Category:
Beer, Wine & Spirits
Listed in: Comida de la Raza
Categories:
Amusement Parks,
Mini Golf
Listed in: Putt-Putt Prospectus
Categories:
Amusement Parks,
Mini Golf
Listed in: Putt-Putt Prospectus
Listed in: Putt-Putt Prospectus
Listed in: Comida de la Raza
I grew up on Travis Air Force Base, and I know that Vacaville ("Lack of Thrill") is a dismal place to eat (or just to be).
Just think....A city of 100,000 in California that just two years ago didn't have a bookstore! And no Thai or Vietnamese food until very recently, too. (Still just one or two places for each kinda food.) You'll be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that's not strictly Sysco Food Systems.
Truly, thee best thing to eat in all of Vacaville is at Mexico Meat Market, which is in an old tire shop and waiting room on East Monte Vista near the corner of Brown Street. It's easy to miss. When you see a giant open lot of dead grass between the 7-Eleven and the old Food & Liquor Cheaper store, look across the street and you'll see a beige-colored complex of automotive shops. The unit on the far left is Mexico Meat Market. The taqueria part is on the far far left, and there's comfortable seating inside and out. They play the good Mexican music in there, too (usually), which usually bears a more obvious connection to Mexican folk traditions than your typical commercial-Español-r adio junk.
They make one of the most exquisite al pastors which is stacked and carved shawarma-style. Definitely a 95th-percentile-or-h igher place that would likely win a loyal following even if it were in the middle of SF's Mission District.
If you don't know what shawarma is.....YOU NEED TO GET OUTTA VACAVILLE MORE OFTEN!!!
Listed in: Comida de la Raza
Listed in: Putt-Putt Prospectus
"Why aren't you eating pupusas or bahn mi everyday?"
Loading...
Review votes:
575 Useful, 525 Funny, and 483 Cool
Sacramento, CA
Yelping SinceSeptember 2007
Things I Lovepsych, weird punk, minimal wave, noise, DIY, house shows, food carts
Find Me Insome weird hole in the wall.
My HometownBridgeport, CA
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...Info. for public affairs, weirdpunk record collecting, freeform radio DJing
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI patented my own Q.Q. quotient (quality and quantity).
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadCity of Quartz
My First ConcertSavage Republic in someone's backyard in Davis
My Favorite MovieAfter Hours, American Heart
My Last Meal On Earthmy mom's sopita
Current Crush1969 Toyota Corona
A sign recently posted in front of Parry's actually proclaimed that protestors of a particular timber sale are not welcome to shop here. Also, if you're from outta-town and unaware of the very complicated natural resources politics of the Klamath River watershed, you've probably been wondering what's the deal with all these "NO MONUMENT!" signs everywhere. It might seem a lit'l scary to some of us liberal cityfolk. "Do they want our heads on sticks?" you might wonder.
Really, though...everything'll be all right if you just be cool. I mean...Don'tcha have an open mind? Don't we all think that we liberals patented the idea of open-mindedness, or are you just like today's Prius-driving version of Maude in a pair of hiking boots and a topo map of the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area? Despite some of the more extreme rhetoric of many local folks, try 'n wrap your open mind around even just the possibility that the locals here know better how to manage local natural resources with a keener balance between extraction, conservation, restoration, and sustainability than you might ever wanna give 'em credit for. And even if the worst of the rhetoric is inexcusable, the overall tenor is understandable if you examine the facts of how the community suffered beginning over 20 years ago when it was put at odds with the declining Northern Spotted Owl population. Regardless of how you feel about the Endangered Species Act, you must be able to recognize how Happy Camp has been an epicenter for the socioeconomic toll of perhaps the most publicized and hotly debated invocation of the "God committee" pursuant to the Act. Heap onto that the recent ban on dredging which hampered its modern-day mini-Gold Rush, and there's one more example of fuel to the fire that burns with the spirit of Jefferson, the proposed 51st state.
Happy Camp has fallen behind areas of Appalachia in some economic and educational indicators. And yet, Parry's, the only market for miles in any direction, prices its low-order merchandise quite fairly for a market its size. And for a market so remote! Minus a bakery, coffeehouse, pharmacy, and mini-bank branch, it's as practical and utilitarian as any IGA-affiliated market in your big city. Yet, if you still wanna know, YES...you, too, can shop there! The lush, green produce department features many locally-grown items. There's plenty of probiotic drinks and non-GMO snacks. Their meat market puts my own city's natural foods co-op to shame!
To be sure, this market is much better than you'd ever expect in such a remote location. Even if it were on I-5, it'd be your best bet between Ashland and Redding. Yes, I highly recommend it. And, if you knew the circumstances behind that particular timber sale (it's mostly burnt wood that's attracting insects harmful to healthy trees nearby), you'd likely be convinced that it's the right forestry decision, too, so go ahead and shop with a clear conscience! And don't resist the chocolates at the checkstand, homemade by some local lady. It's just the perk-up you need for the windy roads ahead of you.