Eat Drink Style Breed Street Food Fair, East Los Angeles - Taking A Trip on the Mexico Time Travel Machine

If you could time travel, where would you go? More importantly, where would you LIKE to travel to solely for food? If you ask me, it would be very difficult for me to answer. But, I would consider...

Shanghai. For some of the crispiest, juiciest pan-fried dumplings ever. A line with no less than 30 people at any given moment. One bite of these, and you'll know you're in China.

Hong Kong. For some of the crunchiest, toothsome wontons ever. So crunch you can hear the friction between the shrimp and your lucky tooth.

Vietnam. I could die eating a bowl of pho on a tiny stool at 7:15 am, inhaling the toxic gas from scooters passing by.

Paris. For those gigantic oysters known as belons, or European Flats. They taste like Duracell batteries at first, but with one swig of a fine wine, you''ll understand the relationship between the sea and land, and ascend into oyster heaven.

I could go on and on about things that would get me hot & bothered, but until I nail the Lotto or if Virgin surpasses its galactic endeavors with an actual time travel machine, I'm stuck in Los Angeles. But if you're interested in all things Mexican and strapped for cash, like I am, during the economic hardship, you may find what you're looking for – a portal into Mexico. Right in East LA.

I first heard about this food fair from Anjali of Delicious Coma, Abby of Pleasure Palate and Bill of Street Gourmet LA – who write fantastic blogs. On a Friday night, some friends and I met up with Anjali and Pam for some time traveling. We got off the 5 freeway and as we neared our destination, I really didn't know what to expect. Would it be similar to our trips to Oaxaca and D.F.? Or would this be an overhyped event. Once we saw the Big Buy Foods market and people crossing back and forth on the street, we knew it would be stellar. There were a good 25-30 people working the 10+ booths and about 100 hungry patrons walking around with cash in their hands.

If you haven't been to Mexico, I'd say this is a pretty good simulation of it. Portable lights affixed to poles, rainbow-colored parasols, Tejano music pumping from old boomboxes, people's voices and the pattering of spatulas on metal griddles. All within a parking lot on a Friday night. This was fantastic.

We also ran into a nice couple that we had met at a La Casita dinner in Bell, hosted by a certain teenager. Jocie and Al are also heavily involved in the Los Angeles food scene and head their own 'food tours', including stopovers here at the Breed Street food fair. With their guidance and generosity and our swine-like instincts, we would only eat the best tonight.

This couple offered fish tacos, flautas and pupusas. Quite a cultural mix of food.

Taquitos/flautas getting a spicy, green bubble bath.

Pozole/posole. One of my favorite Mexican soups made with pork feet, tomato sauce, broth and hominy. Topped with thinly sliced radishes (rabanos), onions, cilantro and lime – so good on a cold night. A large container of this for only $5.99.

Esquites. A Mexican favorite. What is there not to love about

corn, mayonnaise, cheese, chile and lime? I always get stinging

red lips after eating this but it's so worth it.

Tortillas hecho a mano. Yummy corn tortillas.

This vendor, Nina, as written on her t-shirt, specializes in Mexico City (D.F.) style quesadillas. The tub in the center with the dark filling is huitlacoche, Mexican corn fungus. It has a pungent, sour taste similar to parmesan cheese. Great stuff.

From the same female chef, Nina, is this variation of enchiladas that

has huitlacoche. Jocie's friends were kind enough to order this

and share some with us. Thanks!

Have you had barbacoa? If not, you should eat it because it's fabulous. It's slow roasted lamb served on a tortilla.

But what I love most about eating barbacoa or even birria, is the accompaniment of rich, flavorful broth known as consome. Usually in the flavor of goat (chivo). You take a bite of the taco and refresh your palate with a shot of this soup. So good. Might even taste good dipping it in the consome.

If you've been to a taco stand/table, you'll usually see a pan covered in saran wrap or even a white towel. That type of meat, usually cabeza or lengua, is being steamed. Mexicans call it tacos al vapor, as in steam/vapor, because they steam both the meat AND the tortilla. And it's hot enough to leave blisters on your hands. I had the cabeza here and I can't explain to you how moist this meat was – melted right away.

Of course you'll find your standard taco vendor. But to tell you the truth, they become the lonely stepchild of the family when there's so many other new things to try. I'm sure they are good.

But what I found to be the most delicious and interesting was the Churro Man and his son. They were situated next to the barbacoa people and told me that he had constructed the churro machine at home. An ingenious contraption that involves a crank, star-shaped tip and a pool of hot oil. You can't see, but the man has his right hand on a crank that pushes out a segment of churro dough. He then carefully catches the churro and gently lays it in the pool of oil. The whole process takes a few minutes and is finished off in a bowl of cinnamon sugar, done by his son. Only 4 pieces for $1. Crunchy on the outside, and doughy in the middle - a perfect churro in my opinion. I wonder how these compare to the churro truck in Echo Park.

Just an FYI, there are only 10 vendors in a small portion of a parking lot. It may look small from the outside, but once you see the amount of food offered by the vendor, it is definitely larger in one's perspective.

Bill of Street Gourmet LA's writeup.

Abby of Pleasure Palate's writeup.

Anjali of Delicious Coma's writeup.

Big Buy Foods (Across the street)

2233 E. Cesar Chavez Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90033

Thursday - Sunday, 7-10 pm