Darin L.'s Profile

After a dinner at LudoBites, somehow the topic of 800 Degrees came up. It was open late (until 2am everyday), was nearby, and would be relatively quick. We were sold.

There are plenty of pizza options in LA, but this one's a little bit different. It's essentially fast-food pizza, but customizable and made-to-order with fresh ingredients; I think comparisons to Chipotle are fitting. It reaches a medium ground between the quickness of a Domino's or Pizza Hut and the higher end pizzas at something like Mozza. Kind of like Pitfire Pizza, but even cheaper and more customizable.

The pizza creation process is assembly line, with one's preferences taken throughout. Three base pies are available (margherita, bianca, marinara at $5-6) at the first station, where fresh dough is rolled out.

Next a whole host of toppings are available, completely optional, most $1 each. Don't want toppings? Fine. The Pizza Margherita is $6.

Once ready, the pizza is baked in the wood-burning oven for just a minute or two, all while the customer watches. Pretty cool.

Also cool is this futuristic looking soda machine - various "base" sodas and flavored syrups are available. It's all about customization here, apparently.

Between our group, we ordered up a variety of pies:

Margherita with Salame
Bianca with Sausage
Margherita with Meatballs, Proscuitto, Arugula
Margherita with Artichokes, Salame
Margherita

How were the pizzas? Pretty good actually. The dough was soft, had some nice char, and had a nice chew. I thought the toppings were good, but none were particularly memorable. Overall, it was good pizza at a great price, fast. Very satisfying. I'm a big fan of the model, and gauging other reviews, it seems like the rest of the city is too. I fully expect expansion soon and potentially on a large scale...not unlike Umami Burger.

My weekly trips to Mexicali (sometimes more, sometimes less) became part of a routine until, all of the sudden, the operator of the parking lot decided to end their partnership. It was a most inopportune time given their burgeoning popularity, but just a few months later it has led to this: the brick & mortar location of Mexicali Taco is set to open, a couple blocks from their original setup. What's in store? Regular hours (lunch service!), less smoke, and the same grub many in the city have been craving during their hiatus.

The new restaurant is clearly a stark contrast from the old parking lot with bright lighting and ample seating. An open kitchen allows generous views of the action to anyone walking by.

The menu is pretty similar to before with a few additions. Prices are nominally higher, no doubt to help cover the cost of rent and overhead.

Like the old parking lot setup, a variety of salsas and other toppings are on-hand to allow customization of the tacos.

A few drink offerings were available too, including a pretty nice horchata (and a barley version).

In our group, cachetadas were a popular choice. The tortillas were grilled until very crisp, having the texture of a large nacho. They were then topped with a choice of meat, cheese and a chipotle aioli.

A new option is to top any item with a fried egg, ranchero style. What a nice touch. The texture of the tortilla was the difference-maker, being extremely crispy, while the meat, cheese and spicy aioli made for some tasty bites.

A couple of new items were the Cantonese-Baja style peppers and nachos. I shied away from the potentially spicy pepper but did go for nachos, topped with a choice of meat, cheese and a salsa with peppers. Probably the easiest dish for sharing and pretty well done.

Perhaps the simplest of items and also one of the ones that put Mexicali on the map - the carne asada taco features a choice of corn or flour tortilla (the flour tortilla is brought in from Mexico) topped with chopped up steak. That's it. The salsa/topping bar offers a host of options to customize the taco to individual liking.

My favorite item happens to be the vampiro, a chicken vampiro to be specific. It looks like a quesadilla on the outside; when opened up it reveals melted cheese, garlic sauce, and a wonderfully smoke-imbued chicken. So delicious.

Congratulations to the whole Mexicali team. The food was exactly what I remembered; comforting, full of flavor and ultimately very satisfying.  

Mexicali Taco is a great addition to the downtown area, and I'm hoping to make it part of my lunchtime rotation too. I expect the place to quickly be a popular destination downtown, particularly for the late-night fix (open until midnight Fri-Sat). Selfishly, I just hope it's not too popular - I hate waiting for my chicken vampiro.

