La Estrella Tacos #3

Fortunately, La Estrella has done well enough to open several locations in the Pasadena area. My relationship with La Estrella goes way back to when the establishment was primarily trucks. The restaurant that used to be on Green St. in Old Town housed framed photos of each of the trucks on the walls. I believe that Pasadena banned trucks which resulted in the decision to open more store fronts. I've also heard rumors about family disputes which may also explain the increase in locations (Oddly, there are two La Estrellas across the street from each other on Orange Grove Blvd).

I have La Estrella Tacos almost once a week. I almost always go to the stand on Fair Oaks (above Villa). there used to be a truck at that corner. Their salsa is my favorite of any taco stand. And their meat (asada and carnitas) is usually solid. Sometimes I have to fight the old man for extra salsa.

This mural which covers the outside of the building is a stylized combination of animals and food. Many of the images are combined with a word that begins with the letter L. You'll notice the word 'Lust' on the pig. Other words include Love, Leisure, etc. Not sure of the significance, but overall seems to be some combination of spiritual and social reference.

The feast is prepared.

And of course...

Puebla Tacos

Puebla Tacos has one of the murals that initially inspired my desire to focus on Taqueria art. Unfortunately some of my favorite murals have disappeared (La Estrella on Orange Grove). Puebla's murals bring in the basics of culture and food. I used to live down the street and frequented this shopping mall for tacos and offerings from 7-11. Sue, my wife, used to prefer Puebla's tacos but eventually grew fond of other local establishments. Every once in a while I'm in the mood for one of their burritos. They offer lightly grilled onions and peppers on the side.

Here a young boy is frightening away a hawk ready to snatch up the unsuspecting rattler. I find that often proportion is off or detail is lacking. But here the detail and skill on this portion of the mural is decent. This boy may eventually run into problems due to an excessively short shin and small ankles.

Puebla Taco's mural relies heavily on the cultural imagery more than the family and food. However, you can see the beginning of a picnic scene on the right

Melon detail

88 Lines About 44 Burgers Companion

As if there wasn't enough.

88 Lines About 44 Burgers

1. In n out*, Tujunga, CA. Classic Double Double...Tujunga just because Pasadena was too

easy. Always has it’s place in my book.
2. Hi Life*, South Pasadena, CA. Better than its equivalents (Tops, Lucky Boy). Before this

started, the bacon cheeseburger was probably our most common burger occurrence.
3. Rick’s, Pasadena, CA. Sourdough with cheese in halfway house central.
4. Apple Pan, Los Angeles, CA. Hickory Burger overrated. Sorry.
5. Fatburger*, Los Feliz, CA. King burger with egg because you can. Wish they were closer.
6. Pie n Burger* Pasadena, CA. Classic. One of the best considering price, locale and quality.
7. Mala, Lahaina, HI. Kobe Beef burger by the sea.
8. Bob’s Big Boy, Burbank, CA. Big Boy Combo with iceberg lettuce salad and blue cheese

dressing purely for old time’s sake.
9. Father’s Office*, Los Angeles, CA. Worth trying. There are several high-end burgers in the

ten dollar range (and that serve ketchup) that make this $14.00 burger a fall back option.
10. Tommy’s, Los Angeles, CA. Always makes me feel gross. Sue’s first and likely last time.
11. The Counter*, Good quality burger with options to fit your mood and appetite. Went south

of the border with jalapenos, spicy cheese, fried tomatillos, roasted chiles and spicy whipped

avocado sauce. Regret not getting the Churro shake. There’s always next year.

12. Oinkster*, Eagle Rock, CA. Excellent burger and fries in a slightly dirty establishment.

Rivals the top for quality, price and locale. Bigger than a Pie and Burger burger.
13. Cassell’s, Los Angeles, CA. Prime beef ground every day for a cafeteria style setup. Could

have thrown cottage cheese and peaches on the plate. Nothing to write home about.
14. Charlie’s*, Philadelphia, PA. Blue collar burger joint in outskirts of Philadelphia. Don’t think

this place even has lettuce. The government style cheese makes it worth the trip .
15. Monk’s, Philadelphia PA. Too dark Belgian style bar with so-so fancy burgers.
16. Five Guys*, Ewing NJ. Virginia Beach/East Coast answer to In n Out. No freezers.

Limited menu. Bigger and juicier than the West Coast equivalent. Peanuts set it apart.
17. Burger Joint*, New York, NY. Makes you feel like you stumbled upon the secret burger lair.

Excellent charbroiled burger, cooked how you like it with great bun that becomes paper thin

by the end of the burger. Often voted best burger in NY btw.
18. Houston’s, Pasadena, CA. Another $14.00 burger (which I can accept as having it’s place

in the world). Beautiful, fluffy, oily, egg bun with sesame seeds.
19. The Golden State Cafe*, Los Angeles, CA. Damn near perfect burger with a beer float.

