I went to La Calaca Comelona last night with M. The idea was that we would go to a place neither of us had been to before. And it was my job to figure out where. This place, with it's striking blue building and a sign with their name spelled out in bones seemed like an OK choice. I couldn't have been more wrong. FYI: La calaca comelona means 'the hungry skeleton.'First, and this isn't really a big deal, they don't have burritos or chips/salsa. They say those foods aren't traditional, and they may be correct, but I kind of had a craving for those exact things. They had a number of entrees, all of which seemed over priced. We both ended up getting quesadillas. M got spinach and tomato, I got 'housemade' chorizo. Both ran about $6.00.
These were thick! Lots of cheese and fillings. Honestly, too much cheese. These looked more like plump omelets that quesadillas. The, they were greasy. Not sure what cheese they used (although I swear I saw 'mozzarella' on the menu), but there was too much. Neither of us finished. And, they forgot our appetizer.
So, after running an errand or two, we take a walk. And midway through the walk, my belly starts to rumble. I haven't felt worse so quickly after eating in a long time.
I'm warning you, just don't go.
Rating : 1 of 5
4 comments:
I understand how people don't like La Calaca. It's very Mexican Mexican food. It is exactly what you would get in central Mexico. It's not bad at all, imo. In fact, most things are quite good. I do agree some of the prices are high, though, but there is a lot of labor involved in making a mole from scratch.
So I would qualify your remark. It's not going to satisfy someone looking for burritos, fajitas, nachos, hard shell tacos with ground beef, and other Mexican American dishes. But someone who has been to Mexico, eaten off the beaten path, and enjoyed what they've found will probably really like it.
The fact that it was authentic (read no burritos and no chips) wasn't really the problem. I know where to go for those treats. The problem was with my belly, which is usually strong. This night, however, something got to me. And, maybe MSG can weigh in here, but I'd prefer Autentica to La Calaca any day of the week. I've never been to Mexico, but I have been led to believe that they do things in a non-Americanized way as well...
Autentica and La Calaca are two different regional styles, really, so it's hard to compare except on a personal preference basis. (They make very few of the same dishes.) Autentica is much more coastal/Western, which makes sense since the chef is from Guerrero. I haven't ever been to Guerrero, but much of the food is similar to other Pacific states like Nayarit, Jalisco, and Sinaloa, from what I gather. In that sense, it's much more familiar. The taquerias we have, eg, are much more influenced by northern and western Mexican, rather than central or southern, from what I've seen. (There seem to be a hell of a lot of Michoacanos, eg, in the Portland area and from talking to Mexicans they seem to agree with that assesment.) I will say that Autentica is a better value, but Autentica is really a great value. They charge taco truck prices for their tacos, for goodness sake. That place should be slammed at lunch, yet is always dead.
I can't really speak to your quesadillas, because I didn't have them. But I've had quesadillas from them on multiple occasions that I really liked. You can see my most recent midscale report and the photos and compare to the quesadillas you had:
http://extramsg.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1114
http://www.extramsg.com/albums/album577/calaca_comelona_quesadillas.sized.jpg
Mine didn't seem like they were overwhelmed by the cheese. btw, the cheese they're most likely using is queso oaxaca or oaxacan string cheese or Mexican mozzarella. All the same. There are many versions of it, of course, and some are better than others. I like a nice dry one with a very stringy texture and a subtle lime flavor.
Give them another try sometime and have the pambazo, maybe a few other things off their special botanas menu (not sure if it's happy hour only) like their taquitos, and then maybe the green mole with some freshly made tortillas. If you still don't like the place, I'd say it's not your cup of tea (and don't visit Oaxaca for the food). Stay away from the tacos, however. They don't try very hard with the meats.
MSG-I knew you were the guy to ask. I will give La Calaca another try, following your suggestions. I've only been to Autentica twice, and it was busy both times...
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