Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The perfect lunch

Rose Avenue in Venice, California. A clear November afternoon, with the sun slanting in low from the autumn sky. Standing on the sidewalk by the Storage building, where La Isla Bonita mariscos truck is parked.

I'm having a ceviche tostada while I'm waiting for my taco order. I'm holding a flimsy paper plate to catch the juice while I lift the thin, gritty-crisp shell up to my mouth. So's everybody else standing on this sidewalk - the construction worker leaning against the fence, the three guys wearing ball caps, eating their food off the hood of a car, the dark-haired girl in Uggs, sipping an orange Jarritos with hers.

The grainy bite of the crisp shell contrasts with the fresh bright tang and minced texture of the tender chopped fish in lime juice. Butter-rich ripe avocado slices meld on the tongue. Shake on a few bright orange drops of El Tapatio and a squeeze of extra lime juice and savor it. Crunch.

Here's another post, showing what it's like to eat a ceviche tostada standing by the truck.

3 comments:

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

MMM... ceviche... uhh...

I usually get mine at a Peruvian place, with plenty of maiz cancha on the side.

For the record, octopus is one of my favorite things to eat. I wish there were a U.S. Octopus Board, with the slogan, "Octopus, the other, other, other white meat."

Anonymous said...

It was 55 degrees and raining here yesterday. I might be jealous!

carmilevy said...

There's something neat about a restaurant on wheels. Our burg doesn't seem to have any, and that's just sad. They add such a neat dimension to the streetscape.

I love how you've captured the feel of the experience here.