A Pescetarian on Vacation: SoCal

"How was your trip?"

I've recently been told by a few readers that it seems as though all of my posts have been about cycling. Given that I have only posted about 5 blog entries so far, and only one of them has been about my "new way of eating," I figured my next blog post should be on the subject...

My sister and I just spent a short week in Southern California, visiting family and friends. It was my first vacation as a pescetarian, and even though I didn't eat the healthiest pescetarian food, I did mainly stick to the diet for the time I was there, and was not tempted to eat meat* in the least bit. Before we arrived, I told all of the family we'd be visiting that I was now a pescetarian, and that they could eat whatever they wanted, but that I wouldn't be eating any meat. My family was quite supportive, and had fish/vegetarian options at every meal.

"This is SO good... I always forget how good."

Growing up in NorCal, we would travel to SoCal often to visit extended family. One sure stop every time we'd visit would be our family's favorite Mexican restaurant (or joint, rather) in SoCal, Tito's Tacos. My only possible diet slip up may have happened here. My sister and I went there upon our arrival at LAX. I ordered the usual, a bean & cheese burrito. Tito's is infamous for their taco's, but to me, heaven on earth exists in the form of their bean & cheese burrito. To solidfy this point: whenever someone asks me the inevitable "if you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have one food with you for eternity, what would it be?" question - my answer is ALWAYS, a Tito's bean & cheese burrito.  Catch my drift?

Yes, the ingredients are simple - beans, cheese, and a tortilla (w/salsa on the side).  Why a possible slip up then? Well, while this is unsubstantiated information, my mother and I truly believe that the reason Tito's beans (and tortillas) taste so good is because they are cooked in lard. Lard is pig fat, and something I should completely avoid as a fish-eating vegetarian. The mere thought of lard is even kinda gross...fat, that is rendered from any fatty part of a pig - an animal that is suspect at best for its edibleness. But, for whatever reason, the taste of anything cooked in lard it is simply fabulous. My question - does Tito's use lard in cooking their beans? Tortillas? I did not ask. And no, I will not be researching it. This is a case of willful blindness in my diet which could only be reserved for goodness that is Tito's.

"You are here to eat, and nothing more."

After leaving Tito's, my sister and I headed to Grandfather A's house. Basically a gourmet chef in his own right, he had been preparing and cooking for us well in advance of our arrival. As soon as we stepped foot in his place, we were being fed. For an appetizer, we had fried fish with a mango/berry chutney, for a mid-afternoon snack we enjoyed moules frites with garlic aioli (if you haven't had french fries, or frites, with aioli, you haven't yet lived), and a couple hours later, an exquisite dinner featuring linguine with clams, mussels, and squid. And throughout the day, endless wine, bread, and homemade watermelon juice (what do YOU know about fresh watermelon juice?). As only our Grandfather A could accomplish, for dessert, he also served 3 types of homemade sorbet, yes 3. By the time we left his house, we were at least 5 lbs heavier (remember, this was the same day we had gone to Tito's). But that kind of decadence, that kind of love, you only get once in a great while, and is worth every ounce on a scale.

"What does Julia Child have on Mexican Food?"

That evening, we next headed Grandfather G's in Palm Desert.  The next day, Grandpa G and I went to Cardena's market to see if there was anything we could pick up for dinner. Cardenas Market is a Latin market with locations throughout Southern California. They carry Latin American products, and upon entering you really feel like you are in another country (that, and the fact that none of the employees speak English may also contribute to that feeling, but I digress). For a Mexican food lover like myself, it is also a grocery paradise. This place has an entire area devoted to tortilla making.

Pause for a minute. Imagine your local Safeway. Now imagine a market that replaces the "fried food counter" with nothing but tortillas - flour, corn, big, small. All still warm, fresh, and cheap. They also have a section for aguas frescas (Grandpa A's watermelon juice would make a great addition to it!), a SALSA counter (yes, at least 10 types of salsa, and you can taste them all, too!), Mexican take out food (everything you can think of, freshly made to order), and all of the other normal grocery store amenities. That, and every Latin American product known to man.

Grandpa G mentioned that he had some fish at home, so immediately I knew I wanted to make myself some fish tacos. I went for the small, corn tortillas. They were so fresh, the warmth was making the interior of the plastic bag condensate. And to top it all off, you get 50 warm tortillas for $1.59. Out of control.

We got home and I made my fish tacos with some of the salsa and some avocado. They were simply divine. My sister ate a hamburger (Grandpa G's famous burgers). As much as I used to love my Grandpa's burgers, the fish tacos I made may have been the best I've ever had. Thanks, Cardenas. Earlier that same day, before dinner, we saw the movie "Julie and Julia," about the life of Julia Child and some blogger who is obsessed with her appreciates her cooking (I did like the movie). However, while I was eating, I couldn't help but think, could Julia make taco's this good?

"I've never had an 'In & Out' Burger."

After our quick trip in Palm Desert - we hit the road again to visit some friends in Los Angeles. First we went to Hollywood for a late lunch on Melrose Ave (so L.A.). For dinner, we enjoyed some more Mexican food at a restaurant that had $15 pitchers of Margaritas.

Friday we left the house and decided to grab lunch. On our way to the freeway, my sister mentioned that she'd never had an 'In & Out' burger, and asked if they were "really that good?"... 

Next stop - 'In & Out' burger. My sister ordered the classic Double-Double. Side note - I, personally, know how good these burgers are.  But guess what, I did not want one.  I ordered her the burger, and thought about the portobella mushroom sandwich that I was actually craving.  I did not give in. I was able to watch my sister eat a fresh 'In & Out' burger, with no problems. It was at that moment I realized I had crossed some sort of imaginary threshold for pescetarianism. I was the real deal. 

Finally, our last SoCal food experience worth mentioning in a blog.  Porto's Bakery.  We went for lunch and I must admit I am hooked.  This is a bakery/cafe in Burbank, CA.  They must have thousands of desserts, cakes, general sweets, as well as a full coffee bar, sandwiches, and a variety of other goodies.  This place is really worth experiencing for yourself.  For lunch, I had a piece of bread pudding before my tuna melt (they didnt have the portobella mushroom sammy), while drinking a horchata smoothie, and finished it off with a red velvet cupcake.  No dinner necessary after that meal, kids. 

We spent the last day or so just nibbling.  As you can see, we ate more than enough throughout the week.  But besides the possible lard consumption at Tito's, I stayed true to my no meat diet, and was able to remain a pescetarian throughout the week!  My favorite part of the trip had to be hanging out in Venice Beach.  I wish I could have frozen time then.  I was able to gain a greater appreciation for my Mom's child/early adulthood, as she grew up in that area.  As I tweeted from the beach, there is really nothing better or more beautiful than the pacific ocean.  I hope you got a nice jist of my vacation, at least in a culinary sense.  Hang ten.

"That was the most fun!" -Shout out to T.B.

*From this point on, whenever I refer to "meat" in any of my blogs, I mean any meat that is not fish. For simplicity in writing, I am considering fish a non-meat.