Baco Coma

When I'm on the elliptical machine, my show of choice on the boob tube is none other than "No Reservations." Yes, some may find it cruel to be subjected to visions of a juicy mortadella and cheese sandwich, dripping with fatty juice, being devoured by Anthony Bourdain while I'm working my butt off, but I find it somewhat relaxing and it takes my mind off the whole pain element of working out. Bourdain seems to favor street food, and the episodes that see him chowing down on greasy NY hot dogs or plowing through a salt fish and johnny cake sandwich in St. Maarten are my favorites. Filling, hand-held and simple. Isn't that what real food is?

This is exactly why I'm in love with the baco, created by chef Josef Centeno of Lot 1 in Echo Park. I finally got myself to his place for lunch the other day, along with my friend (who we'll refer to as Mr. Hollow Leg) to try these "global tacos." Made with a type of soft, warm flat bread and an array of fillings, they're wrapped in foil and meant to eaten with your hands. And in true street-food fashion, they're delightfully messy. Mr. Hollow Leg and I both started with "The Baco," (a.k.a. the original), which is filled with a mound of carnitas and bits of fried pork belly and cabbage and a spicy aioli. It was rich and savory and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

I opted for the vegetable baco as my second course while Mr. Hollow Leg went for the one with lamb sausage and a potato croquette stuffed inside. Mine had fried Japanese eggplant and a mess of pickled vegetables, which I loved. However, half-way through it, I was starting to feel very full; my eyes are clearly bigger than my stomach (though if I continue eating like this, it will soon catch up!). My dining companion, on the other hand, easily ate his lamb and potato baco, loving every bite.

We'd both gotten the lentil and farro side salad, and somehow I managed to eat most of mine while Mr. HL ate all of his. I have a weakness for farro, one of my favorite grains, and Josef makes his salad very much like I make my farro salad, with lots of vinegar and a few mild spices. Delicious as it was, at this point I was suffering from major food overload.

But my friend was gung-ho for dessert. Considering that food just seems to go into his mouth and dissipate miraculously into thin air, I can understand why. Of course he ordered not one, but two desserts: the chocolate mousse with sea salt and olive oil, and the strawberry and rhubarb crumble. I had about two bites of the mousse, which was very good and more enjoyable than I remembered it being the first time I tried it (before, the olive oil seemed a bit much but this time it really worked).

I also had about two bites of the crumble, which was absolutely lovely. The crumbly, buttery topping, the melting ice cream, the perfectly tart rhubarb against the sweet strawberries...how can one resist? But, in spite of my best efforts, I could not come close to finishing it. As my friend happily dug into the crumble, I was half way into my baco coma. Not a bad place to be, if you ask me.

Lot 1 in Echo Park

Certain things bring me great comfort. The sound of Ira Glass’ voice on a Sunday morning, typing the last word on an especially-trying article minutes before deadline, and a favorite neighborhood restaurant I can count on time and time again. The latter is hard to come by; there are very few restaurants that I go to on a regular basis, because a large majority of eateries just don’t deliver on the first or even fifth try.

One of my favorite regulars was Opus, until Chef Josef Centeno left several months ago. So it was with great expectation and hope that I walked into Lot 1 last night, his brand-new (5-days-old to be exact) restaurant in the heart of Echo Park. About one-sixth the size and grandeur of Opus, the space is cheerful and inviting – the definition of “cozy.” Dark earth tones warm the walls and low-hanging burnt orange lights omit a soft glow on the molasses-colored tables and chairs.

The menu had changed slightly since I saw it a couple of weeks ago in the window of the yet-unopened restaurant. But from what I remember of Centeno’s tenure at Opus, he changes the menu frequently depending on what’s fresh, and I’ve always appreciated the sense of adventure it brings to the diner. We started off with a selection of cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, which included an utterly indulgent truffle cheese; it was smooth, woody and just slightly salty. We also had the charcuterie plate, and though I can’t recall the names of everything on the plate, the spicy chorizo and the pickled green beans were a pleasant discovery for me. The heat of the spices in the chorizo paired perfectly with the tang of the pickles. The plate also came with candied kumquats, olives, almonds and toasted baguette slices.

The Chef then sent out a plate of popovers (everyone in the restaurant received this). My friend Rachel, who has never tried popovers before, declared them to be her new favorite food. They came out hot, fluffy and with melted butter and a side of a chimichurri-like dipping sauce. It was everything you'd want a carb to be, and more. Excellent.

Next up we had the sashimi of yellowtail with charred leek oil, pickled serrano chili and a radish salad. This was beautifully presented and the crisp radish accompaniment really complimented the fattiness of the fish. I especially enjoyed the bite from the chili.

Along with the hamachi, we tried a bowl of the confit beet gazpacho with creme fraiche and chicharronnes. I am normally not a fan of gazpacho, as so many places make it chunky and to me, a chunky cold soup is as appealing as room tempreature ice cream. This, on the other hand, was smooth and rich in flavor, and the cool cream and salty bits of fried pork belly balanced out the natural sweetness of the beet soup. And the color! Just be careful not to splash while slurping this soup.

As I perused the menu trying to pick my main course, I mentioned to the waitress that I'd love to order the steak because it comes with bone marrow toast, a favorite, but decided out loud that I had already ordered too much so I'd opt for the fish. She must have mentioned this to the chef, as he sent out a plate of toasted bread with bone marrow butter. Just the idea of bone marrow butter fills me with a ridiculous and overwhelming sense of joy; eating it slathered on warm, toasted bread was, well, Heaven.

Rachel opted for the hand-torn pasta with brown butter, pecorino and herbs topped with a soft fried egg. It was delicate and really showcased the fresh herbs - I tasted parsley and tarragon. She enjoyed every bite and proclaimed it to be a great success.

I had the market fresh fish of the day, which happened to be halibut. It was topped with a mixture of herbs and toasted pine nuts, and sat atop a bed of sauteed cherry tomatoes and an infused oil of some sort. Though it could have used a slight bit of salt, the fish was light and fresh, and picked up the flavors of the herbs quite nicely.

For dessert, we shared the chocolate mousse with vanilla fleur de sel and olive oil. Yes, olive oil. The mousse was incredibly rich and chocolatey, with the salt adding a great balance to the flavor. The olive oil added a nice richness to the dish, though the mousse didn't really need it.

The consensus? That Lot 1 will no doubt become a regular hangout for me, a place to try new and inventive dishes all created with a great deal of thought, care and passion. The service was outstanding; quite a feat for a restaurant so young. I wish they had alcohol (they will be acquiring a wine/beer license soon), but I very much enjoyed the house-made aqua fresca of watermelon, pineapple and cucumber. I look forward to many more meals here.

Lot 1, 1533 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles

Open Tuesday - Sunday.

Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Dinner - 6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. (walk in only, no reservations)

Sunday brunch - 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. starts in a couple of weeks.

Tasting menu on Tuesdays, by reservations only, starts in a few weeks.

Phone: 213.481.8400