Bayleaf Kitchen

We're always excited to try a new Indian food place, so we recently stopped in to give Bayleaf Kitchen a try. We had a family dinner--samosas (pea and potato), pakora, a paneer masala rice bowl, a special order of chicken over basmati rice, and a goat rice bowl. We accompanied it with chai tea and had rasmalai for dessert.

The pakora and samosas were perfectly fried. Very crisp on the outside and tender inside. The pakora was quite spicy, while the samosa was mild. Served with a very tasty green chutney. You really need to start with these. The cook has excellent technique so I'm sure the Mirchi Bajji (fried green pepper) is good too.

The staff was very accommodating with the chicken dish--they invented something on the spot that wasn't on the menu. Very good seasoned chicken and peppers over rice, they should add it. The paneer masala rice bowl was very good, the cheese was cooked just right and the sauce represented well.

The goat rice bowl deserves special mention. The goat was incredibly tender and fell off the bones in the dish. I like goat but will avoid it at some places if you have to pick up the pieces to chew the meat off. Not necessary here! The seasoning was excellent, but quite mild. A good dish if you don't want too much spice.

The rasmalai was an interesting finish. They serve rasmalai and gulab jamun as desserts. Both start with the same dough, but gulab jamun is fried and soaked in syrup while rasmalai is steamed and soaked in the same sweetened milk and spices as the more familiar Indian rice pudding. Rasmalai is made with rose water, and a little of that goes a long way. I was ok with it but some found it too strong. I enjoyed it as a finish.

The dinner was marred by some choices by the venue, La Plaza de los Food Trucks. They had a Christmas event with costumed performers roaming. Would have been fun except they blasted Christmas carols at a volume that caused the speakers to distort. Nowhere to escape. If they were going for a nightclub vibe with dance music I might have understood, but Christmas carols don't need to be that loud. There were not many people there for a beautiful if cool Saturday night, and that might have had something to do with it.

My Yelp Review

Kroozin Chevron

I stopped in the other day to sample the tacos from the grill in back. I got one shredded beef and one barbacoa taco on flour tortillas. Both were absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the flour shells looked homemade. The salsas also tasted homemade--the green salsa has a powerful kick, the red less so but still pretty strong. I washed it down with a jamaica agua fresca. Got a 32 oz. cup, undiluted (no ice) for $3. The tacos were $2.50 each. So I got lunch for less than $10, and it was excellent. I would do that again any time. Had some minor communication issues--I asked for rice and beans and the server put it in the tacos, which actually was pretty good.

The store is impressive. Spotless inside, everything neat on the shelves. The restrooms are imposing, high ceilings and faux marble tile, with very modern fixtures. Definitely worth a stop.

My Yelp Review

La Guantanamera

 Back to La Plaza de los Food Trucks! I had been meaning to try this food truck for some time and finally caught them open. I got a dinner platter with shredded beef, beans and rice, some plantains, and a side salad.

• The shredded beef dish is absolutely the best Cuban food I have ever had. The beef was moist and tender, and beautifully seasoned. Just the right amount of fat for good mouth feel. The rice and beans soaked up this flavor and made the dish complete. I would eat this again anytime. The plantains were well cooked and a nice semi-sweet complement to the meal. The salad was lightly dressed and was also a good complement.
  
  The truck is one of the less flashy ones in the Plaza De Los Food Trucks, so you have to know the food and want it. I found their menu a little confusing--it lists all the components of a plate separately, and it's not clear how you would build a combo. Our server that evening did not speak English and our Spanish is not that good, but she got her husband on the phone and everything went well. They are very polite people.
  
  The menu lists desserts but they didn't have any that evening. I would look forward to trying them another time. I definitely want to pay another visit, perhaps to try the pork platter or the paella (not listed on the menu).

• My Yelp Review

Munchies Lab

This place has a cute concept--food as science, and that's the theme of the wall mural where they display the menu. They offer a variety of Mexican snacks, including prepared drinks, Mexican corn, and other desserts. I stopped in the other day to give them a try. I ordered an elote (corn), a hot dog, and a melon agua fresca.

The food is made fresh to order. The hot dog was quite a bargain--a chili cheese dog for $5, and it's a big dinner-size frank. Not a lot of chili but that's fine. Quite tasty. I love Mexican corn, and got mine with doritos as a topper. There were some execution issues with the elote. They have white and yellow corn, and I asked for a mix. The server (a co-owner) took the white corn out of his Instant Pot cooker for me, but it actually wasn't fully done so was pretty chewy. Also the dorito topping had perhaps not been rotated out, because it was stale. I think these are issues that they will fix. The owner prepared a cantaloupe agua fresca for me from scratch, so it tasted very fresh.

This is a take-out only place--there are a few seats but no restroom. The decor is fresh and attractive. You can get a hot dog, a drink and a specialty dessert for a little over $10. I believe they will address the execution issues and they deserve support. I wish them well.

My Yelp Review