Random Desmadres Con Huevos

I met El Random Hero for breakfast in Boyle Heights the other day. We had some business to discuss and since I would be coming across the river to his neighborhood in Boyle Heights,
I asked him to suggest a place to meet…….

“There’s a place that I’ve been meaning to go to on First Street near Cummings,….people have told me it’s good”, He suggested.
That was good enough for me. Trying out restaurants on the Eastside is one of my favorite hobbies. I mean, for me, exploring the Eastside is like going to Disneyland. Albeit a Disneyland with Liquor stores, and where the Fairy Princesses are a lot more Nalgonas.

Anyway, I got there a little bit early so I could walk around and explore for a while. This is another one of my favorite pastimes and I always find it interesting to discover how areas on the Eastside have changed, and in many cases, how some places have remained virtually unchanged over the decades. Personally, I am drawn to older buildings, brick façades, turn-of-the-century architecture, and vintage signage. To me, these are the faded reminders of history and life from past eras. I love all that, and this strip of 1st street was wonderful in that sense.
Other people may enjoy looking at the modern high rises and new developments in this city. But, I can always be found lurking in back alleys and peeking through fenced-off ancient walkways and imagining things that happened at that spot 80 years ago.

As I walked west on 1st Street I imagined all the Red Car Trolleys in 1943 coming through here, wild with crazed servicemen eager to kick some Pachuco ass. I made my way towards the Mariachi Plaza. It looked to me that the MTA Gold Line was near it’s final construction stages. I wonder how the Eastside will handle all this?

I walked by the old “Mitla Café“, triggering some childhood memories. My Dad used to frequent El Mitla back in his Friday night, end-of-the-work-week borracheras. I was just a little kid, but I remember my Dad saying that everyone called “El “Mitla”= “El Zovaco” (the under-arm) named after the bar’s distinct aroma.


So then I walked past the Billiard Hall that I’d be afraid to ever go into because around here, if you’re not a regular you’ll definitely feel it from the locals. I’ve also found that there are certain public meeting spots on the Eastside that reflect generational divides. You’ll find places where all the Viejos and Veteranos hang out while the younger crowds and the working stiffs and women, aside from family gatherings, don’t socially intermix too often.

I made my final run to meet El Random Hero as I hurried by the Casa Del Musico, Apache Tacos, Birrieria Jalisco, the Mortuary and the LAPD Station.

Arriving at EL SOL RESTAURANT, I walked in and found this quaint Xmas Wonderland Village still on display in the middle of January.

While waiting for Random, I ordered a Licuádo de Fresa. It arrived looking frothy good, topped with a light sprinkle of cinnamon. Nice touch! It was delicious too. Not too heavy, not too sweet.

The Huevos A La Mexicana I ordered were excellent. The blend of Eggs, fresh chopped Chile Serrano, Onions, Tomatos and Spices was delicious. The dish included a nice side of scalloped papitas (not too greasy) and some unspectacular beans. Overall, the portions were generous and tasty. I also ordered a couple of “hot cakes” which were OK but nothing to rave about by this Pancake connoisseur (snob). I’ll definitely go back there for some satisfying, home cooking –like Mom makes style Mexican food, in this spectacular Eastside neighborhood.

My brunch partner, El Random Hero appeared to be enjoying his meal as well. Read his review of EL SOL RESTAURANT right here:

~ “El Sol, from what I can tell has been there for quite sometime and it’s one of those restaurants that I always pass by, but never bother to go in and try it out for what ever reason. That being said they strawberry milkshake I had, topped of with cinnamon was just right. Not too sweet and not sour at all like at some other places that give you shakes with fruit that isn’t fresh anymore. The menu consisted of staple Mexican food dishes and nothing out of the ordinary so I decided to go for something safe, Huevos Rancheros. Unlike El Chavo, I enjoy them every now and then and I’ve had them prepared and served in a variety of ways. At El Sol, the eggs were served over the tortillas over easy and smothered in cheese, sauce, green peppers and nice big chunks of onions. The side of beans and tortillas weren’t amazing, but they didn’t suck either. They definitely give you a nice portion because I didn’t even finish the whole thing, but then again I didn’t leave a lot on my plate either. The decor of the place also gave it a nice vibe that made me feel welcomed and not alienated like at some other places that try too hard *cough * La Parrilla * cough * It’s definitely worth a trip and I’m going back there for sure. Anyone want to join me?”

