Upon hearing longtime rumors regarding the elusive Oaxacan quesadilla lady (complete with her traditional blue corn masa), I frequently sneak a peek whenever I pass the intersection of Sunset and Echo Park to just maybe catch a glimpse of the legendary comida phantom. So after three years of vain searching (someday, Oaxacan quesadilla lady...), I must admit that I have only set ojos on this wonderful little mujer who serves up tasty quesadilla fritas Mexico City style. Was there some epic quesadilla battle to decide which culinary region would ultimately control this turf? Perhaps the good people on the street silently demanded a sea change from blue to fried?
Whatever the case, I have eaten a pile of these crispy dandies and they never fail to fill those queso cravings. For me the most sought after variety is shredded pollo in red sauce followed closely by the papas con queso. There very well may be other astonishing selections but I have yet to deviate from the norm. The process is simple: masa gets patted out, fillings are added, then it's folded and fried until golden. Once your order is up, our fearless mujer will administer cabbage, crema, and crumbled queso blanco (similar to Parmesan) to your liking then set you loose on the salsa buckets. I wish I could pinpoint which variety is the most picante, but from experience I've got to say all of them. No matter what colorful combination I create it somehow always manages to turn out hotter than the center of Hades.
The crema certainly helps to soothe the heat but to make sure you're on the safe side do a 180, cross the street, and get yourself an ice cold cerveza (or perhaps a cocktail in a can). Now available on balmy summer evenings, see you there.
