As a kid growing up in Los Angeles I would dread the annual family trip to my birthplace, Mexicali, in our Chevy station wagon. Not that I didn’t like Mexicali or visiting old friends and family but my dad would consistently pick the hottest month of the year (August) to travel. The heat was unbearable. My younger brother and I dreaded the four hour drive through the desert. When we finally got there it was nothing but dusty roads and huge mosquitoes. Not quite Club Med. It would put us both in a bad mood and we spent most of the trip fighting. The one thing we looked forward to was the tacos. It seemed like every street corner had a taco stand with hand-made, right-off-the-griddle flour tortillas, carne asada grilled right before your eyes, delicious beans that you would put right on the tacos, salsas that burned and the best and freshest condiments ever—guacamole, radishes, cucumbers, carrots with jalapenos, and green onions, all washed down with ice cold sodas in glass bottles. Squirt, Coke
and Crush were my favorites. My cousin Tony started working the taco bars when he was 15 and has made himself into a great chef. Me, I went to UC Berkeley, UCLA Law School and worked for the federal government before I decided that I hated politics and that law wasn’t my calling. It was probably over a beer or two when we got together and decided to open Luna y Sol, a Mexicali-style taco bar that features our favorite tacos, such as carne asada, tripas, lengua, al pastor, barbacoa and great seafood including fish and shrimp ceviche, cocteles de camaron y pulpo, fish and shrimp tacos and much more. We are dedicated to bringing you the flavors from our hometown, Mexicali, the gateway to many Mexican nationals who travel from their home states, Guerrero, Zacatecas, Sinaloa and others and bring their recipes to our border town. Mexicali is also heavily influenced by U.S. culture and cuisine and that can be seen in the many hot dog and hamburger stands that have popped up over the last twenty years. Our menu reflects that influence with our popular Mexicali Dog an American favorite made with grilled onions, jalapenos and melted cheese. So many places nowadays use the word “fresh” and “authentic” in their names that it has lost all of its meaning to me. We just like making really good food and we bring you our best efforts in the kitchen every single day. You won’t find mango salsa in our kitchen but you will find salsas made with chile de arbol, serranos and tomatillos and condiments such as jalapenos and carrots, fresh radishes, seasoned cucumbers and our signature hand-made corn and flour tortillas. Stop by and try our tacos, Mexicali style. I hope you love them as much as we do. See you soon, Carlos & Tony
Luna y Sol Restaurant
Serving the South Bay, Gardena, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach. El Segundo, Harbor City, Lomita, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills |
