guelaguetza: dineLA false start

guelaguetza
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (20/143)
i kicked off dineLA with a lunch at guelaguetza, which i've been wanting to try--at least i tried to. our waiter had no idea what i was talking about when i asked for the dineLA menu. i double checked the address, and it was correct. the hostess looked equally confused and said if i wanted the lunch special, that was only during the week.

we decided to order off the menu. i don't think i ordered the best dishes because although some were good, some were merely ok. the botana de molotes is a tasty chorizo & potato filled fried corn dough appetizer that reminded me of a samosa, but only in concept and not in taste. mike enjoyed the botana de chalupas, which consisted of seasoned veggies atop fried corn tortilas. we thought the ensalata nopalitos, a cactus salad, sounded interesting, but it was more like a plate of pico de gallo with strips of fresh cactus and crumbled cheese. the cactus, which was slightly tart and tender, tasted like a cross between a sour green chile and a green bell pepper. next time i would try it grilled with some kind of sauce.

we also sampled a tortilla stuffed with huitlacoche, a corn fungus, which had a nutty flavor and chewy mexican cheese. in retrospect, i think i should have ordered the tamale with chicken and mole because the one i did order with chile & spices was a little bland.

overall, the food was authentic and fresh, but without trying more dishes, it's hard for me to get excited about the food here. service was a little slow, and our waiter completely forgot to bring us our drinks. by the time we finally got someone's attention, we were pretty much done so just asked for the check. there's a small are by the cash register where they sell spices and prepared ingredients like chorizo or cecina for cooking oaxacan food.