Lucques is Suzanne Goin's first restaurant (opened in 1998), located in West Hollywood. The menu is seasonal and market-driven; every restaurant claims to be doing that nowadays but Goin was doing it before it become so cool. It's probably attributable to her background at Chez Panisse, the landmark Berkeley restaurant focused on Californian market menus.

I've been to Lucques before a few years ago for DineLA. I don't remember much; I remember it being fine/good but nothing particularly special.  Coincidentally, DineLA was the impetus for this next visit: three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts were available to choose from, all from the regular menu. It turns out that it was actually the exact same menu and price as the "Sunday Suppers" the restaurant promotes every week.

root vegetables "fattoush" with romaine, radicchio, feta and fried pita
cranberry bean soup with winter greens, pecorino pistou and crostini

Two of us ordered the "fattoush" salad to mixed results - I went with the soup. Warm and comforting, the bean flavor was evident with some strong herbal notes. I liked the sweetness of the onions on top, as well as the melted cheese adding extra textural and savory flair. A thin crostini sat in the soup for more texture and body.

ricotta dumplings with wild mushrooms, sunchokes, walnuts and wagon wheel - The vegetarian at the table opted for this entree. The dumplings were very light, fluffy and pillowy - pretty much like gnocchi. There was a creamy cheese flavor in the dumplings, accompanied by the bold earthy flavors of mushrooms in the sauce. Quite nice.

grilled hanger steak with polenta, mustard crème fraîche, kale and horseradish gremolata
pancetta-wrapped trout with parsnips, hazelnuts and balsamic brussels sprouts

The rest of us split between the steak and trout. I tried a piece of the steak and found it to be cooked well, tender and flavorful. I thought the trout was more interesting, with a moist tender flesh and crispy skin. Oddly, I found the pork flavor of the pancetta to be missing though. There was a little bit of a sweetness in the sauce (I think from the reduced balsamic) that went well with the brussels sprouts, while some hazelnuts provided a nutty texture.

bittersweet chocolate torta with mascarpone, hazelnuts and coffee ice cream - This was a fairly typical chocolate tart with a rich, bitter flavor (that I liked). Hazelnuts added texture and some nuttiness, while the coffee ice cream was quite good with a deep, strong coffee flavor.

sticky toffee pudding with pineapples, macadamias and coconut ice cream - The pudding was actually a hearty pudding cake, warm and rather light. Pineapples added a different kind of sweetness, while some crunchy macadamias were the main textural component. Coconut ice cream was a nice accompaniment.

warm apple tart with fennel, almonds, salted caramel and vanilla ice cream - Light and flaky, I really enjoyed the pastry of this tart. I missed the fennel and didn't think there was enough salt in the salted caramel, but the caramel-vanilla-apple combination was still a tasty one. Some whipped creme fraiche was a nice touch.

I had a good meal at Lucques - the food was comfortable and sort of homey. However, similar to my previous experience, there wasn't anything particularly noteworthy about the food. I'm not sure if the DineLA menu was just more conservative (though all of the items we tried were on the regular menu), but I wanted something more, perhaps something less predictable. While the meal was without any major faults, it wasn't anything special; I'm not in a hurry to return.

With every successive LudoBites, it seems to get more popular. The story is very familiar now: chef with fine dining background starts casual pop-up restaurant; pop-up becomes incredibly successful, garnering critical acclaim nationwide and spawning TV show; demand for reservations is so extreme that reservation servers crash.

I didn't get a reservation, but there's a six seat bar that's filled on a first-come, first-served basis. This was my route in, and I found it to be fairly easy. My coworker and I made elaborate plans to leave work early to get out to Lemon Moon as soon as possible. We arrived shortly after 5, and were the only ones outside until about 5:40. So much for all of the preparation. The bar did fill up shortly after 6pm though, but there were openings throughout the night, both at the bar and tables due to cancelled reservations.

