Barbacoa at Gish Bac, a Goat for All Seasons

Gish Bac is a new Oaxacan restaurant on Washington Blvd off of Crenshaw. When Bill Esparza wrote about it in the LA Times last month, it sounded too good to wait to check out, so Mark & Angela of I Flip for Food joined me for a feast the Saturday following the article's publication.

We had been on a hike that morning, so had worked up a hearty appetite for the specialties of the house.  We shared the goat and lamb barbacoa as well as the chicken mole negro.  Following the chips and salsa (the salsa had some real kick to it), the meal began with the pancita, the offal of the lamb presented as the first part of the barbacoa feast.  As the I Flip For Food Duo noted, this tasted of iron and had a distinct texture.  I tried it but I confess it is not something I get excited about.  That just meant more pancita for Angela, who ate with gusto.

Pancita

The mole negro did not disappoint.  Complex and flavorful it was stellar and the pool of mole sauce on the plate did not go to waste as we looked for anything and everything we could dip into its intensity.  Each bite of the tacos I made with the chicken, mole sauce and tortillas was different but equally tasty.  The Flip duo found this to be their favorite while I preferred the goat barbacoa even more.

The goat barbacoa arrived in a bowl of goat juices and could be eaten with a spoon.  No fork or knife was necessary as the goat meat was so tender.  The smell of the goat broth was intense and intoxicating.  At this point our table was very happy, just munching away with abandon.

Goat barbacoa

The lamb barbacoa could not compare with the goat, particularly as it was served on a plate, not in that stewed juices that the goat had.  They brought out an extra serving of goat juice, so we could make the lamb sufficiently saucy.

Lamb Barbacoa

The meal was remarkably inexpensive for all that we ate.  Service was pleasant and the restaurant was surprisingly uncrowded for prime lunch time the weekend after the restaurant was featured in the Times. The barbacoa is only $10.95. The environment is homey and relaxed and the food exceeds expectations.

Gish Bac: 4163 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles; Phone: (323) 737-5050

Casa Vega puts the tinsel in your holiday season

If you want the kind of restaurant where they have overflowing tinsel hanging from the ceiling in November (and perhaps more of the year), Mexican food with a lot of melted cheese, inexpensive margaritas during happy hour and long waits if you arrive after 6 pm, then Casa Vega is for you.  It is one of those San Fernando Valley institutions that has been on the Boulevard forever, in this case more than 40 years.

Meals at Casa Vega begin with bowls of the saltiest tortilla chips I have ever eaten.  I like salt, a lot.  But these chips were a whole new level of saltiness; just two or three would likely exceed the recommended sodium intake for the day.  The margarita I had was strong but also salty and I was drinking it through a straw, not the heavily salted rim.

Many of the meals come with a salad or your choice of tortilla soup or albondigas (meatball) soup to begin.  I choose the tortilla soup, which was fine and thankfully not oversalted.  The combination of chicken tamale and chicken enchilada was huge.  It was enough food to feed two people easily.  The enchilada was average as was the tamale.  The service was decent and they were good natured about serving our large party, which can't have been easy.

I can't really see the attraction of Casa Vega unless you are either nearby in the Valley during happy hour and want a cheap margarita or are hungry late night as they stay open until 2 am.  You could easily do better than this for dinner at a normal time, and the waits are legendary.  No reservations, of course.

Casa Vega: 13301 Ventura Blvd @ Fulton, Sherman Oaks.  Phone: (818) 788-4868.  Website: www.casavega.com