Best high end burger to date...for less money. Favorite bun so far.
20. Top’s, Pasadena, CA. Kobe Bistro Burger. I think it’s hard to dress up a burger in a fast

food joint. A pig with lipstick is still a pig. The flavor was OK (some sort of aioli, caramelized

onions, and “mixed greens”) but overall too messy. Burger fell apart about half way through.
21. Burger Bob’s, Bozeman, MT. Spicy sports bar burger. Good, but not three hour drive good.
22. Homemade burgers in Choteau, MT. The halfway point. I made three burgers using what

I’ve learned up to this point (split them with Sue). Used the neighbor’s beef. Cousin made

homemade buns. One classic toppings on an english muffin. One spicy burger with fresh

jalapenos, avocado, provolone and tabasco. The last with bacon, cheese and arugula. A

true team effort on the quest for great burgers.*
23. Ford’s Drive In*, Great Falls, MT. Voted best burger in Montana, West Coasters could

almost fill their In n Out void with the double cheeseburger deluxe. Only car hop service

we’ve done. 50+ shake flavors. I had Dr. Pepper flavored.
24. Wolfe Burger, Pasadena CA. Dry bun. Dry burger. Not sure how they’ve lasted so long.
25. 25 Degrees, Hollywood, CA. The burger that tried too hard. Bun was disguised as a good

bun. Too big. Too messy. Smack in the middle of Hollywood hell.
26. The Big Burger*, Carson, CA. Carson? Now there’s a reason to go there. Damn fine hole

in the wall burger stand right next to 7-11. Five Guys down the block. Recommended.
27. Lucky Boy, Pasadena CA. Oddly flavorless. On par with a regular Top’s burger. I’d go

back...for a breakfast burrito.
28. Arnie Morton’s, Los Angeles, CA. Doesn’t pay off given the price, service and downtown.
29. Kilroy's, Las Vegas, NV. Best burger in Nevada? Maybe. But I hope not. They do have In

n Out mind you. Friendly service with possibly the worst collection of movie posters. I did

enjoy my cheeseburger with jalapenos and olives. A first for olives.
30. San Francisco Saloon Co*, Los Angeles, CA. There is a burger classification that falls

between burger stand and “gourmet” burger varieties (usually around ten bucks). This is one

of the best in that category. Full bar with best background music so far.
31. Irv’s Burgers, West Hollywood, CA. Quaint burger stand with the friendliest service.

Fatburger is probably the better comparable choice.
32. B & R's Old Fashion Burgers, Hawthorne, CA. Excuse the language, but there are

several reputable “hood” or “ghetto” burgers that lie between the 105 and the 91. Menus

often include some obscene offering like “The Chronic” or “The Four Finger Burger”. Here it’s

the “Monster Royal”. Enjoyed the king with egg. I feel a little sick when I’ve thought about it.
33. Lucky Devils, Hollywood, CA. Choice between Grass Fed and Kobe Beef. Certainly better

than 25 Degrees down the road. Too big bun could be better. I think it’s a bad sign when

you’re left with a crescent of bun at the end. Another large, slippery burger.
34. The Bowery*, Hollywood, CA. Possibly the best example of why the English Muffin is a

superior bun choice. You look at the burger and think that there’s no way this burger is going

to hold up. And then it does. Top notch pub burger suffering from a bit of meat overkill.
35. JNJ Burger Shack, Los Angeles CA. Not man enough for the “Four Finger Burger”

(2 patties, 2 hot dogs, egg, bacon, etc). I asked if they had a two finger burger. They said “No”.
36. 8 oz. Burger Bar, Hollywood, CA. All around excellent gourmet burger. I’d say more but

seeing the server leave the bathroom without washing his hands kind of ruins the experience.
37. Umami Burger*, Hollywood, CA. To think I almost took this off the list. Pulls off complex

flavors better than any burger so far. One of the my most enjoyed burgers.
38. Carytown Burgers & Fries, Richmond, VA. Reminiscent of the ghetto burgers (fried, hand

made patty, egg, standard bun, etc.) with whiter names. I had the Kojak.
39. Comme Ca, West Hollywood, CA. Probably not a first, but “comme ci, comme ca”.
40. The Farm, Los Angeles, CA. I could have gone my whole life without experiencing LA Live.

Another fine gourmet burger. A little boring. A little overpriced. Kept tasting rosemary.
41. Hole in the Wall Burger Joint, Santa Monica, CA. Worth going to try the pretzel bun.
42. Hungry Cat, Hollywood, CA. Greasiest burger to date. Pug Burger? Slug Burger. $21.00!
43. Mom’s Burgers, Compton CA. “Jr. Chronic w/ Cheese”. Nice to have a down to Earth

burger again. These burgers tend to be overly fried and dried out. Gave me cottonmouth.
45. The Fix Burger*, Los Angeles, CA. No fireworks to end things, but a simple, quality,

1/2 lb. burger cooked perfectly. A last minute entry that saved me from pretension and grease.

Begin

Along with my current project "88 lines about 44 burgers", I hope to begin a survey of taqueria art across the Southland.  I've imagined formats from a simple 'zine up to a coffee table book.  We'll see where this goes.  Please feel free to submit.  Aaron