Brioche with Truffle Butter - We started with this freshly baked piece of bread. Hard to go wrong with fresh bread - add some truffle butter and you've got a clear hit. Warm, flaky and buttery, the earthy truffle essence really came through making for some delicious bites.

Chicken Tandoori Crackling - A creamy quenelle of chicken liver topped a piece of really crispy chicken skin. Loved the textures and the double-hit of chicken flavor was excellent. The sea salt topping was integral too, really bringing out the flavor.

Crab Meat, Shrimp, Avocado Guacamole, Pomelos - Japanese hairy crab was used in this dish, the cherished breed of crab that Ludo said cost $40 per pound. I'm not sure if I've ever had it, but I've been planning to go to Urasawa at some point in the winter season to get some. I was super excited for this dish; I found the crab itself to be good (except for the crab shell in it), but I didn't think the accompanying broth had a lot of flavor. Individually, I liked the spread of avocado and pomelo, but I'm not sure I understood the mixture of all of the ingredients.

Uni Creme Brulee - This was another very intriguing item on the menu, and it was a good one. The custard definitely had the uni flavor coming through, and I thought the bruleed sugar added a nice sweetness that complemented the custard well, particularly with the salty bursts of flavor from the salmon eggs.

Scallop, Leek, Potato, Black Truffle - I thought this was another hit. Raw scallops were accompanied by a potato and leek puree, and what our server said was hay. Interesting. I thought the flavors were spot on and I really liked the slivers of black truffle with it. A lot of earthy flavors with the fresh sea scallops.

Foie Gras, Tamarind, Turnips, Daikon - We were told to let the foie gras sit in the broth for a few minutes to finish cooking, and I'm glad we did. Perfectly cooked foie gras. Goodness. So good. It was swimming in a very aromatic broth, which also had a floral dimension to it.

Monkfish Liver, Cucumber, Cornichons, Mustard Seeds - Perhaps one of the best dishes of the night, the liver (the third liver dish of the night) was excellent; it was rich, flavorful and melt-in-mouth texturally. Cucumber added a balancing vegetable flavor, while the cornichons added texture and acidity. Quite nice.

Steamed Black Seabass, Fennel, Lettuce, Bernaise Vinaigrette - I thought the seabass was undercooked for my liking, and I also ran into some scales and a bone. Outside of that, I did like this dish - I'm a sucker for seabass and I thought the fennel provided a nice subtle licorice accent. A lemon sauce was a good pairing too.

Jidori Chicken, Parmesan Soubise, Broccoli, Walnuts, Eggs - I believe these chickens were roasted on a rotisserie. I thought the dark meat was moist and flavorful, but found the breast to be disappointingly dry. Subtle parmesan flavors were a welcome accompaniment, as were the broccoli and what I think were creamy scrambled eggs.

Duck, Orange, Olives, Carrots - This was a very nice piece of duck, perfectly cooked with a moist flesh and crisp skin. Fresh citrus in the form of orange and mandarin orange helped to brighten the dish and add a lighter kick to each bite. A modern take on the classic duck l'orange I suppose.

Chocolate Napoleon, Orange Creamsickle - I liked the idea of this version of a classic Napoleon. Where I expected this to be very rich and fudgy, it was actually a lighter, smooth chocolate with layers of thin, flaky chocolate pastry in between. Pretty well-executed and wonderful texturally. The orange creamsickle ice cream was a fun touch and gave the dish another dimension.

Best LudoBites ever? Hm. Personally, I'm partial to LudoBites 4.0 and 5.0. I did like this meal better than 6.0 and 7.0 though. Conceptually I found the menu to be very exciting, but a few flaws in execution held this meal back a bit. It was only day two, so I'm sure it will be ironed out in short time. I look forward to seeing how the menu evolves throughout this 8.0 run.

