"Douglas S. Ladden" wrote <snip>

Great post.

I had my first PAMVAZO at Clarita's Tacos D.F., in East Los Angeles.

I came across it because another Mexican restaurant had been
recommended to me: "La Serenata de Garibaldi". I drove the miles to
the Serenade. There I had food that for Mexican cuisine, was just
so-so.

As I left that disappointing food experience and walked to my car, I
saw a sign on the sidewalk. It read:

Quezadillas de Flor de Calabaza
Pamvazos
Tinga Poblano

Next Friday, I returned to a dark, somewhat ambiguous place. I must
have been the first gringo customer. Fortunately, I speak enough
Spanish to order politely.

The food was great. I don't mean wonderful. I mean Great! The Chef,
Clarita Trujillo, has a masterful had at cooking. As I left
restaurant, I was excited. I had found my cache Mexican dive. A few
weeks later, I drove friends Ron & Pat to Clarita's. They loved the
food, too.

At that time (1995), I was a member of a culinary group. The president
of it, was also one of the food editors at the Los Angeles Times
newspaper. So, I thought to tell him about the place, as he writes
restaurant reviews for the Times.

Meanwhile, I was back at my favorite Mexican restaurant, having her
Pamvazo. It's a bolillo, rubbed lightly with oil, then dusted with
sabroso chile powder and lightly fried, stuffed with lettuce, mashed
potatoes and spicy chorizo and served hot. YUMMM! At that time,
Clarita, who had become a friend, because she found me slightly
amusing as a gringo afficionado of Mexican cooking; handed me a flyer
telling me she was moving the place from First St. to Fourth St. I
took the flyer home.

By that time, I had email and I gave my friend at the LA Times the new
address, praising Clarita's cooking to the heavens. A few weeks went
by. I went to the Clarita's now on Fourth St. But the address on the
flyer was wrong. Where 4039 was, no building at all. A freeway and
street intersection was where Clarita's should have been. I was first
non-plused, then dismayed, then lost. Had they gone out of business? I
raced to the nearest phone and called the number on the flyer. A voice
answered, speaking Spanish. I asked for the street number. The
response, 3049, not 4039. I cursed the printer who got the number
backwards.

Meanwhile, an email from the LA Times told me that my friend couldn't
find the place. I replied with the accident about the printer and
something about Spanish but the adjective after the noun.

Eventually, the Times gave the place a glowing review. A second
reviewer even named Clarita's as one of the top 50 restaurants for
1997.

Now, with a copy of both reviews framed and hanging from the walls,
every time I go there, Clarita gives me an abrasos fuerte. Her new
place on Fourth is clean, has good lighting at night and an outdoor
patio.