Street-style tacos at Alfredo Garcia’s [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
The two tamale dish at Alfredo Garcia’s consists of chicken in red sauce and pork in green chile sauce. Photo
I don’t generally have high expectations for Mexican restaurants in the South Bay – most do the standard dishes competently, but that’s all. Spend some time in Mexico, or in East LA neighborhoods where an affluent community that knows this cuisine demands authenticity, and you will be discouraged by our local offerings. There are a few bright spots, but in most cases the offerings are limited, the flavors muted.
The most interesting new entrant is in a secluded location and has an unlikely name – Alfredo Garcia’s. Connoisseurs of old movies are more likely to recognize that name than gourmets – it’s from the title of a violent crime flick from the 1970’s rather than a cooking show. The real chef here is not Mr. Garcia, but Rafael Solorzano, a South Bay restaurant veteran whose previous foray into Mexican cuisine was at Lou-E-Luey’s on the Redondo Boardwalk. The food there was excellent but limited to Baja-style seafood; at Alfredo Garcia’s Solorzano explores many regional styles and constructs a few creations of his own.
The restaurant is tucked in the courtyard of the Lunada Bay Plaza building, and the interior takes advantage of the high-ceilinged architecture to create an open, traditional space. The music is usually jazzy standards at moderate volume, making a pleasant background to peruse the menus and nibble fresh chips with a tangy salsa.
In several visits I have tried most of the appetizers, including an exceptional tomato soup with chorizo, onions, roasted corn, and avocado. I’m not a fan of Mexican chorizo in most dishes as it’s usually too oily, but here a moderate amount adds spicy meatiness that is appealing, and the roasted corn adds smokiness to create depth of flavor. Another surprise was the coconut shrimp, a combination I rarely order because the mass-produced versions are too sweet and have killed my enjoyment. Here the plump shrimp rolled in fresh coconut with spices and served with a pineapple-chipotle dipping sauce were remarkable and rekindled my enthusiasm for the dish.
Among the more traditional items, our favorite was the plate with two small tamales, one of chicken in red sauce, the other of pork in green chile sauce. It’s a good-sized starter for two and with a small salad would be a great light meal for one, the cornmeal steamed in cornhusks light-textured and moist, a perfect wrapper for the flavorful meat.
We also sampled the Ensalada de Camaron – grilled shrimp over mixed greens with avocado, tomato, and sliced papaya topped with a mango-based dressing. It was a tropical delight and something I’d order again any day.
Alfredo Garcia’s doesn’t have a liquor license so full-strength margaritas aren’t offered, though they make a good low-alcohol approximation using fresh juices. The pomegranate-based “Lungarita” (an unfortunate contraction of Lunada Margarita) was a better drink in our opinion. The restaurant plans to get a full license, so the variety of drinks may expand.
The main courses include street-style tacos and burritos made with a variety of meats and also huaraches, a Mexico City style dish of a thick fried corncake with toppings. There are also several seafood dishes, Oaxacan-style chicken mole, and my personal favorite, the Yucutan-style pork dish called cochinita pibil. This dish of pork slow-roasted in citrus juice (traditionally bitter Seville oranges) along with chilies and annatto seed to create a meltingly tender, highly seasoned but not hot dish. In Mayan villages this is made by pit roasting, which gives it a deeply smoky flavor, but the oven roasted version here is delightful. It is cooked in banana leaves, which add to the flavor, and served with black beans, rice, pickled vegetables, and fried plantains, making the plate both beautiful and full of varied flavors.
Other favorites are barramundi topped with grilled shrimp, sautéed corn, and chipotle sauce; and the lobster enchiladas topped with a tangy guajillo chili sauce. That sauce took advantage of the naturally fruity characteristics of this pepper to create a slight sweet and sour flavor that was excellent with the seafood. We also were happy with a daily special of grilled mahi mahi topped with avocado and salsa, which was served with broccoli, radishes, and grilled zucchini.
The only item I found disappointing was the mole sauce, which was sweeter than I prefer on my most recent visit; I have had others that are more rich and smoky, and I prefer them. This one is not bad, but wasn’t up to the standard of the other dishes. I had it on earlier visit and liked it, so this may have been an anomaly.
With dinner we decided to try some of the Mexican wines from Cetto winery – and yes, good wine can be made in Baja, but not much of it makes it to the USA. The house Valle de Luca wasn’t to our taste, but the Cetto Nebbiolo and Cabernet were both worth a try. Neither is going to give the wineries in Napa sleepless nights worrying about the competition, but they were better than expected and show the promise of the area.
After dinner we shared flan and churros, the two most popular Mexican desserts, As much as I like churros the flan won out, a custard with the richness that hinted at coconut milk and delicate hints of cinnamon.
Dinner at Alfredo Garcia’s is moderately priced, especially considering the neighborhood and atmosphere – it’s easy to have a luxurious meal with a beverage or two and spend less than $40.00 a person. It’s a modest bill for an exciting meal that brings South Bay Mexican food to new heights.
Alfredo Garcia’s is at 2325 Palos Verdes Drive West – parking below the restaurant, entry from side or rear. Open daily from 4 to 10 PM Tue-Sun, opening soon for brunch. Children welcome, beer and wine served. Menu at alfredogarciasrestaurant.com, phone 310-544-1400.