A Satisfying Seafoody Saturday . . .

Strangely enough, this past Saturday I was craving all sorts of seafood, whether fishes, mollusks or crustaceans; thankfully, I had the opportunity to enjoy them all without dealing a lot of damage to my wallet.

My first stop was the El Mar Azul truck at Highland Park, where I am meeting a few other bloggers to bid one of our own a fond farewell with a Ghetto L.A. food marathon.

Having arrived earlier than the rest of the pack and being ravenously hungry, I went ahead got myself their mixiado tostada -- a chilly mix of octopi, abalone, shrimp and imitation crab served atop a crispy corn tortilla with lashings of hot sauce. Really doesn't get any better for just $3 with generous chunks of tender, meaty seafood lightly accented with a creamy and slightly sweet sauce and slices of ripe avocado.

Following the arrival of Food Destination, Kung Food Panda, Mattatouille and Choisauce, we decided to share an order of their huge mixtado cocktail -- only five bucks for a 16 oz. cup filled with seafood and avocado merrily swimming in a sweet, sour and spicy cocktail, plus a few corn tortillas on the side. Again, this was a delicious, zesty steal, even if a little messy to eat with the liquidy cocktail sauce.

After that quick and satisfying bites, I did a little shopping at the Grove and then got hit with the seafood craving monster again, so I walked a few blocks up to Golden State.

While their dishes tend to be more land-meat-based (burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches) I did have a wonderful experience with their fish 'n chips from a few weeks back, so that's what I got (along with a few beers).

The batter for the fish (icelandic cod to be specific) was a little different (1903 Craftsmen instead of Racer 5 IPA) but still as tasty as I remembered, the meat moist, smooth and fatty with a wonderful flaky-crisp coating. The tartar sauce was great but I wish there was malt vinegar as well. The already-delicious fries were made extra special with their house curry ketchup and dijon mustard.

And definitely no complaints about the Angel City Dunkel; it tasted somewhat dark with roasted malt with cocoa notes, but didn't overpower the fish or fries.

I can't wait for the next time I get such cravings so I'll have an excuse to re-visit both these places . . .

El Mar Azul truck
4702 Figueroa St.
Los Angeles (Highland Park)

The Golden State Cafe
428 N. Fairfax
Los Angeles
(323) 782-8331
Website