Vallarta and Northridge are both great. Vallarta is here in Escondido @DiningDiva. El Super, another LA market also just opened in Escondido. They are all wonderful markets with inexpensive high quality groceries and food.
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@js76wisco Yup! I’m a regular there and at Norwalk. I live close enough to frequent both. Just depends on where I am and what I’m doing.
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I love it also. And the meat area pretty much has it all - including cow lips 
And they have cooked foods also. Their chicharrones en salsa verde is insanely good. Mmm.
Big fan of Northgate. The produce QPR is fantastic. In non-pandemic times they usually have a guacamole station where they will custom make your order. Their tortillas aren’t the top of the the line but to me they’re well above average. Grabbing a big stack while they’re still warm is such a treat. The wide variety of salsas and ceviches are also nice. Their tamales are decent but the one I go to, there used to be a street vendor who set up in their parking lot every night. Her tamales were great.
If you’re selective with the meats, there can be some really good items. Generally, I’ve had more luck with their pork products than their beef. During the holidays, they also put out a lot of turkey wings and drumsticks, great for make ahead stock and gravy. The one near me also has wild caught mexican shrimp 30-40 ct on sale semi-regularly for only $5/lb. Head and tail on but it’s easy enough to shuck and save for stock.
Now if I only had a Super King closer to me, it would just about complete the lineup of good ethnic supermarkets within an easy drive.
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I ended up making Enchiladas. LOL. Still have meat left tho.
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Looking thru this and other threads and see a lot of Flour Tortilla talk. Did we decide where to buy good Corn Tortillas locally (mid-city, pico-union, miracle mile, ktown, et al)? Northgate Market? 
Paging @Dommy!
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Oh boy… in general I avoid store bought corn tortillas. They just aren’t as as good as the are in Mexico… For that reason, we don’t eat a lot of tacos at home, when we do we basically make guisados like Chile Colorado and Chile Verde…
Since we are doing more hearty fillings, our go-to house tortilla is the corn/flour hybrid from La Tortilla Factory which Trader Joes also sells as their Tortillas De Mi Abuela.
When we need to have corn for parties or something, we like the Mission Yellow Corn Street Taco ones. They seem to be thinner and more pliable than anything Northgate or Guerrero has (Even my mom askews those to go with Tia Rosa brand she gets at Vons).
P has been experimenting with making them at home and is ALMOST there… We found the best masa harina for tortillas is Bobs Red Mill.
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Gorgeous!
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Great looking tortillas. We might try to make our own tortillas. Never tried it before but nothing beats a fresh tortilla. Do you have a recipe that you can share?
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That’s what I use (from TJ’s) They really are a good mix of sturdy and flavorful. Had no idea they were made by La Tortilla Factory (they hold up well in the freezer btw it’s always worth getting an extra pack or two). Usually give them a spritz of oil so they remain pliable after heating up on the griddle
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Oh sweet! That’s what I‘ve been using. I didn’t know about TJ’s but they’re also at Yummy on San Vicente. And Mission Yellow too? You don’t know how tickled I am. So not what I was expecting. 
Ditto! I made tacos last night with my frozen LTF tortillas. Will post later!
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The price at TJ’s is pretty good compared to when I’ve seen them at Bristol farms. Don’t remember exactly but I Know it was enough to get me to wait in line at trader Joe’s lol
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I just asked P and he’s been reading this blog lately from someone in Cozumel. He absolutely fell in LOVE with the Tortillas of the Yucatan, which I say are THE BEST! P. said using the warm water, Bobs Red Mill masa harina has been really key. Also, Tortilla making is like pancake making… you are going to fluff up the first few…
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I know… that should tell you something about the state of the tortilla world out there… don’t even get me started on those uber fancy Masienda atrocities… 
! Glad you discovered the LTF ones! We buy them at Sprouts and our local With Love Market when we can’t get to Trader Joes (especially nowadays where our visits are usually 2-3 weeks apart. We also love them for egg tacos. Honestly, Egg, mushroom and chicken or soyrizo tacos are perhaps our most common taco eaten around here…
Also… something completely different, I recently made Kenji Lopez Alt’s Baked Arepas from his POV series! Split… with Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga topped with Mexican Crema, shredded lettuce and tomato… SO GOOD. Another good reason to be glad I always have RG Pozole on hand…
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I love your posts. They’re an education.
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Tacos made with leftover @LindaWhit’s Mom’s Famous Lemon Pot Roast 
Spring Onions / La Tortilla Factory Tortillas
Homemade Pico de Gallo w/a Little Extra Kick
Avert your eyes purists! Topped with Guacamole! 
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