The Spice Table opened last year, one of the latest additions to the ever-growing Little Tokyo/Downtown LA restaurant scene. Inspired by the streets of Southeast Asia, the menu consists of small to medium-sized plates meant for sharing. The restaurant's name is no misnomer - spice is king here.

Pate & baguette - I enjoyed the pate - smooth, porky with a deep savory spice blend. The baguette was fine as a vehicle for the spread.

Bone marrow, prawn sambal - Like butter. Rich and creamy, I thought the prawn flavor of the sambal brought a nice flavor profile creating a sort of surf & turf interplay.

Lamb belly satay - I tend to associate the belly with a fattier, more tender cut. However, this was a little chewy with some cartilage-like bits in it too. Hm. The flavors were there though; the building spice foreshadowed what was to come.

Beef tripe satay - One of the specials of the day. Really tender, squishy almost, with a nice sweet-spicy sauce. I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Grilled eggplant, chile sauce - The eggplant's texture was rather mushy and sort of creamy. On my first bite, I could taste the chile flavor, really the main flavor component. On the second bite, the heat had me rushing to my beer.

Black pepper crab toast - Loved the large chunks of flavorful crab on top of the crusty toast. A little bit of lime was a perfect complement. The heat of the pepper was slightly uncomfortable for me at times.

Pig tails - You know, I'm not sure I've ever had pig tail like this. Kind of like a miniature version of oxtail. Tender and flavorful meat with a lot of gelatinous bits, the richness was countered by the cool basil and lettuce accompaniment.

Laksa (spicy noodle soup) - Luckily for me, this wasn't as a spicy as I had feared. There was a creamy richness to the soup, featuring chunks of pork and shrimp. Homey and comfortable. I enjoyed the noodles, but wished they were longer...and perhaps with a little more chew.

Marinated ribeye - Another of the daily specials. I could get the garlic, sugar and soy marinade flavors in the steak, which was tender and cooked well. Probably not one of the more unique items on offer, though.

Milk tea softserve - The restaurant features a 'daily flavor' of soft serve each day, though it's been the same flavor on both of my visits. But seriously..milk tea?! Being a huge fan, this was a must-order. I thought this was a pretty good softserve, with a strong milk tea flavor really showing though.

Kaffir lime custard, lychee - While the first dessert was very sweet, this was quite tart. The strong lime flavor was actually sort of refreshing (I could have used some during some of the spicy entrees), light and creamy.

I didn't dislike anything, but I didn't love anything either. The Spice Table's food was solid and full of flavor, but I'm not sure I fully appreciated it due to the fact that I can be kind of lame when it comes to spicy food. I will say that the meal was a little more expensive than I thought it was worth. North of $70 per person with just one beer each, it wasn't cheap. Still, I don't come across this type of cuisine too often (especially in a more upscale atmosphere), so I'm glad I was able to try it.

3.5 stars

I've been interested to check out Cooks County and the farm-to-table food since it opened up a couple months ago.Myself and 4 others were able to try much of the menu.

Spretzel mustard dipping sauce - Sort of a hybrid between spaetzle and a pretzel, the spretzel was served warm. I liked the soft, yielding texture of the dough and it was well-salted. A mustard dipping sauce was a nice accompaniment.

French breakfast radishes blue cheese butter - The radish had a nice, fresh crunch and clean flavor. I'm not the biggest fan of blue cheese, but I can say the butter tasted just as expected.

Chicken liver crostini pickled persimmons - I thought the crostini was tasty. There was a smoky flavor in the smooth liver, and its minerality went well with the sweetness of the persimmons.

Three-day chicken wings cauliflower pickles - I'm not sure why these took three days to make, but whatever it was made for some good wings. The meat was quite juicy with good flavor, though I wanted the exterior to be just a little bit crispier. Good wings, but not the best value on the menu at $8 a pair.

We ordered a number of items from the appetizer section as well. We didn't realize it when ordering, but the appetizer options were pretty much all salads (though it was hard to tell just from the descriptions).

