It’s new to me, and I’m glad to have received the recommendation for it. I’m talking about El Compadre at 7408 W. Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA. This is the second best Mexican restaurant I’ve been to in Los Angeles at any time, however it is the current reigning champion with the best Mexican food I’ve had being at the Cactus Taqueria on Vine St. If you’ve read my other article Restaurant, No More!, you’ll understand why it’s no longer rated numero uno with me.
There are a few things that must be tested at a Mexican restaurant before it can be truly judged. For dinner tonight I enjoyed four of the seven. El Compadre understands that salt is muy necessario para sabor (very necessary for flavor) and adds the perfect amount to their carne asada. Most people speak too generally and say, “Fat is flavor.” This is not true. If you think this is true, buy pure lard, grab a giant spoon, scoop a heaping pile of lard into your mouth and enjoy. What? Not good? How about taking pure olive oil and drinking it? Some people taste olive oil like others taste wine. Believe me, if you’re not ready for it, you may just regurgitate whatever is in your stomach at the time. Fat brings flavors out for a series of reasons, but it is not flavor itself.
To really utilize fat in carne asada you have to leave only a tiny amount on the meat when you cook it. And you have to make the fat crispy. Read about the Maillard reaction and you’ll understand this more clearly. Someone at El Compadre understands this. The bit of fat left on the carne asada is crispy, like the fat in bacon after it’s been cooked perfectly.
El Compadre’s rice and refried beans are also good. Both are cooked perfectly, and as fresh as they can be. The refried beans are obviously not saved to become stale and re-refried. The rice is not left sitting for too long and does not get hard because of it. Both are seasoned well.
The carne asada plate with refried beans and rice were great. The tacos themselves were topped with guacamole, salsa, onions and lettuce. The refried beans are topped with melted cheese. All of which go very well with each other. The final accompaniment which is a necessary test of a Mexican restaurant is the salsa.
The spicy, red, thick, tomato based salsa is not hot for the sake of being hot. It is blended very well with flavor and heat. The salsa does not stand alone, but it works very well when pairing with the beans, rice, and tacos.
My final three tests will come soon. I need to try the chicken, the chile verde, and the flower tortilla. All of which are crucial for the sustainability of good Mexican food. For those of you asking about the corn tortilla chips, they are perfectly crispy, but could use a little more salt. For some, corn tortilla chips can make or break a Mexican restaurant, but for me, they are trivial.
Until next time El Compadre.