As we left, we walked over to check out the Pan Dulce displays in the back of the restaurant before making our way outside. We took care of more business among the historic First Street façades before I had to reluctantly leave the Eastside for my Westside digs.
As I drove west, I watched the noontime crowds begin arriving at Al & Bea’s.

EL SOL RESTAURANT
1949 East First street (Just west of the tunnel)
Boyle Heights 90033
323-261-4524

By the way, If you ever find this truck I saw parked on First Street that day,….it’s not mine.

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About AlDesmadre

Al Guerrero, Artist/Humorist. Los Angeles, CA. Born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and raised in East Los Angeles from the age of two, Al Guerrero grew up just steps from the famous Chicano strip, Whittier Boulevard. His youth experiences include witnessing and participating in the 1970 Chicano Power demonstrations, cruising cars on Whittier Boulevard, and graduating from Garfield High School. After dropping out of UCLA (with honors), he drew upon his lifelong passion for art and cartooning and pursued a career in graphic arts. During this period, he traveled overseas and found artistic inspiration from the masterworks he discovered within the European Art Museums. His career blossomed when he was eventually hired by the Walt Disney Company in 1995, where he worked as a creative artist for a number of years. Although the artistic work was rewarding, he eventually grew weary & disillusioned with the bureaucracy of the entertainment business, and left to work briefly in the educational field. His credits include producing a feature film with actor, Conrad Brooks of Ed Wood fame, founding and performing with the Punk Rock group “The Psychocats” at numerous L.A. & Hollywood venues during the 1990’s, and in 1999 he founded and created a hell-bent puppet cabaret show aptly named: “The Puppets from Hell”. As a long time active member of the Los Angeles Cacophony Society, Al “Quaeda”, as he was known, was involved in countless Cacophony Society pranks and events throughout the city. He also produced the “Incredibly Strange Cinema” cult film series as well as themed events such as the now infamous “Pornothon Movie Nights” and the satirical “Mexican Night: Noche De Tequila & Putas” shows at local nightclub venues. Throughout his art career, he has exhibited his canvas paintings at various local galleries, and has also written & illustrated numerous comic strips and Graphic Novel stories. Today, he lives in Silver Lake, California and works as a freelance artist and writer with numerous multi-media projects under his belt and in the works. His personal hobbies include collecting vintage toys and comic books, cinema history and Los Angeles City history. Contact: alguerrero@earthlink.net Al Guerrero P.O. Box 29697 Los Angeles, CA 90029-0697 www.alguerrero.com Myspace.com/thepuppetsfromhell

6 thoughts on “Random Desmadres Con Huevos

  1. Great review. brings back memories of elementary school days in BH. If I remember correctly El Sol used to be a pizza place back in the late 80’s early 90’s…we’d go there for cheap pizza after school. We coudn’t have Al&Bea’s everyday!! Those pics are a true trip down memory lane. Great job!!

  2. To date, I haven’t gone back there yet because everyone is too broke to go eat out…sigh. With good food and ample seating, this is a great place to meet with groups to plan out things or to just talk…*hint. hint* I also like how Al see’s my hood a little different because he’s an og. I’m just use to seeing things the way they are now and don’t really pay attention. We should tag team like this more often with other’s. “El Random Chavo?” “Dona Desmadre?” “Random Brownie?”

  3. It’s always hard for me to stop an any Mexican restaurant in any area and the reason is because I know I will be greatly disappointed. No way will the food be as good as my mom’s or my mother-in-law’s. I once stopped at La Parrilla in Alhambra and ordered their chilaquiles — that’s what they call tortilla chips with salsa el pato or las palmas. And somehow, they get offended if you ask them if they used either salsa.
    I only venture out for mariscos restaurants and I haven’t found any worthy restaurants here in the Eastside. I recommend Mariscos Nayarit in Lynwood — best pescado (robalo and/or pargo) sarandeado north of Nayarit 😉

    “By the way, If you ever find this truck I saw parked on First Street that day,….it’s not mine.”

    No, it belongs to these Desmadrosos…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj7wcUJjkX8&feature=channel

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