Revolutionario L.A. Foods, Los Angeles, CA

What is this food "revolution" all about?  Is it the ranting of a crazy old chef?  Is it someone trying to use strong words to entice you to come to his restaurant?  What's going on?  I had to go find out for myself.  I know Chef Zadi, that is no secret.  I've gone to street side tacos in Boyle Heights, East LA and enjoyed late night meals on the side of the street, but what is he doing on Jefferson not too far from USC inside an actual restaurant?  I was at work, doing some store visits with Amy.  She's been Tacoteering before, so you should know her.  Anyways, we decided that we were going to grab lunch and I was determined to try this place.  I've been talking about it since it opened.  I was in Saudi Arabia when the doors opened and didn't get back until a couple of weeks later.  I have been busy and not in that area as much.  Being that we were in Downtown LA and headed to Culver City, the opportunity presented itself.  As per the norm, we rocked out to some serious Elvis Radio the whole time we were driving!!

The building itself is unassuming, but don't think for a second that the tacos are.  The plain style of the building is perfect.  It is clean, nicely set-up and very welcoming.  If you look closely, you can see Amy contemplating her taco choices for the day.

What do you eat in this joint?  It says tacos, the chef, Chef Farid Zadi is of Algerian decent, born in the Rhone region France, it is in a neighborhood flooded with fried food options and quick eats.  This guy has been teaching culinary students for years.  His wife is Korean, really where are they going with this food?  What's the inspiration?  What flavors are they going for?  Many great chef's I know, including the amazing and unparalleled Yellow Chocolate, have spent time learning from Chef Zadi.  I'll show you the menu so that you can see what you think.  

Menu is interesting.  It looks like it is almost overwhelming, but it is not.  The menu has some great options but is not too much.  They stick to great stuff.  If you don't know or don't understand, this guy can cook.  He can cook really damn great.  The menu has the options of breakfast type stuff and of course the tacos, quesadillas, burritos, kids meals, it has options.  I love that they have great vegetarian options to go along with perfectly seasoned meats.  The first question is, what did I think of the food?  How did it rank?

RANKINGS:

SHAKSHOUKA: 5, this breakfast style taco combines some great flavors of slow cooked eggs, sweet peppers and tomatoes.  It is sweet, and delicious.  He knows how to cook eggs.  So many people turn the head up and don't allow the protein to properly cook, well done Chef, well done.

CILANTRO YOGURT CHICKEN: 5, this is as good as it sounds.  With the Greek Heritage I love to marinate chicken in yogurt, with my LA roots I love cilantro on everything!

CHARRED VEGGIES: 5, you just can't go wrong with this taco.  It is good stuff.  The veggies are charred just enough to extract and intensify the sugars in them, but they are not burnt at all.  They have a nice sweet flavor to them and pair perfectly, probably the best of all the tacos with the tortillas which were second to none. 

BLACK EYED PEA FALAFEL: 5, I think this is my number 2 of all of them.  This was a delightful treat.  Such a great idea and a nice treat.  The falafel was so good.  Packed with flavor, great texture as you could tell it was properly mixed but not over beaten.  There is a light spice on the end that really was the treat as far as I'm concerned.  

CHICK PEA TAGINE: 3, why was the rating lower than the rest?  It's just my taste.  This stuff was good, by far one of the more creative, for sure it was tasty, but in my humble opinion was not as knock your socks off good as the other tacos.  The moisture in this taco also ate into the delicious tortilla a little bit.  The chick peas were well cooked.  A bit al dente which gave it some nice texture.  I think that I would have liked it a little more if the peas were mashed into a hummus and spread on the tortilla.  

BEEF BRISKET: 5, this is a nice twist on a more "traditional" taco for LA.  You'll enjoy the smoky flavor and great texture on this meat.  It is something nice.  You should be expecting some greatness here, it sure did deliver when I was there.  

SMOKED LAMB: 5, this was my favorite.  Not just because I love lamb, but because there was so much flavor, so much depth and texture that is really unmatched.  There was layers of smoky flavor with subtle salt and a buttery finish that was just unreal.  I will dream about this taco.  

Stuff looks great!  His presentation is simply perfect.  He doesn't try to distract you with silliness, he doesn't try to over do it as many chefs do, he keeps it simple, perfect and focuses on the flavors, not the useless flair.  Don't misunderstand, there is attitude and style, just no unnecessary frills.  

