Looking at the new Kevineats review of Milk Tavern, the tequila lime sorbet reminded of a similar dish at Babita in San Gabriel. I went there once maybe 15 years ago when it was regarded as one of the better “high end” Mexican places in the area, but literally have not heard or read a word about it since. Has anybody had an experience there this millennium? Very little discussion of it on this board…
I keep hearing that this is the place to go for my favorite mexican dish… Chile en nogada.
But every time I drive out that far east I’m eating Chinese
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Babita is still wonderful and open. It’s has ALWAYS sustained themselves by regulars and business meals the area is ripe for it. Don’t let lack of ‘buzz’ make you think something is wrong…
–Dommy!
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It is. Well worth the visit for that dish.
–Dommy!
Love it.
But just be patient.
Don’t book dinner if you have to catch a flight. The next night.
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i’m happy it’s still there! lord knows i do my best to avoid buzzy places, i will definitely check it out again. as someone who pretty compulsively reads food boards, blogs etc, i just thought it was odd the way it sort of fell off the radar.
Other opinions? I went there once, several years ago, and was very disappointed. With all the other good restaurants in the SGV, I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. But the menu looks wonderful.
Chef Roberto is still in fine form. Make a rezzie before you go for best results.
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We were there several months ago and had a superb meal. While I often think about going back, the 2 1/2 hours it took to get there during the week weighs against making it a habit.
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Pictured: complimentary chips and salsa; crab huarache de nopal (grilled cactus salad with crab) and chile en nogada (stuffed chile with cream sauce) with two-tone housemade tortilla.
I enjoyed everything, but due to similarity in textures, I should have ordered something other than the crab huarache.
The pomegranates used in the chile en nogada dish were well sourced and popped with bright flavors. As to be expected, the ground meat filling was also of premium grade. However, perhaps because it was late in the season I didn’t taste any peaches in the filling.
The only other version of chile en nogada I’ve tried so far was at Las Molenderas in Huntington Park, which was considerably cheaper (but so was the quality of ground meat). I will say I preferred the taste of the white sauce at Las Molenderas and they were more generous in blanketing the plate with the sauce.
Babita’s service was excellent and given the level of execution of the cuisine, I’d say Michelin’s rating is well deserved eventhough I found the square shaped dining room a tad claustrophobic.
I’d have to agree with @blackave about this place being too far for some folks. The main reason I went was because I was already staying in Altadena for a 3 night staycation.
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