Victoria’s Mexican Grill, high standard, sweet finish

Victoria’s Mexican Grill chef Fernando Rosas with cooks Guillermo and Adrvan. Photos by Tony LaBruno

Two establishments on Western in RPV dish out the classics

 by Richard Foss

 One of the first questions that comes up when I mention a restaurant is “What’s their specialty?” Sometimes that’s easy to answer, because there really is something they serve that is head and shoulders above the rest of their menu items. Sometimes I need to mention two or three things. Sometimes I’m stuck for an answer, because they do everything well.

There are plenty of eateries that fit that description, and they’re the places most people choose for everyday meals. I met one methodical diner who visited a breakfast spot many times and ordered his way through the entire menu, then started repeating. He never found anything he didn’t like.

Victoria’s Mexican Grill hasn’t been open long enough for people to have tried everything on the menu. They just started serving in late August. The restaurant is in a strip mall on Western and is a bit back from the street – the Smart & Final a few doors away is an easy landmark. The interior of Victoria’s is bright and modern, with a colorful fountain and a Mayan themed mural adding some individuality.

Victoria’s Mexican Grill hostess Bianca Rosas.

The menu is a standard list of popular items. The owners are from Michoacan, but regional items like churipo or corundas are absent. This is a missed opportunity, because introducing those to the neighborhood would give people who find the menu online a reason to make a special trip.

I can’t say whether the salsa that arrives with your chips is made in that regional style, but it is very good, with flavors of roasted red and fresh green chillies alongside finally chopped cilantro and onion with a dash of sesame. I found the guacamole to be average, needing a little more citrus, and perhaps a sprinkle of Mexican cotija cheese rather than the Americanized Monterey Jack and mild cheddar blend that was used.

In several visits, I tried a combination plate of chicken enchilada and pork tamales, a green chili burrito, steak picado, and a machaca breakfast. The roast pork in the green chili burrito was very tender and mildly seasoned. It would’ve been boring without the tomatillo sauce, but that elevated it. It’s spicy and citrusy in just the right way, and just keeps you eating. The red sauce on the enchilada was more mild and just okay, but I liked the tamale, which had a robust corn flavor and slight graininess to the masa. In some parts of Mexico the masa is so finely ground that it has no texture and is almost like a pudding, but I prefer a little more texture.

The steak picado was a surprise. There are two different ways of making this beef and vegetable dish, and until now I had only tried one of them. I was familiar with the version that puts beef chunks, onion, and bell peppers into a thick, mild stock that is simmered for a few hours so that the meat is very tender. The version here is a spicy stir-fry in which the liquid is added toward the end of the process. This has some advantages and some disadvantages. The bell pepper still has some vegetable crisp and a distinctive flavor, rather than being completely cooked, but the beef was a little on the tough side. The sauce also had a level of smoky spiciness that makes it a completely different dish. I wish there was a way the meat could be as tender as one version and the sauce as flavorful as the other, but I’m not sure that’s possible. I do like both of them for different reasons.

If I did have to nail down a favorite dish at Victoria’s Mexican Grill, it would be the Machaca that is served at breakfast. The beef in Machaca is traditionally dried so that it concentrates the flavor, which can make it very tough if it’s not cooked correctly. They nailed it here – the pieces of beef were tender but rich and meaty, cooked together with onions and egg. This is like a Mexican analog of corned beef, hash, with Spanish rice and beans on the side.       

Azucanela churreria. Photo by Richard Foss

I only tried one dessert, the flan, which had a rich egg custard flavor and thin, sweet caramel sauce with a hint of smokiness. I enjoy a bite or two of flan but it’s generally too sweet for me. As I left Victoria’s, I found myself wishing for my favorite Mexican dessert, freshly made churros. As this thought was going through my head, I noticed a place on Western called Azucanela, which had a sign advertising that it is a churreria. A place selling Mexico’s gift to the fried dough world on this stretch of Western? I had to pull in. Sure enough, they had both stuffed and plain versions, and fry them to order rather than reheating old ones (a barbaric practice that creates an inferior product). It took about seven or eight minutes for mine to come out of the fryer, and it was just what I hoped for, crunchy goodness outside with a dusting of cinnamon-sugar and a soft interior. I prefer a more bitter chocolate sauce than the sweet one served here, but these didn’t really need it. One order is enough for two people, unless you’re having these with coffee and calling it brunch.          

I like Victoria’s enough to stop by any time I’m in the area. They do what they’re supposed to do, make a good everyday meal at a modest price. I’ll stop by Azucanela for a treat afterward if they’re open (they close early in the evening, alas). Neither is a special occasion place, but I can visit them every week and still find things to enjoy.

Victoria’s Mexican Grill is at 28380 S Western Ave. in RPV. 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon. to Fr., 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat, Sun. Parking lot, no alcohol served, wheelchair access good, noise level low. No website. 424-264-5134.

Azucanela is at 26344 S Western Ave in Lomita. Open 7a.m – 8 p.m., parking behind restaurant. azucanela.com, (424) 263-2684.

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