Salsa descriptions are great.  They are accurate.  I enjoyed all of the salsas that he had, the hot is HOT!  I loved it.  It went on everything that I ate.  He has some chips set there for you to try.  These are not chips like you are use to getting, these were like chips from the heavens.  They were so delicious.  They were just perfect in every way.  Made in house, lightly salted, not over fried, but not chewy.  Like I've said, this guy knows what he's talking about.  

Great looking salsa table.  It is inviting and enticing!  We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to get there when they were slow, so we got to bring the salsa to the table, which was very helpful for my hot salsa needs.  These salsas are a compliment, not a garnish.  They are enhancing the flavor, not covering up food like salsas sometimes are.  It is a nice change of pace to what some places do.  

Yes, we had some dessert.  When the owner insists you try something, you try it.  Well I am so happy that I did!  I am not a dessert fan.  It is not something that I am looking for.  I like the spice, I like the earlier courses, not desserts.  Sweets just don't do it for me, this however was an exception.  This was an exception that I'm so glad that I made.  They were Algerian Samsas.  He makes them with cashews and serves them with blood orange jam.  I dare you to go and not try these bad boys.  They combine sweet, with savory, oh goodness! 

Have the questions been answered from earlier?  I think they have.  Chef Zadi and his family are starting a revolution.  They are taking the stand that food can be great, good for you and different.  I'm such a fan of the traditional taco, there is not hiding or denying that, I would never want to.  I will say that this place does it so similarly but different.  The business of my schedule has not given me an opportunity to sit down with Chef and discuss what he sees coming or how he views the revolution, but I can tell you that I see great things coming.  I see this restaurant as a challenge to so many others.  The Zadi family is showing us great ways to eat traditional LA foods in a slightly different way.  The more people that go here, the more people will join.  This is the kind of place that challenges your taste buds and forces you to try new things that you will want again and again.  

Thank you to all for reading.  Please go and check this joint out.  It is a one of a kind type of place.  There are a lot of great taco stands, carts, trucks, everything out there.  This one is unique.  It is not going to be what you think, I hope that I gave you enough of a glimpse to help you understand.  Please re-tweet, re-post and let people know about what is going on right by the Adam's District in Los Angeles.  This place is getting some pretty serious press, my blog is nothing impressive, but hopefully it helps reach a few more people!  If you are bored, follow me on Twitter and Instagram, I post silly stuff and tacos, tacos are the serious part, the rest is pretty crazy.  It is a great way to find out where I am and what I'm doing, cause I know all of you care...

Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is one of those photos that I love to catch and the people in them hate.  I'm sorry, I just can't help it.  The picture is of Susan, Chef Zadi's beautiful wife.  She is always so sweet and wonderful.  She has a great smile and remembered me as soon as I walked in the door and gave me such a warm greeting.

Stay Excellent!

Taco ethnography: North African tacos at Los Originales Tacos Arabes de Puebla; Chef Farid Zadi

This was just the site.  This is not where we ate.  I mean, I wanted to, but we were there to eat Chef Zadi's master creation.  He was making North African Tacos and the brave Tacoteers that were with me had to try.  Mike, Dara and Charlotte Phillips, Nikki D, Melissa, Alexander, Eleni and the Juggernaut went down to Boyle Heights and had to see what these flavors were all about.  We were delighted not just by the tacos, but by the overwhelming amazing personality of a great guy, Chef Zadi.  If you are not following this guy on Twitter, it's time to start.  He sets up camp all around LA and delights palates with unparalleled flavors and original cooking treats.  When we found out he was doing tacos, there was no resisting.  We were introduced to flavors that were different then we were use to but so delectable.  One of the great things about Tacoteering is how I get the opportunity to try so many different styles, flavors and things in so many places.  The thing that makes that even better, like I've said many times is the people I get to do it with.

It matters more who you are eating with than what or where you are eating.  This adventure was a huge win on all three fronts!  Especially the who part!!!  Eleni is a bit too much like her father and did not want to be in the photo.  She was standing behind me rubbing my back as I took this photo of everyone.  No, we were not near or in a prison, just in the beautiful Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in East LA.  It is great to see these smiling happy taco full faces.  I again must say that I'm lucky to have such amazing friends with me.  Mike and Nikki are two of my oldest and closest friends and everyone in this photo represents what a great family I get to be a part of.  The enthusiasm that we all have doing things together is great.  We all just really have fun together and enjoy all the adventures we get to go on, whether it is volunteering at the church for festival, going to a party at someone's house or a late night Tacoteering adventure in East LA.