Persimmon pomegranate, mache, ricotta salata & toasted walnut croutons
Roasted beets tangerines, endive & sunchokes
Warm autumn chicories California chanterelles & sheep's milk ricotta toast
Crostone house cured pancetta, poached duck egg & parmesan

As for the appetizers, I enjoyed the last two best. The chicory salad came with tender sauteed chanterelles as well as a creamy ricotta toast. Perhaps my favorite was the last one, the crostone. Hard to go wrong with pancetta and a poached duck egg; the crusty crostone provided a really nice vehicle to sop up these flavors. While a salad may be one of the best ways to showcase fine produce, I wanted to see a little more technique and variety out of these plates.

We also sampled 5 main entrees.

Tagliatelle slow braised oxtail, dandelion greens & parmesan - Really nicely cooked with just the right chew, the pasta was pretty well executed. Closer to a pappardelle than a tagliatelle in my opinion, but I really didn't care. An oxtail ragu is one of my favorite sauces; this was less saucy but still delivered with a rich and savory flavor that was complemented by some of the bright greens.

Pacific seafood soup grilled bass, Dungeness crab, mussels, clams, white shrimp & romesco - The seafood soup was another strong dish. Because of the variety of seafood, I often find some of the seafood over/undercooked in a dish like this. However, it was all on-point in this plate. The soup was flavorful and had a lot of depth, and I thought the romesco was a good pairing too.

Grilled pork ribs roasted yams, applewood smoked bacon & spring onion rings - The wood-grill flavor was definitely noticeable in these ribs, adding a smoky essence to the tender pieces of meat. The meat was tender but still had texture, covered in a sticky savory/sweet glaze. I liked the sweetness of the yams and texture of the fried onions to pair.

Braised beef cheek polenta & fresh flageolet bean salsa - This was a pretty generous portion of the beef cheek. Very rich, I would've appreciated a little more acidity from the bean salsa. However, it was tender and quite delicious still, particularly when dipped into the jus. The polenta was light and creamy.

Wood grilled duck breast Brussels sprout leaves, kuri squash & Santa Barbara pistachios - The unmistakable wood flavor came through on the duck as well. The skin was crisped up nicely and the duck was cooked well, although I felt it was slightly chewy. I liked both the squash and Brussels sprouts, while the pistachios provided a nice texture.

Long cooked greens
Roasted root vegetables

We opted for two side dishes. They were both very simple and straightforward, yet altogether unmemorable.

Stuffed, we managed to fit in only one dessert.

Meyer lemon angel pie citron & mountain huckleberries

The light and airy meringue displayed the tart flavor of the meyer lemon, while the huckleberries provided a fruity, sweet counterpoint. A nice way to finish.

I thought the meal at Cook's County was a good one, with the strong points being in the mains (that is, after all, where much of the money is spent). Given that the most expensive plate we ordered was $21, I thought the portions were pretty sizable and quite tasty. I've heard pretty strong things about the desserts, so I'll have to come back to try some more as well. Overall, Cooks County showed a lot of promise and I'll be interested to see how the menu changes with the seasons.

Each year for the last few, myself and fellow grandchildren take my grandmother out for her birthday. Marlowe was the choice this year.

The menu is fairly focused, with a few options in various menu categories: appetizers, "pots," snacks, soups/salads, mains and sides. We ordered a variety of appetizers/small plates as well as an entree each.

Warm Deviled Egg aged provolone, pickled jalapeño & bacon - Served warm, the eggs were complemented primarily by smoky, crispy bacon and a mild provolone. I didn't really pick up any of the pickled jalapeno, but this was still a good bite or two.

Crispy Brussels Sprout Chips lemon & sea salt - Lightly crispy with smoky charred ends, these were quite tasty...though some pieces were a little oily. Because they were so thin, the leaves/chips quickly became soggy in any residual oil. Some lemon provided a nice touch of both citrus and acid.

We also ordered a few "pots" served with crostini/lettuce.

