My Sunset Deli love affair continues – oaxacan tamales!
Posted: February 1, 2008 Filed under: Food | Tags: mexican, new york, Oaxacan, oaxaquenos, sunshine deli, white plains 1 CommentSunshine Deli is just amazing. I know I’ve talked about them a lot already, but each time I go, I find new surprises.
This time, it was Oaxacan tamales (oaxaqueños). While these are not the best Oaxacan tamales I’ve ever had, just the fact that Sunshine Deli in White Plains sells them puts them in a different category altogether. I can’t remember what other tamales they have, I haven’t tried them yet, but I believe they also had rajas con queso, chicken and pork.
Anyhow, for anyone willing to venture there, here’s my summary of what to order:
Tacos
- Cochinita Pibil. (achiote paste rubbed pork shoulder, roasted in banana leaves). I’ve only seen them there twice in the 10 or so times I’ve been there, but if they have them, DEFINITELY get them. Awesome.
- Al pastor. It’s thin, deep-red chile/adobo marinated pork that is roasted on a vertical spit. It’s accompanied with pineapple. Very good.
- Asada. Tasty beef, accompanied either by guacamole or sliced avocado, depending on the day. Good.
- Carnitas. Quite good, though not as good as Los Gemelos in Port Chester or Michoacano in New Rochelle.
- Chorizo. This was just OK in my opinion. Could be better.
- Pollo. Also just OK, but it depends on what kind of chicken they’ve made that day.
Other goodies
- Quesadilla con huitlacoche. Quesadilla made with corn masa, filled with oaxacan cheese (i think at least) and that wonderful inky black huitlacoche. I don’t know of another place around that sells anything with huitlacoche (the black truffle-like fungus that grows on corn).
- Albondigas. Mexican meatballs in a rich chipotle-based broth. Excellent. These are the traditional mexican meatballs – with rice and hard boiled egg. Very satisfying on a cold day.
- Oaxacan tamales. See above, but these are a treat. They aren’t superb, but they are the only ones to be found anywhere outside of brooklyn and queens.
- Huaraches. Their huaraches are good, but not as great as some of the other foods there.
- Tortas. These too are good. I like their carnitas torta, but, like the carnitas tacos, I think you can find better tortas around. But still very good.
Salsa
This comes with anything you buy, but their house salsa is a great smoky chipotle salsa. Awesome stuff with deep flavor. Got some kick, but not overwhelming and lots of complexity. Great with everything they sell.
Here’s the address:
Sunshine Deli
31 Lake St, White Plains, NY 10603, USA
[Originally posted on Chowhound]
Corelli’s Pastry in Stamford: Italian turned Colombian turned Haitian
Posted: December 28, 2007 Filed under: Food | Tags: Colombian, connecticut, Griot, Haitian, Italian, stamford 1 CommentHas anyone been to this place on Stillwater in Stamford recently? I spoke to a good Haitian friend who said that the place is now a split Colombian/Haitian restaurant.
Apparently, the Colombian owners (who, presumably, had bought it from the Italian owners a few years ago) sold half the joint and now they have two menus – one Colombian, one Haitian. I asked if they had the same folks cooking both foods and apparently they have two kitchen staffs too (a good thing). So you can go in and order either Colombian or Haitian. I remember the bakery part of the Colombian was quite good. I’m glad it’s still around.
Anyone been recently? I need to check it out. Apparently the griot and goat curries are very good. I’m excited for some good Haitian food. Lacaye really wasn’t all that good for the past few years.
Now that it’s gone from Italian to Colombian to Colombian and Haitian, I wonder when they’ll actually change the name??? Although, I guess that adds to the charm…
Corelli’s Pastry Shop
166 Stillwater Ave,
Stamford, CT
(203) 348-0686
[Originally posted on Chowhound]
Corona/Norco #1: El Rancho Taqueria in Corona
Posted: June 24, 2006 Filed under: Food | Tags: el rancho, mexican, Norco, taco, taqueria Leave a comment[originally posted on chowhound]
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m here in Corona/Norco visiting family for a few weeks… excited about trying out some food that, frankly, doesn’t get covered on this board very often. So, here’s the first report. Had a wonderful lunch today in Corona. By the way, Corona rocks. It’s the Santa Ana of the Inland Empire, in my opinion… so much in the way of great mexican. So, I just trolled along Sixth St. looking for some place. Tons and tons of great looking tacquerias. Anyhow, settled on this place, since it was next to a little market and I needed to pick up some stuff.
It’s called El Rancho Taqueria. It is a very small place – doesn’t look like anything, really, from the outside. On the inside, it looks like a typical baja kind of tacqueria. I ordered two tacos and a tamale.
The carnitas taco was wonderful – very flavorful, moist, and not at all dry. The al pastor taco was also very good. It wasn’t a spit-roasted one (still looking), but the meat was excellent. Most al pastor I get is tough pork marinated and overcooked. This was very juicy, tender pork chunks – almost carnitas-like tenderness, with a full flavored spiciness you expect from al pastor. Very good.
The tamale was ok. Good flavor, but nothing to write home about. I ordered it on a whim… but this place doesn’t come across as a tamale kind of place. I’ll keep looking for that.
Anyhow, not sure if anyone from Corona reads these boards, but, this place was a great place to satisfy a taco hankering…
El Rancho Taqueria
685 E. Grand, Ste. 103
Corona, CA 92881
951-278-8133
[as a side note, had some good donuts at a divey place on the corner of El Paseo Grande and W 6th St. Nice lady inside made a custom order for me – going back and frosting some donuts to my daughters specifications. Very nice… anyhow, she’s cambodian and just so nice… said the vietnamese and thai places in corona are just mediocre… but she did recommend a chinese/cambodian restaurant in westminster that I need to check out…]
Adam Christensen 