Chef Zadi is a master of his craft.  He was working the line, telling people what the tacos were all about and where they came from.  He was in full teacher mode and it was great that he also had his wife and two kids there.  They were helping, working and having fun.  Seeing families that are together like that is so cool.  I loved seeing them all gathered around.  The chef was working his pans, seasoning his meat and making sure that everything was served correctly.

As busy as he was, he took the time to talk to Alexander and all of us.  He shared his passion, his vision, his knowledge and his taco genius with all of us.  He was telling Alexander about where he grew up, where his family is from and how he is able to bring so many flavors and cultures together all on one plate.  It was such an amazing experience for all of us, especially these young, growing, impressionable minds.  All three of my kids, including the stand-offish younger ones gave him three hugs and a kiss before we left because he was so warm, inviting and wonderful to everyone.  It really was a treat and the icing on the cake for a great Tacoteering adventure.

RATINGS:
CAULIFLOWER: 3, I know you are thinking it would be higher, but it was good.  It did not blow my tongue away with uniqueness.  I am a big cauliflower fan, so I was excited to try his cauliflower version.  For sure not bad, for sure I'd love to eat it again, but not unique enough to gain a higher rating from me.
POLLO: 5, is this my first pollo 5?  It was really good.  Flavors that I'm not familiar with, tenderness that was unmatched.  Really impressed me the way that it looked, tasted, smelled and how it all came together.
LAMB: 5, yeah, I liked it that much.  Melissa liked it, but did not love it like I did.  I really felt like he just harnessed in so many unique flavors and shot them onto taco excellence.  There was a hint of almost gaminess and that just made it even better, raw good flavors that were not overdone, but not spices were not underutilized.
SHAKSHOUKA: 5, I'll be totally honest, I did not know how to rate this.  I had not heard of it, tried it or know anything about it until I read this article about his set-up for tonight.  Shakshouka is a spiced pepper, tomato, egg and onion mixture.  It sounds so basic, easy and normal, but it was something special.  We all really enjoyed this.  It was tasty and fun.  It was so unique to my regular Tacoteering and I'm so glad I am now acquainted with it.
SALSAS/SAUCES: 5, this is a slam dunk 5.  The avocado sauce was thick and different with a nice sweet flavor.  His mild sauces were both balanced with a delicious, rich explosion of flavor.  His two spicy salsa were super duper good.  His orange habanero is one of the three best salsas I've ever eaten and I kept running back for more.  It was hot.  Super, spicy hot and so damn delicious!

Yeah, that is a spread!  Great looking food.  They really packed those tortillas with meat.  They also were using a really nice sweet corn tortilla.  The texture on it was amazing.  The variety of sauces and salsas were most excellent.  We had to try a bit of everything of course and I was impressed that Alexander ate and tried everything.  Who knew we are all such fans of shakshouka?  Yeah, I know, didn't know I loved this stuff so much!  Creative flavors, passion, talent.  Chef brought it all together.  There was some delightful marinated cucumbers, freshly chopped cilantro, hand chopped diced onions and an unbelievable, tasty slaw!  It was not toppings for your tacos, it was a necessary supplement to a great meal!

Thank you everyone for reading.  Thanks for the follows, re-posts, re-tweets and sending to your friends and families!  Don't forget to find me on Twitter and Instagram, both are just Order of the Taco!

If you are looking for Chef Zadi, check out his website at www.chefzadi.com.  Hunt him out, eat his food, support a master of his craft!  He sets up around LA, find him, it is a great date night or family outing that is something a little different then just going out to dinner or to some crazy big venue.  It's a casual fun time and if you are crazy enough not to be obsessed with tacos, he does all sorts of foods on different weekends and at different times.

Today's goodbye, gratuitous photo is Alexander and the Chef.  He spent a great deal of time speaking with and joking with him and I know it was an unbeatable experience for Alexander.  Great thank you to Chef Zadi!

Stay Excellent!