🚀 go-pugleaf

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004, Simon Belmont wrote:

> "Julian Macassey" <julian@tele.com> wrote in message
> > >>Your first stop could be La Super Rica in Santa Barbara
> > It is Julia Child's favourite taco stand.
> > I would say that it is pretty unique in many ways. The
> > menu is extensive. The food is tremendous.
>
> Over here there are number of "taquerias" which serve up tacos
> in a pretty true Mexican form. Most of them are markets that sell
> ethnic groceries as well. I've been to various parts of California a
> number of times in the past. One of my visits to S.D. included a
> go-around in Tijuana and lots of tacos via authentic stands. Good
> stuff, and cheap too. I couldn't haggle my way out of a paper sack
> in the shopping districts, but hey...they needed the $$ more than I.

The attraction of La Super Rica is not the tacos, but the collection of
much more unusual items on the menu, plus overall quality.  The downside
is that the line often looks quite forbidding.

> > If you like burgers, South on Milpas St (Under the
> > Freeway) is Hamburger Habit. For an even better burger, there is
> > the Paradise Cafe which is further inland.
>
> I am ultra-skeptical of Cali burgers. I tried a place that many told me
> was among the best. A place simply called "Hamburgers" in the B.A.
> area...Sausalito to be precise. What a supreme let down. Damn, wtf?

You are correct to be skeptical of California burger places, but there
are burger places and then there are burger places.  Based on just one
visit, I can state quite confidently that Paradise Cafe in S.B. has
genuinely excellent burgers, better than any other restaurant burger I've
had in the state, and quite comparable to good burgers elsewhere.  It's
on Anacapa St. in the downtown area.  Just about 5 blocks up Anacapa from
it is the Santa Barbara Courthouse, one of the most beautiful public
buildings in the U.S., and definitely worth a brief visit if you're in
a sightseeing mood.  (The overall setting of S.B. is also pretty spectacular,
but you need to get off the freeway to really appreciate it.)
-- 

                                                             Al Eisner
                                                     San Mateo Co., CA