Warm Marinated Mussels & Monterey Calamari grilled country bread & green garlic aioli
Duck Liver Mousse roasted Medjool dates, pickled mustard seeds & crostini
Dungeness Crab & Rock Shrimp Louie gem lettuce, eggs mimosa & tabasco

Of these three, I liked the crab and rock shrimp Louie best. The seafood and lettuce cups  felt light while having quite a bit of flavor, particularly with a splash of lemon or tabasco. I thought the mussels and calamari pot was difficult to eat on the crostini, with the small pieces continually falling off the toasted bread. The duck liver mousse was a good one, with the rich minerality playing well with the sweetness of the dates.

Grilled Niman Ranch Pork Chop spinach & ricotta bread pudding, prosciutto & parmesan cream - My grandmother got this entree. Very juicy and quite flavorful, this was an excellent chop. A little bit of a smoky flavor was present too, adding an extra flavor profile to the pork.

Marlowe Burger caramelized onions, cheddar, bacon, horseradish aioli & fries - Ah, the much anticipated burger. The meat was cooked a nice medium-rare, though it wasn't quite as thick as I anticipated. The meaty flavor was there, with a really good smoky char on both the meat and toasted bun. However, I thought there was too much bread (the bread:meat ratio was high) on an otherwise good burger. Overall, disappointing given expectations.

Certified Angus New York Steak Frites red wine- porcini jus - A good steak, tender and flavorful. It was cooked right on point, and the red wine-porcini jus was quite delicious as well. The fries were the same ones that came with the burger - crispy yet fluffy, pretty good fries. Perfect for dipping in the jus. A simple dish; this was very satisfying.

TCHO Chocolate Cream Pie Graham cracker & chocolate cookie crust, cocoa nib, sea salt
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta Affogato Amaretto & lemon biscotti

We were trying to save room for later, but a meal is not complete without dessert, right? We opted for these two choices, one was fine and one was very good. The chocolate cream pie had the expected chocolate flavor with some nice crumble textures. Nothing special. I thought the affogato panna cotta was more exciting, with the creamy panna cotta doused in a shot of espresso. The bitterness of the espresso countered the sweet vanilla panna cotta quite nicely - addicting!

Marlowe was good. I can't say anything was special enough for me to return though. Of all of the dishes we ordered, the burger had the highest expectations and fell short. However, the other plates were executed fairly well with the pork chop being the standout entree. And the panna cotta affogato was memorable.

Had the spaghetti with meatballs and it was pretty mediocre. Sauce was both rice and thick, yet watery at the same time. Flavor-wise it was comparable to many jarred sauces. Pasta was slightly overcooked and was served with sauce plopped on top, not cooked with it. Meatballs weren't too bad though.

Food took kind of a while to be served.

After dinner at Commonwealth last year, my mother and I dropped in to get some takeout for the rest of the family. I didn't get a chance to try any (or see any of it), but the words "terrible" and "awful" were both used in their description of the food. I was totally shocked, but I knew I'd have to try it myself.

Not surprisingly given the hype, lines are a frequent occurrence outside the no-reservation restaurant; there must've been at least 20 people waiting outside this past Saturday night at 9pm. However while everyone else was still nursing their Thanksgiving food coma, my mom, dad and I dropped in for lunch the day after Thanksgiving. What do you know - there was no line!

Westlake Rice Porridge oxtail, dungeness crab, soft-poached egg, cilantro

This was a sort of a hybrid between a Westlake beef soup and a traditional congee (rice porridge). The lineup of ingredients was an all-star cast so I had to order it. Served piping hot, small pieces of crab and oxtail were scattered throughout the bowl filled with bits of soft rice, strands of egg and a clear soup. The dish was fine, somewhat disappointing. I expected the oxtail and crab to play a more prominent role, maybe with a little bit of oxtail stock incorporated into the soup. In actuality, the soup was very mild in flavor and the oxtail/crab really didn't bring a lot to the bowl. Don't get me wrong, the soup was tasty but it didn't live up to its all-star cast of characters.

