Fajitas

In the quad core of Mexican food the fajita is the most under-appreciated. The taco and burrito, of course, are the two favored sons, eternally jockying for the top position. When I was a child, tacos held the sacred crown, but as I got into high school, the burrito slowly took over and now reigns supreme. Tacos have adjusted and had a rebirth with the more authentic, street style, and of course, the modified offshoot, the food truck/Korean taco craze, etc, to close the gap, but the burrito has almost entered a different echelon -- it might be more accurate to compare it with with the sandwich as a staple lunch food - at least in California. Like the sandwich, the burrito has it's breakfast form, and it should need no more explanation of the ubiquity of the burrito than the fact McDonalds offers a breakfast one.

I believe enchiladas occupy the third position. Enchiladas, I imagine, are a favorite of a certain subset of people and because of the melted cheese, are more popular than the fajita. There was a time when the fajita was a favorite of young people, when the sizzling hot plate came out of the kitchen, kiddies would giggle with delight as the server warned them to be careful. The promise of making one's own "fajita" with the peppers and steak and gauc, etc, was the promise of fun, the ability to craft to perfection just the exact ratio. What happened to those days? When was the last time you ever saw anyone order fajitas? Is it an age thing? Is the fajita an inferior dish than the enchilada?

I ask these questions because I've recently ordered the fajitas at La Fiesta Brava, a delicious little local spot over in Venice. What a dish! It comes as an enormous portion - easily enough for two meals - on a hot plate sizzling with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and whatever meat you order - steak, chicken, shrimp, or any combination thereof. The most amazing thing about the dish is how it changes while you eat it - like a glass of scotch when the ice melts. At first, you use the meats and veggies on top, throw them in your tortillas, add some avocado and a squeeze of lime and yum, yum, yum, eat it up. But you quickly run out of tortillas and although I suppose you can ask for more, I just pick up a fork and start eating the lower meat and veggies, which have been cooking on the sizzle plate. Something happens to this stuff down at the bottom. Is it the juice from the steak? They get cooked and gooey and deliciously flavorful, almost like you are eating a totally different dish. The flavor of the onion and the meat itself is so much tastier than the top.