None of the jokes I have attempted on drafts are funnier than SC losing to both Irvine and Long Beach. May your basketball always be painful but the blood clams always be available
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Ha that’s probably fair. Yesterday was excruciating. Long live the blood clams and long live Enfield teams beating up on Cronin teams.
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Damn if there was a Holbox near Pauley I might actually drive across town to go to a game once in a while though.
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What is the pauley meal of choice these days? Was planning on heading west to watch the SC-UCLA women’s game with my buddy who’s a Bruin!
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Plateia (the restaurant in the hotel) is a nightmare for men’s games but might be easier for a women’s game. Tacos 1986. Broxton/Barneys/Rocco’s if you want that sort of thing. People don’t realize Taste of Tehran is basically counter service so you could do that if you want a bit of a walk. The food trucks at Pauley itself actually tend to be solid if expensive.
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If you squint then La Cienega Mariscos Jalisco is sorta on the way 
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Holbox super busy tonight but still consistently churning out stupendous food.
I will say that probably because they are so busy they are pretty bad about bringing stuff such as plates napkins forks or other things which can be pretty annoying.
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Line out the door at Holbox today. Woof. Has to detour to that Al pastor spot so I could make the usc ucla women’s game.
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With lines out the door, Holbox must be doing something right.
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Halibut ceviche is pretty cool. Habanero shavings pack a punch and provide a nice fruitiness.
Scallop taco is super delicate.
Smoked kanpachi per usual is superb.
Now to watch USC get smoked by Oregon.
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the kanpachi sausage stuffed squash blossom is a five tear drop out of five dish 
big (geo)duck energy
conchas - oysters, razor clam & geoduck
bonus rock crab
crudo de rockot - crudo local ikejime vermillion rockfish, grilled lemon vinaigrette, cucumber, serrano pepper
tostada de lenguado con erizo - santa barbara sea urchin and halibut ceviche
torre de mariscos - sinaloa style seafood tower, shrimp, octopus, bluefin tuna, avocado, salsa negra
tostada de pate con callo - kanpachi head pate, hokkaido scallops, chili oil, chives, tostada raspada
flor de calabaza - squash blossom, kanpachi sausage, fermented tomatillo, habanero, hope ranch mussels a la veracruzana
Tamal de Abulon - local abalone, masa colada, liver sauce
taco de jaiba - dungeness crab, house smoked yellowtail, local oaxaca cheese, crab butter salsa macha
camarones a la talla - mesquite grilled santa barbara spot prawns, calamari ink rice, cucumber salad, fermented salsa verde
churros and chocolate sauce
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Can’t get enough of Holbox lately.
Erizo (Sea Urchin) & Scallop Ceviche
Finally got it @theplankt! 
Tostada de Jurel - Baja California Line Caught Wild Yellowtail Ceviche, Avocado Purée, Salsa Macha
Pristine yellowtail, lotsa lime, generous salt, heat & texture. L♥️VE.
Same thing. Different day…
Ingredients matter… but so does preparation. This one was not well prepared. The difference between the two is visually noticeable - thrown together, cut of yellowtail had some chewy connective tissue and there was not enough lime & salt. Gonna let this one slide and try it again. 
Tostada w/House Smoked Kanpachi, Shrimp, Scallops, Arbol-Peanut Sauce
Baja Shrimp Taco w/Crema, Mayo, Salsa Roja, Cabbage, Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo
Still one of my favorite tacos.
Hubs has been making his way to Chichen Itza…
Weekends only. Hubs said meat is tender and topped w/a tasty crispy chicharron…. he also said he’s “had better”. But who’s complaining at $2.50?
Bistec a la Yucateca - Thin Angus New York Strip, Caramelized Onions, Rice, Black Bean Purée, Fried Potato Slices, Fried Plantain & Corn Tortillas
He really enjoys this dish. I had a bite of the black bean purée and didn’t want to give the bowl back. So good.
Till next time…
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Is that tasting menu or ALC?
it’s the tasting menu.
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Free event May 22 with Gilberto:
Restaurants are central to our lives—they’re where we laugh, where we celebrate, where we have serious conversations, where we share intimate secrets. Behind each of these special places are the people who dreamed them up and made them come to life.
We Are Where We Eat is a new live event series in partnership with The James Beard Foundationthat will go behind the scenes of some of L.A.’s favorite restaurants with the city’s most-celebrated chefs and owners to find out more about how they’re making it all work.
First up, we’ll dig into how restaurants make a neighborhood. Independent restaurants have a unique impact on their neighborhoods, from the people they employ to the foods they source to the space they provide to the community. How is that expressed here in Los Angeles? Join LAist host Austin Cross (he/him) and special guests to hear how owners of vital neighborhood gathering spots have made their homes in communities around L.A.
We’ll have something tasty for everyone to try as well, from Bridgetown Roti and Little Fish.
SPECIAL GUESTS
- Andrew Muñoz (he/him) of Moo’s Craft Barbecue
- Gilberto Cetina (he/him) of Holbox
- Sandra Cordero (she/her) of Gasolina Cafe and Xuntos
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Holy Holbox! Holbox is amazing. What a treat after moving DD into her new apt at USC.
We got:
Softshell crab appetizer: As Marylanders (one by birth and one by dint of college choice) we know our softshells. This was on point.
Coctel de Camaron: My god this was massive and delicious. Easily a half pound of shrimp in basically a huge bowl of gazpacho.
Grilled Scallop and Baja fish tacos: Simple and simply outstanding. Two completely different tastes.
Ceviche of Yellowtail: Showstopper. Never seen a ceviche that looks anything like this, either in size or beauty. Yes, it’s shaped like a fish. Fresh as can be.
Sparkling lemonade: This was a real surprise. Not sure if the fruit was lemon or some sort of orange but it was refreshing and delightful. And you get a quart of the stuff!
Mascarpone cheesecake: this was good but nothing you can’t get elsewhere.
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how was the line?
I went Thursday night, early evening. The line was not quite out the door and moving fast. They are making the most of their space with another space across the way for storage and fridge. They seem to be doing well keeping up with demand by the looks of the giant tubs of salsa they were preping and brining out. The grilled Octopus was on point. Surprise of the night was the quite complex Al Pastor Tacos we also I got at Vista Hermosa.
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Line was surprisingly short (2-3 parties ahead of us) and food came out pretty quickly.
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