Salt Cod Fried Rice escolar confit, chinese sausage, egg, scallion

I thought this was another fun dish using salt cod instead of Chinese dried fish. Its effect was similar, adding a fishy flavor to the rice to pair with the sausage and aromatics. However, we all thought this plate was a bit heavy-handed with the salt.

Smoked Beef Brisket Soup Noodles cheung fun, mire poix, cardamom, turnip, broth

Whereas the rice porridge was served hot amid wisps of steam, this soup was served warm. The brisket here was very tender and incredibly smoky, infusing the soup with that flavor. Rice roll noodles added some additional substance to the full-flavored dish.

Kung Pao Pastrami explosive chili, celery, potato, roasted peanut, steamed rice

A familiar preparation of pastrami was stir fried kung pao style with something called "explosive chili." I was fearful but actually found the heat to be present but not unbearable. The meat was tender and flavorful, and I thought there was a pretty decent balance of ingredients. My dad wanted more meat and less "filler" ingredients though.

My dad said this meal was definitely better than his previous experience, but the meal still did not live up to high hopes. I thought the food was "just okay" (definitely not awful), with flavors not really coming together as well as I had wanted. The menu is incredibly intriguing, integrating Chinese food with Western techniques and ingredients. I so badly want something like this to succeed and elevate Chinese food on both the local and national scene. Although this meal failed to impress me, Mission Chinese Food seems to be doing just that.

I've heard great things about these baco, which occasionally popped up wherever Centeno was cooking. So when it was announced there would be a restaurant dedicated to this sandwich (walking distance from the office and where I live), I was excited. I dropped by for lunch during their soft opening - the grand opening is planned for Monday the 14th.

Prices are very reasonable, with the bazole soup being the most expensive thing on the menu at $10. However, one item (i.e. one baco) probably isn't enough food for a meal.

bazole baco soup house made egg noodle, pork-chile broth, fried egg - We started with this interesting soup. The soup was based on a traditional pozole, spruced up with noodles, a fried egg and chunks of meat. The soup was very flavorful and hearty, quite spicy too. I think these are the same meats as seen in "the original baco" (which were delicious), and the noodles and egg were both good too. Kind of an odd mix of ingredients, but I think the soup came together well. A heavy starter, for sure.

the egg coca salsa verde, farm egg & ricotta cheese - We tried one of the flatbreads - here, one topped with salsa verde, cheese and a fried egg. The flatbread was pretty thin and very crispy. Hard to go wrong when combined with salsa verde, fried egg, and cheese. Nothing special really, but tasty.

the original baco pork belly & beef carnitas, smoked aioli, salbitxada - I liked the crispy, meaty pork belly and beef, and the smoky aioli sauce really bulked up the flavors. Leafy greens (I noticed spinach) helped to balance out the flavors. I could easily have mistaken the flatbread for a regular tortilla.

pesco baco crispy shrimp, cabbage, sriracha & chive dressing - A solid sandwich, the crispy shrimp was paired with a cabbage coleslaw. The sriracha-based sauce was almost overpowering, but it did add some heat and extra flavor. At $8 a pop, it won't be displacing the fish/shrimp taco anytime soon.

porchetta baco eggplant, apple & sahawep - We were expecting warm, thick chunks of porchetta but this was actually made up of cold, thin slices of the pork. And no skin. Not my favorite, it didn't feature much of the pork flavor I was expecting.

fava bean fritter baco poblano-feta, chickpea & salmorejo - Didn't get a lot of flavor in this one either, I thought the slightly spicy sauce was the main flavor profile amidst the earthy tones.

I had high expectations for Baco Mercat, and my experience fell short of those. Maybe I just didn't understand it, but conceptually I didn't think the baco were that interesting. All four had a very similar orange sauce that became monotonous when trying a variety, and I didn't think the flavors of each baco stood out on their own. The flatbread itself resembled a thick tortilla, served lukewarm - it was fine.