When a breakfast burrito isn't a breakfast burrito
Plus some words on Friday's mozzarella sticks, and a classic L.A. shrimp taco.
Heyo!
I went to TGI Friday’s this week! Oh no, oh fuck, oh no!
Friday’s is definitely not the move, but I went anyway because I’m writing an article about chain restaurants for The Takeout. It was fun for about 15 minutes, then got very tiring. The food made me feel physically horrible and mentally bleak, but hey check out this stellar mozzarella cheese pull!
It’s crazy that a lot of real restaurants can’t pull off a cheese pull this good. Still, the mozzarella sticks tasted like straight up butt. More specifically, the cheese just didn’t taste like cheese. It was pure low-moisture, part skim mozzarella. No blend or anything. Just squeaky, bland & bone dry. That’s a shame, but also, what the fuck did I expect going to Friday’s? You get 3 mozzarella sticks for $5.59, which isn’t really that great of a deal. Chain restaurants, I’m afraid, are not back.
Anyway, I’m writing a review of the place and why it’s OK to hate things. That should drop soon. OK, on to some food that doesn’t make you feel like you want to die.
Sometimes, you have to wash down a meal with another meal.
Did you know that two dorados shrimp tacos and six freshly shucked oysters at Mariscos Jalisco costs $18???? Pretty good fucking price right there. As my friend Lo put it, “there’s a reason it’s well loved in the community.”
The shrimp tacos at Mariscos Jalisco are just so damn crunchy and smooth. I really love how the shrimp filling melts in your mouth almost like a bean and cheese. You’ve probably had the tacos dorados de camarones (it’s one of those iconic L.A. tacos). But if you haven’t, go get it right the hell now. A joy to eat. I don’t even know how long Mariscos Jalisco has been around now, but I feel like it’s safe to say over 20 years. It’s a landmark.
Also it’s absolutely psychotic to eat raw oysters after indulging in an order of truffle tot-chos at TGI Friday’s, but it definitely made things right.
Let’s talk about the time-transcendent breakfast burrito at Bodega Park.
How do you describe Bodega Park? Is it a coffee shop? Lunch spot? Breakfast spot? Let’s defer to the restaurant itself: Via Google,
“Bodega Park is a modern, chef-driven (VROOM VROOM!!) lunch spot with high quality meats and market fresh vegetarian fare.”
If I was in charge, everybody would have to say the words vroom vroom after chef-driven. In fact, I have tried many times to get some version of “chef-driven (vroom vroom)” printed in a magazine or newspaper, but nobody ever goes for it. Hear me out: When people read chef-driven they go “uh oh, I don’t know if I can afford this place.” But then the vroom vroom eases the reader and lets them know the restaurant is still accessible. It also indicates the kitchen is a big fast car that the chefs drive!!
Back to Bodega Park, their aji chicken breakfast burrito is so god damn good, dude. It features Peruvian marinated roast chicken, butter scrambled egg, crispy hash browns, house aji verde sauce, melted cheddar, and a side of salsa roja.
They do not allow modifications or substitutions. Respect.
This breakfast burrito is hefty, and that’s great, because for $15 it should be. I ate half of it on the back of my truck, thinking I’ll save the other half for lunch, but upon returning home 15 minutes later I immediately finished the second half. It’s a big enough burrito that it allows you to completely skip lunch. To me, that’s worth the $15.
This is a cold weather burrito, so get it soon. What’s a cold weather burrito? Well, the spices used to marinate the chicken provide a great deal of warmth. I detected cumin, chili powder, and maybe even coriander or cardamom. It tastes somewhat like garam masala. Those spices enhance the meatiness, and the flavor is hearty and earthy. Comfort food isn’t just supposed to be filling and cozy, it should be wildly flavorful, too.
Not many places serve chicken breakfast burritos. Hell, chicken and eggs together aren’t really common at all. Even though this burrito contains the usual suspects such as eggs, cheese, and hash browns, nothing about it feels like breakfast. The chicken and spices are so damn savory that the eggs kind of get lost. And guess what? That’s great! This breakfast burrito can be whatever you want it to be. It disrupts your concept of meal time in the best way possible.
Most breakfast burritos advertise crispy hash browns, but I find them to usually be on the creamier side. Bodega Park’s is somewhere in the middle. The hash browns are indeed crispy, but in the burrito itself they add a smooth decadence. Also, aji verde should be on everything. Typically, it’s made with huacatay, the rare aji amarillo pepper, cilantro, and garlic. It’s creamy, herby, fruity, and spicy. The perfect accent to not just chicken, but also eggs.
I know that paying $15 for a breakfast burrito is quite the ask. Much cheaper options exist all across the city, but when I do overpay for an item such as a burrito, all I ask is that it be different and exciting. Bodega Park’s is both, and in the process, it might be the most unique breakfast burrito in the city.
Bodega Park
2852 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
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