food Archives - 66 MOTOR PALACE

I’d never been to La Habra Heights, but Lori found a cool AirBnB cabin so there we were. La Habra Heights sits on the Orange and LA County border in a semi-rural area surrounded by suburbs for miles–which is actually pretty nice. There’s a good balance between privacy and convenience. It’s really a great place and I wish we’d known about it ten years ago. Oh well, we were La Habrans for a week, Heights that is.

The place we stayed is four miles from Whittier Blvd and the La Habra El Cholo restaurant location. El Cholo is a So-Cal chain founded in 1932, sort of a tourist trap, but not really. If someone mentions it, someone else (including myself) will say, “It’s ok, but you gotta try blank.” That said, if you get a chance try El Cholo. It really is good, the service friendly, and the rooms are inspired by the early California Ranchos. They have dates on menu items indicating when they were originally served, try the 1923 Red Chile, it’s epic.

We spent a few days in Winslow

We got a lot done too! First a productive meeting with Joe. He is going to finish the Motor Palace on a more regular schedule and is sorting out the building permits now. We’re making several small changes that will streamline and improve the project. The Emporium building is allowing us to keep the Motor Palace more focused on motor stuff.

Lots of progress moving, cleaning, and sorting furniture opened the back half of the Emporium. The front looks better and it’s more organized too. Most of the quarter-sawn oak pieces will be permanent fixtures in the Motor Palace and the Emporium.

Thankful for …

Wednesday’s drive had us home just after dusk. Thursday began before sunrise with baking sweet potatoes and cornbread then meeting Vince to pick up our little Airstream. The rest of the beautiful day, we spent cooking, eating, and enjoying the Mojave’s Autumn colors. And of course, messing with our trailer into late evening.

Vagabond Update

After our Two Crows Thanksgiving, we camped out at the Hotel Indigo in Anaheim and watched the Disney fireworks. Next was Katie’s Pool House for the week, then back to Two Crows for more good food and Airstream tuning. A new battery will keep the lights and water pump happy, and we also dry fit the new water heater. The plan is to have it 100% before New Year’s.

Thanks for reading!

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

Taco Life

(Originally posted on our old site. Reconstructed with help from Jay at OLAS CREATIVE and web.archive.org)

Taco tracking has its rewards out west and we ended up winning three-for-three on a recent journey.

Placentia CA

There’s no shortage of great Mexican food in Orange County but for this post I went back to the place it all started for me: the 301 Cafe.

The 301 Café in Placentia has been in business for over seventy-five years and they’re still going strong. 301 Café is where my appreciation for restaurant tacos began. My father and fellow aerospace workers would cash their checks and drink beer there in the early ’60s. My mother started taking us to meet them when my sister and I were three or four years old. Every once in a while I get by there and the place looks and feels the same as I remember. It’s a little quieter without a bunch of drunk young aerospace workers but a taco tastes the same as it did in the “good old days.” Check 301 Café on Google Maps

GUADALUPE CA

Guadalupe is a small town of 7000 on Highway 1 west of Santa Maria.

La Simpatia opened in the 1940s and operated by a member of its founding family. People who’ve worked here for decades prepare food from original family recipes. The taco, chilé relleño, and enchilada I had for dinner was so good I went back the next day to eat the same thing. When you go here be sure to look at all the old pictures on the wall. Look at the cooks, the counters etc., and look at the pictures again. Be warned, La Simpatia is possibly the best Mexican food in California. La Simpatia

YUMA AZ

Nicer and bigger than we expected, Yuma’s business district is clean, seems well used, and they’ve done a great job with their “Old Town” district. We were just overnighting on our way east and left too early to see much. We plan on spending a weekend there in the near future.

Early morning in Downtown, everybody’s still asleep but joggers, and dog walkers.

Mi Rancho serves great food all around in a crowded but fun atmosphere with a friendly/busy staff. The tacos are great as were the rice and beans.

YUMA BONUS

I just thought this guy was cool Robert G Fowler landed the first airplane in Arizona as part of a cross-country adventure (looking for the perfect taco?) in 1911. I can’t imagine there were many airports in Arizona if Mr. Fowler was the first guy to fly in Arizona. Think about it. If your horse dies pulling your wagon across the desert you have a place to stay and food for at least a week. If you want you can settle and name the place after yourself. If this guy has a problem he has to find a place to land…ponder that for a second.

More new stuff and reruns to come. We’ll update and edit the “lost posts” to be sure links still work etc. If something seems different we were probably lying the first time or it wasn’t that interesting and we’re lying now.

Be sure to visit The Palace Emporium and sign on to our mailing lists. We promise we’re too lazy to spam you, and please message us if you have a road trip related question, We’ll do our best to help.

SaveSave

66 MOTOR PALACE

Category: food

Who knew La Habra is cool?