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COSTA RICA |
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Recession
Obsession: Where The Valley Meets Costa Rica
By Caleb Bacon, Laist.com
A Recession Obsession is, 1) a meal so great
that it sticks in your mind long after
digestion's end, and, 2) plays nice with
your sensitive wallet. Is there a better
place than Los Angeles to eat a wide variety
of amazing food that so happens to be
inexpensive? Probably not. We're as lucky as
we are well fed. We last obsessed over
Oinkin' Tacos Downtown, and Rainy Day Ramen.
Today, we obsess.
When I moved to Los Angeles from Back East,
I immediately heard of two magical
destinations for which East Coasters darned
not speak: Costa Rica and Hawaii. Apparently
they’re too far from Back East, but not Out
Here.
Fast forward a few years, and I'm spending
almost a month in Costa Rica and loving
every minute of it. (A monkey sat on my
shoulder! OMG!) While the place fascinated
me, the food didn’t -- yet I loved it. The
fare was clean and simple, matching the good
living I was doing down there. Pura Vida,
they say.
A daily staple was the casado, a typical
meal, consisting of simple, basic, typical
dishes. This adds up to a single plate
featuring a grilled meat, a salad, some
rice, beans and plantains. Some chef will
make their subtle mark on the dish with some
minor addition.
It turns out they have these in The Valley.
They’re great, and while not $3-$5 USD like
Down There, they’re $7-$8 and I’m sold.
Tasty and nostalgiariffic. That’s why Las
Delicias is LAist’s latest Recession
Obsession.
Valley Ticos
Las Delicias can be found in an oh-so-common
strip mall. This mini-mall happens to have
food from Central America, Africa, Asia, and
Starbucks. I constantly am amazed by what
multinational culinary efforts can be found
on Sherman Way. While they’re not all hits,
they’re all pretty inexpensive, making
misses no big deal.
A flip-book, that is a large picture menu,
offers you a menu cheat-sheet. It all looks
pretty good. Maybe I’ll try it one day. But
for now, at least 2009, I’m sticking with
their casado. It took me there, and filled
me up.
The grilled chicken was very nice. The
potato hash was unique and a little sweet.
The beans were also kind of sweet, but in a
nice way. There was also pico de gallo, and
white rice. I passed on the white rice
because I had just enough starch, thank you.
The dining room is clean, bright and
television try and relax your brain into
feeling like your in Costa Rica. If the
images of beaches and jungles don’t succeed,
the food will.
Casado Perfecto |
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