a ton of seafood in it.

The taquitos, however, were out of this world. I ordered them "crispy with beef" and got three mini corn tortillas filled with stewed beef, Mexican cheese, cabbage, and salsa. The beef practically melted in my mouth and had amazing flavor. While not enough food for an entire meal, I was totally full after eating about half of the ceviche and my taquitos.

Anna also had trouble finishing her food--she got a gigantic serving of steak fajitas ($12); enough for two meals. The steak was seasoned with garlic, and garnished with all of the regular fajita fixings.

All in all, I want to go back to this place just to have that stewed beef again. The service and the ceviche leave something to be desired, but the prices and the food, overall, were great. Cocina Poblana has only been open for about a year, so I want to give them the benefit of a doubt.

Do give it a try and let me know what you think!

Cocina Poblana is conveniently located at 1320 65th Street in Emeryville. They even have breakfast, and are open from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Happy hour is from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

They also have a website: http://www.cocinapoblana.com/.

Picante, Berkeley (Round Three)

Catherine was convinced that she could make me like Picante. She did.

We ordered a bunch of things together and split them today for lunch. We ordered the empanadas, two a la carte tacos with carnitas, split a rajas burrito, and had the chocolate angel food cake for dessert.

First of all, I think that Picante is a LOT better when eating in. My enchiladas probably wouldn't have been so rubbery if I had just eaten them at the restaurant and not at my cramped, greenhouse of a cubicle. Of course having good company also helps out a lot. :)

The rajas burrito is Catherine's favorite--it was very good. They fill the burrito with roasted green peppers, rice, beans and some really good sour cream. It has enough spice as it is, but it's even better when you drop some of the roasted chipotle salsa on top. Either way, it's a very nice take on a burrito. Plus, it's nice to notice when the veggies are fresh, and they definitely were in this burrito (Picante 1, La Burrita 0).

I tried the empanadas next. The empanadas were filled with peppers and cheese, in a folded and sealed flour tortilla which is then deep fried. They then garnish it with queso fresco, lettuce, and that pickled veggie thing that Heather loves. I don't even like cheese and I liked these. The cheese practically melted in my mouth, and the texture of the tortilla was amazingly good--very crispy and flaky. This one didn't need any additional sauce, it was very satisfying on its own. I could probably just make a dinner out of the empanadas.

Next, I moved on to my street tacos. The tacos consisted of a handmade corn tortilla filled with carnitas, diced onions, cilantro and guacamole. The carnitas were good--definitely not dry like the chicken had been two times ago, but they needed a little bit more flavor (I recommend Gordo's for really good carnitas). The guacamole was good, but they were better after I put some salsa verde on top...Or maybe if I had a lime that would have helped too. Still, these weren't bad, and I'm starting to appreciate Picante a lot more.

Finally, even though I was really full, we ate the chocolate angel food cake. Just half of one was enough for me, but it was really addictive. If you're going to get one, definitely turn your slice over on to its side and eat it from the bottom up. The cake itself is great but when you get a bite of it with the chocolate frosting on the top, it's heaven.

So I'm convinced. I'll definitely go back to Picante--not all the time when I want Mexican, but I'm definitely a convert. Finally.

Please stay tuned, I got a huge list of authentic Vietnamese and Mexican restaurants from my dad's friend who is very involved in food. I'll probably try to slowly make my way through the list and learn my way through the taco trucks of International Boulevard.

THANK YOU Catherine for lunch!

Picante, Berkeley (Round Two)

Ok everyone said I had to give Picante another try. Heather and I just went together, and overall, it was much better than before, but I'm still not overly impressed.

We both ordered the tortilla soup and split the ceviche. I'll start with the ceviche. It had fish and shrimp, which were very fresh, in a sweet tomato sauce with a slice of avocado on top. Everything was good, I just don't like sweet ceviche. I can't say that in general, this is actually the first time I've had sweet ceviche, but I liked the spicy/tangy ones I've had a lot better; Heather agreed with me. The ceviche was served with their homemade, thick and salty corn chips, though, which were really good.

The tortilla soup was good, it had chicken and tortilla chips in it with a hint of some cheese. They also give you some diced onions and cilantro on the side to add. The only thing I would have added would have been a bit more spice and some lime. Overall though it was very satisfying, and Picante gives you a lot. However, both the tortilla soup and the ceviche ended up costing me $16! I'm really agreeing with AP (see comments on Picante entry number one); I need to go to International Boulevard and get me some cheap, good eats. Though I will comment, they use primo fresh produce and yes, they do have cured Neiman Ranch beef, so with some dishes it's hard to argue with the price. I just feel like with Mexican food, you can get something way better at a much lower price by going somewhere that to me at least seems more authentic.

I'm going to go one more time like the true food critic (I heard Michael Bauer goes at least 3 times) I'm trying to be--plus my mom had some recommendations too. If on Monday when I go with Catherine I'm still not sold, I'm calling it quits with Picante. I might be taking a higher risk of getting some sort of food poisoning but I have no problem with going to La Burrita or some random taco truck for a cheap but oh so tasty wet burrito. Anyone have a recommendation for International Boulevard restaurants? Please leave a comment and let me know!

Picante, Berkeley

It's a slow day. Time for post number two.

Picante comes highly recommended by the Chronicle food writers, so I thought I'd give it a try. It also turns out that Picante is owned by Jim Maser, who is Alice Waters' brother-in-law and co-owner of Cafe Fanny (a place I love).

The restaurant is located near the corner of Gilman and 6th. I was in a hurry to find parking (I have a tendency to do some very odd things when I'm hungry), so I decided it would be okay to just park in the red one block down. For future reference, I noticed as I walked into the restaurant that there is a huge parking lot across the street with an even huger sign that says "PICANTE PARKING."

My mind was set on having something hot, spicy and filled with meat. I ended up ordering the enciladas verdes: chicken wrapped in hand-made tortillas, covered in salsa verde with black beans and rice on the side. In addition, Heather from Nolo recommended this pickled vegetable mix thing, so I got a small container of that. Since I was on work time, I wasn't messing around (there is a hint of sarcasm here), so I ordered everything to go. I stood around and waited for about 7 minutes until my food was brought to me. The dining room was nicely decorated--there looked to be seating inside and out. Nothing too special, it reminded me of most upscale taquerias I've been to.

Eventually I came back to my desk and dug in. I was really looking forward to the hand made tortillas, so I started on the enchiladas. Unfortunately, the meat was really dry and the tortillas were rubbery. For $14 total, I was hoping for something better. The salsa was better than most though, it had a fair amount of heat which is kind of rare for salsas verdes (though please note I'm not attempting to be a Mexican food connoisseur, I just look like one). The rice was flavored nicely, but both the rice and beans looked like they had been sitting out for a long time. Very disappointing. I'd also like to add that I think I went in with very high expectations, considering that Alice Waters is associated with the restaurant, so I expected crisp, fresh organic veggies. This wasn't a bad enchilada, it just didn't make me crave more.

I then moved on to the pickled veggie thing. I know this stuff has a name, I just don't know what it is. When I ordered it, I simply asked for the pickled veggie thing and this is what I got. It's basically a mixture of pickled cauliflower, zucchini and carrots with lots of jalapenos. The flavor of it was really good, but I think I was hoping for more sourness than I got, and it was a bit more hot than I'd have liked. Sweating through my A's hat after two bites, I decided to bring it home for Andy, who seemed to really enjoy it, but he also agreed that it usually has less heat and more acidity (but he liked it better that way). Either way, not bad, but the veggies could have been more crunchy. Note--Heather just said over our cubicle partition that it helps to eat the veggies with tortilla chips, it cuts down on the heat, and after what I just wrote, I'd assume add some crunch too.

In the middle of writing this post, I went over to thank Catherine for being my first comment on the site. I told her my next review victim was Picante and she said I need to rethink my ordering choice. I'm going to go back, like the true food critic I am, and order something else, but so far I'm skeptical. Catherine and Heather both have heard that the tortilla soup is great, and I'm interested in their ceviche. Nolo is pretty close to Picante, so come back soon (PLEASE come back soon and read my blog!) and I will probably have a new review of this place soon.

The one thing I will give this place is that they seem to do veggie and vegan well; they have an entire menu devoted to vegetarian and vegan cuisine. There is a brunch menu for the weekend, also, that I may or may not try. Depends on that tortilla soup. Anyway, like I said before, check back or let me know your feedback on this place.

Picante is located at 1328 6th Street in Berkeley, CA 94710
They are open Monday through Friday, 1:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Phone: (510) 525-3121

Website: picantecocina.citysearch.com
Yelp.com: www.yelp.com/biz/x_8JAuZLXfcI1SJlgOcZ6g