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Yahoo!Spanish Sisters: When it comes to Fiesta mercados, the ones at De la Guerra Plaza and MacKenzie Park are as different as two sisters who love to whomp up different dishes.
De la Guerra Plaza is small, jammed with food, a virtual smorgasbord (oops, not a Spanish word), while at Mercado del Norte you’ve got wide open spaces and a huge carnival, and you never know what to expect at the food booths.
Sue De Lapa
Barney eats
First of all, when you order at either place, plan to eat right there. Do not take it home and eat at the kitchen table. It doesn’t taste the same. Sue and I bought so much—eyes bigger than stomachs—that we hauled plates home and chowed down in the shade of the deck.
Big mistake, much disappointment. Tip: Gobble these spicy dishes right away, even if you have to stand up to do it. There are sit-down tables at Mercado del Norte. And some kind soul has installed stand-up tables in the Plaza and on the sidewalk in front of City Hall.
Sue De Lapa
Dolly Lopez and friend
I’m always hoping to find sausage at Del Norte and this time I wasn’t disappointed. The guy at Muscle Beach booth was selling what I found to be, pound for pound, the best deal in the park: a foot-long Polish sausage in a big bun. At our request he heaped on grilled onions and sauerkraut and I squirted on gobs of mustard. All for $7. That’s enough food for any human being. I took one taste and tucked it away for later. (I know, I know, but I had culinary miles to go.)
In my story on Wednesday, August 6, the first day of mercados, I lamented that the parade of tacos lured me from my quest for cheese enchiladas. Well, at Del Norte I spotted my old Fiesta friend Dolly Lopez at the Apostolic Church booth, selling that very item, covered with lettuce and tomato slices, for $5.
Sue De Lapa
Firefighter David Berkovich
“Delicious,” declared Sue. “This is just perfect.”
And there were the Santa Barbara Firefighters, vending guacamole, chips, and quesadillas. David Berkovich, from Station 1 on Carrillo Street, was at the window, his mates gathered behind him, and luckily for us they hadn’t been called out in an emergency.
Valanci Villa of Lompoc looked so cute, about to gnaw into an ear of corn at the Boy Scout Troop 1 booth. She was there with her grandfather, Peter Villa, and in 45 minutes would be dancing with the Cruz studio on the Del Norte stage.
Sue De Lapa
Valanci Villa and corn
There’s much more to eat there: tamales at the Apostolic booth, and barbecued tri-tip at Solutions for People, and carnitas burritos to benefit the Dos Pueblos High football team. I was tempted, strongly tempted, by the chicken mole at the Isla Vista Teen Center. Mole, spicy, chocolaty sauce from Mexico, is hard to find here. Are people afraid to try it? It is not like eating a chocolate bar. Give it a try.
Fiesta veterans insist that the best food is to be found at Our Lady of Guadalupe, on the Eastside, at Montecito and Nopal streets. This, they insist, is where the real Mexican dishes can be found, much of it cooked by the hard-working church ladies. The Guadalupe mercado starts Friday, August 7, and runs through Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
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Barney Brantingham can be reached at barney@independent.com or 805-965-5205. He writes online columns throughout the week and a print column on Thursdays.
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Way too much money for way too little food. Too many people I talked to thought that the time has come for the Fiesta to expire. I agree. Paper litter on the streets from paper eggs. Poorly dancing children on the stage in fun costumes is best left for primary schools where parents interrupt the program by taking too many pictures. One day is enough. And, how come the flags on the town hall balcony are only from a foreign country?
I weary that we continue to cast ourselves into categories, no matter the ethnicity, that makes us "special" and alienates us from those who are not like us, perpetrating the illusion that we are separate from others because of how we look, speak, or some other trait. The illusion is that we are separate from each other and our higher power. The reality is that we are common and connected to each other and our higher power.
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Bird (anonymous profile)
August 7, 2009 at 1:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If there ever was a Fiesta Grinch, it would be the previous poster!
I've lived in this town my entire life and can't envision SB without Fiesta. Sure the food is pricey but its home-made and more importantly, the money goes to deserving charities and public service organizations.
Nothing wrong with a little multiculturalism either. The US is more a chunky stew than a melting pot of cheese.
And the kids, c'mon dude! They're cute, work hard at it their dancing, and are having a great time. I suggest Bird do the same.
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EastBeach (anonymous profile)
August 7, 2009 at 6:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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