Churrasco Latino

I was feeling the pangs of a good steak so I called on a fellow foodie and asked him for a rec on some good steaks.  What came next was a surprise.  He suggested a place where he and the Mexicans who works in his company goes to.  He said the place is popular to Mexicans specially the Gauchos in vaquero (cowboy) hats, who brings their whole family to the place.  They also have a mean steak served sizzling in a cast iron skillet.  I was in.  

La Fonda is located at the edge of a strip mall on Century boulevard in Inglewood between La Brea and La Cienega  near the Hollywood Park race track.  Not to be confused with the La Fonda on Wilshire in LA, and my favorite Columbian restaurant La Fonda on Melrose also in LA.  The place is small, with no atmosphere and booth seating.   There's a small window to the kitchen where we placed our orders and proceeded to sit down and wait for the food to come.  There is a TV on the wall was playing, of course, futbol. 

They gave us some tortillas and dips while waiting for the food to arrive.  I like the bean and queso dip for a change.

Huarache Al Pastor $ 5.75,  this was delicious, the Al Pastor meat and beans was tasty topped with salsa verde and roja, lettuce, sour cream, and queso cotya.  Me likey likey.

Churrasco Latino $ 9.99,  this is New York steak Mexican style served with arroz and salad, you can also request American style served with baked potatoes and salad.   This was served piping hot and sizzling on a bed of toasted garlic served in an iron skillet.  The aroma of the garlic and steak was so irresistible I could not wait to dig in.  I ordered my steak medium rare, but I think the extra cooking from the hot skillet pushed it to medium.   The steak was still delicious.  They gave us some A1 sauce infused with Jalapeño, that was new to me.  When it comes to steaks, no A1 sauces for me, salt and pepper will do.  

Negra Modelo 5% ABV, a Dark Lager served in a bottle.  The beer has a light, highly carbonated mouthfeel with some bitterness in the end.  It tastes slightly sour, even if I did not squeeze the lemon in, slighly sweet caramel, and some zesty spiciness.  Crisp and refreshing it goes very well with the steak.

La Fonda

4649 Century Blvd.

Inglewood, CA

310-419-7596

Food & Grog

Named after "Her Majesty's Ship" the Bounty, immortalized in Nordhoff and Hall's 1932 novel "Mutiny on the Bounty".  HMS Bounty is located in Koreatown right accross the now demolished Ambassador Hotel where Robert Kennedy was shot.  And right next to what used to be the Brown Derby converted into a strip mall.  Ramon  who started working as a teenager at the place as a dishwasher now owns and operates the place.  A real  "American Dream" success story, the previous owner Gordon Fields even paid for his English lessons.

The HMS Bounty is as rich in stories and history as the novel.  My favorite story is that Sir Winston Churchill regularly went here for a nightcap while staying at the Ambassador Hotel.  This place is a throwback to Old Hollywood, you can almost relive the era while sitting in one of their red booths.  The dimly lit interior, the nautical theme complete with portholes on the wall, and thick hardwood beams on the roof, adds to the process.  You can even choose the exact booth where Churchill used to sit. 

I sat in one of the booths sipping a Dirty "Gin" Martini  while waiting for my dinner, and listening to oldies music from the jukebox that still plays the old 45s.

Their Ribeye Steak is great and always consistent, I've been coming back here for years and I am never disappointed.  

HMS Bounty

3357 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 385-7275