San Francisco Bay Area Vegetarian

I’ve always said I’m an adventurous eater. I’ve got an iron stomach and willing to eat anything that is vegetarian. Granted there are some cheeses that would make me think twice, but the one challenge that stood out was the black corn smut of Mexico. Huitlacoche is a fungus that attacks corn and turns it into something that reminds me of a stray dog I found who was covered in ticks. It took hours to remove those bloated little freaks from the grateful dog.

In the back of my mind I hoped I’d never come across this monster on a menu. And then it happened. La Casita Chilanga sells corn smut tacos. I was stuck. I had to order them.

La Casita Chilanga – Mexico City Style

First off, lets back up to the joint in general. It’s a small Mexican restaurant in Redwood City. The parking is ok, depending on the time of day. Their closest competition is  a Peruvian restaurant.

You won’t find the standard list of tacos and burritos at a Mexican City style place. Look for tortas and slow cooked meals instead. There are a couple Mexico-city style restaurants in San Diego that I base my experiences with: Super Cocino and Chilangos. La Casita Chilanga has built their customer base by selling enormous tortas (sandwiches filled with meat and other toppings).

Eating Vegetarian at La Casita Chilanga

La Casita Chilanga has a few vegetarian options. But like most Mexican restaurants, the majority of the menu is meat based. I had the corn smut tacos, a friend had the veggie tostadas, and another friend had a meat torta.

I was really looking forward to eating the smut. However, I can’t tell you what it tasted like. There was enough to turn the taco black, but not enough to establish a flavor. The cheese and salsa were much more prominent. The texture didn’t even help. Over all, I was disappointed. I can’t really say that I’ve experienced the elusive Mexican Truffle.

My friend Jim cannot handle spicy foods, so he requested the veggie tostadas to be mild. Unfortunately they were quite spicy and he couldn’t get past a single bite of food. I tried them and thought they were ok but not spectacular.

Our meat-eating friend was quite happy with his torta. I can’t remember what creature was inside or how it was prepared. It was probably al pastor.

Overall, I’d say this was a good choice for your meat eating friends who are looking for something other than a taco shop in the Redwood City area. I wouldn’t plan another trip. I think the next time I am in the area I will try the Peruvian restaurant or a great Thai place around the corner.