In Search of Comfort and a Good Meal
In Search of Comfort and a Good Meal
I'm just a girl, looking for a meal that won't make me sad.
Welcome to another edition of Love, Peace, and Tacos, a weekly newsletter where I share what I’m feeling, loving, and eating.
Dear Friends,
Food has always been a source of joy and comfort for me. Since my dad passed away last month, my weekly restaurant excursions have been a delicious and relaxing grounding habit — something I do to decompress and feel “normal” at a time that feels anything but.
My routine is pretty simple. After slamming my laptop shut on Friday afternoon, I walk downtown and treat myself to a solo date. I usually eat out again on Saturday - either brunch or dinner — with a friend.
For months, I’ve mostly stuck to the same menu for my Friday solo outings: an order of pupusas or tacos at my favorite spot, followed by dessert (usually a soft-serve sundae). I’m a creature of habit. If I’m in need of comfort food, I want to know that I will indeed be getting said comfort.
That isn’t to say I haven’t tried branching out — I have — but whenever I try and add something new to the mix it usually ends in disappointment. As a result, I’ve eaten a lot of things that a Gen Z-er would describe as “mid.”
There was $30 pasta from Pagliacci’s that was supposed to be topped with a truffle oil cream sauce but instead was doused in a flavorless slurry that had the texture of a watery mushroom soup (note: this was a work lunch and my client, who ordered the same thing, sent both of our meals back).
I also had high hopes for the Humbolt Squid Bowl with Black Garlic Sauce from Boomtown until it arrived and realized it was basically a small order of Kalamari with a side of beans and lettuce. The texture of the batter and sauce was suspiciously reminiscent of President’s Choice microwaveable General Tso’s Chicken (which, honestly I would have preferred because at least it’s not $15).
My partner lives in New York City and on a recent Facetime call, I told him, “I feel like so many things I’ve ordered lately arrive looking and tasting like overpriced struggle meals.”
This is a problem when you’re just trying to eat your feelings.
I used to be a regular at La Taqueria Pinche (“the fucking taco shop”) but I stopped eating there after they switched up their menu a few years ago. However, when I noticed they were serving Birria ramen, I was intrigued and decided to give it a try.
Birria ramen is a fusion dish that combines two of my favorite comfort foods: traditional Birria (a Mexican meat stew, usually made with goat or beef that’s slow-cooked in a savory broth & topped with cilantro, lime, and diced onions) with Japanese ramen. It’s often served with a crunchy Birria taco on the side for dipping.
I instantly regretted this decision once I received my meal.
What I ordered:
What I got:
What’s wrong with this photo? Many things.
For starters, this food was made and served by humans (I hope?) so why does it look like it was plated via a soup catapult manned by one of Rizzo the Rat’s relatives from The Muppets Take Manhattan? (Although, I like to think that Rizzo, Yolanda & co would have the good sense to wipe the edges of that bowl before they send a dish out at Pete’s Luncheonette).
The garnishes were also lacking or non-existent. Birria needs finely chopped onions, cilantro, and lime to add color and flavor. Although I found a piece of lime tucked under the edge of the bowl (“I want no part of this,” said the lime), the onions were in large, raw chunks and the cilantro was missing altogether. The dipping taco which I was really looking forward to (who doesn’t want to dip a taco in soup?!) was alright, but tasted like it had been fried earlier in the day and then warmed up.
The broth on its own was actually quite tasty, and I may have been able to overlook the soup’s other shortcomings if it had at least delivered on the ramen side of the equation. Instead, I found a cluster of noodles smaller than my fist.
While on Facetime, I sent my partner a photo of the soup and watched as he shuddered in real-time.
“It looks like something they’d serve an orphan in a movie,” he said.
He isn’t wrong. The meal felt positively Dickensian but with an inflated 2023 price tag.
That struggle soup was $23.60 (with tax and tip).
What in the Oliver Twist is this malarkey?
I realize that criticizing overpriced soup and pasta is the most privileged and bougie thing ever, but this meal really bummed me out — in part, because it points to larger issues restaurants here are facing post-Covid. With rising food costs and staff shortages, the joy of dining out feels endangered.
We’re all tasting the struggle.
Case in point: my sister shared a story about a ramen place that is charging extra if you want noodles in your soup — you know, the one ingredient that makes ramen…ramen.
Is this where dining — nay, humanity — is headed? Sitting around bowls of broth, wondering if we offer to wash dishes at Pete’s Luncheonette (a la Kermit), we might be able to afford some ramen with our ramen (In this fantasy, Pete has branched out from the usual NYC diner fare and opened a hip ramen joint in the East Village that’s also confusingly called Pete’s Luncheonette). Friends, I’m not ready for this all-broth economy!
For the sake of my own happiness, I’ve decided to take a page out of the TLC playbook (the beloved 90’s girls’ group, not the channel that brought us Here Comes Honey Boo Boo). Instead of chasing foodie waterfalls (i.e. trendy fusion stews in aesthetic eateries), I’m going to stick to the rivers and lakes I’m used to & double down on enjoying the things I already know brings me comfort — at least for the time being.
If this means I eat the same 3-4 restaurant meals on a rotating basis, so be it. Sometimes you just need a sure thing.
If you want to know where you should eat in Victoria, BC, here are my top go-to meals that I eat again and again:
🌮 [Any time] Pupusas and Birria tacos at Sabor Mix Latino.
🌮 [Anytime] Deep-fried dumplings with housemade chili oil, cilantro, and crispy onions at Dumpling Drop.
🌮 [Any time] Chicken flautas and empanadas at La Fogata.
🌮 [Dinner] Stewed soy sauce noodles at Little Yunnan (spicy, peanut-y, noodle perfection).
🌮 [Dinner] Butter chicken dosa at Dosa Paragon (usually butter chicken bores me but this one is deliciously seasoned, has some serious heat & is wrapped in tender dosa).
🌮 [Brunch] Cali Benny at Shine (a consistently excellent benny!)
🌮 [Brunch] The Nitty Gritty Scramble at Shanzee’s Biscuit Cafe (Pro-tip: substitute the grits for hashbrowns. Just trust me.)
🌮 [Dinner + Cocktails] Anything at Little Jumbo (this is one restaurant where the cost delivers on quality).
Where or what have you been eating & loving?
Leave a comment or hit reply to share your recommendations.
So much this! I can never figure out if we were just spoiled in TO or if Victoria's restaurants really do suck. Our only dependably good meal out these days is Big Wheel. Although I do trust Zambri's for a fancier affair. :-