Saturday afternoon in August near the Panhandle. It’s actually sunny. Not a single piece of overcast is visible in the bright, blue sky. People are taking leisurely walks. I’m not sure why but I’m noticing a lot of French tourists these days. And it’s surprisingly warm. It’s not warm enough that I don’t need to bring a jacket, but warm nonetheless. Yes, I know I didn’t post last week. Get over it, you’re consuming free content. Why am I here in the Panhandle? I don’t have a particular reason why. I needed a slight change of scenery and this part of town seemed to be a quaint idea. This week has been fucking tough and I’ve been struggling. I’m not going to get into much detail about it, so you’ll have to take my word for it. I’m tired of dealing with difficult idiots on a regular basis. Who fucking does? Yet, I subject myself to them for one reason or another. I hope to get out of it soon or my situation might take away my sanity. Anyways, I’m on break from morons. Today, I’m here by myself eating at Nopalito.
This restaurant was started back in 2009 by Gonzalo Guzman with partners Laurence Jossel, Allyson Josse, and Jeff Hanak with an emphasis on traditional and from-scratch Mexican dishes while using local ingredients. I first visited their Inner Sunset location when it was still around, but unfortunately, it shuttered during the pandemic. This is my first time visiting their original location here in the Panhandle. Their patio area is decorated with lanterns and plants dangling from the ceiling. Long, wooden benches spread along the walls of the structure. Square, wooden tables are parked in front of said benches with QR codes encased in between pieces of acrylic for people to scan to access their menu. All types of people are here, from people who want something quick to eat to tourists and families who live in the area. It’s surprisingly a calm atmosphere, possibly because it’s still early afternoon. It’s nice to be outdoors in this neighborhood without having to deal with the fog.
To start things off, I had their Tamal De Rajas made with butter, jalapeno, carrot, potato, Oaxacan cheese, crema, queso fresco, salsa cilantro, and butter. Visually, the tamale was beautiful with it being topped with crema and surrounded by green salsa. And it tasted as delicious as it looked. There was flavor coming from the masa and the texture is balanced out by the fats from the various ingredients. The carrots added a bit of sweetness along with some savoriness. The cilantro and crema were fresh and brightened up the tamale. I do wish there was a bit more jalapeno since I’m not getting any heat. That being said, it was still delicious.
I’m currently eating their Quesadilla Roja made with mulato chile-corn tortilla, pork belly, salsa cascabel, jack cheese, queso fresco, onion, and cilantro. Yep, it’s fucking good. It’s crunchy. The taste of toasted and caramelized cheese works well with the meat. The salsa adds a bit of acidity and freshness to the quesadilla. The raw diced onions add a bit of sharpness. The mix of textures with the focus compliment each other week with the hardness of the tortilla holding everything together. It’s a solid and well-executed quesadilla. This and the tamale are examples of just what Nopalito can offer.
I’m struggling a bit. It’s one of those situations where I’m being pulled in multiple directions by various people and it’s a fucking lot to deal with. I’m working on my standup and it feels at times my life is not allowing it. The same can be said about this blog. I wanted to continue writing and posting weekly, but it’s becoming more and more challenging. I’m not sure that the plan for the blog is sustainable anymore. And from glancing over the viewership of this blog, I don’t think people fucking care. I honestly don’t know who reads this thing anymore. Things change for better or worse and with my current availability with things I want to work on, the blog will most likely take a back seat. When things calm down a bit, I might be posting weekly again. We’ll see what the fuck happens.
I’m back at Nopalito and I’m glad that I made the trip out here. It’s one of those settings where it’s great to bring a group of people to dine with, especially with this lovely weather. Would it be a good idea to come out here while there’s fog around? Probably. You’re sheltered, so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. We’ll see what the future holds. Until next time, whenever the fuck that might be.
Emotional Eating 