I dropped into Bar Ama recently because I felt like eating one of the slutty items known as a queso-rrito, and felt like trying Bar Ama’s version.
The queso-rrito as Bar Ama interprets it is like a queso-filled quesadilla turned into a grilled burrito wrapper stuffed with a ton of rice and beef picadillo. It can only be described as a behemothic uber slutty party for your mouth filled with cheese, spice, and perfectly griddled tortilla (side note: Bar Ama has been making their own flour tortillas in house fresh for a long time, and it makes a big different in taste imo, even when you grill them wrapped in a cheesy ring of slutty glory). It is not for everyone; and many people would be offended at paying $15 for what is basically an even more whorish version of an already spectacularly slutty fast food item, but for a certain time of person it is a remarkable kind of culinary achievement of pure reckless gluttony. It is served with some of the best Mexican spicy pickles I have had, but even better is the housemade Bus Driver hot sauce that you can request. Mmm
I was still in veggie mode and felt like some broccoli, so I got a plate of broccolini torrada as well. Man, the portion size on this was insane. It seemed like the $11 dishe was designed to be split by 6 people…holy cow. It was a great spin on broccolini though. Nicely grilled and plated with tepin, a nutty walnut arbol salsa with a low and slow kind of heat that supported astringency of the broccolini just right. The crispy onions added an interesting texture contrast as well as adding some sweetness into the mix. A really fun take on a broccolini plate, and an incredible value for the price.
This is also one of the few places in LA you can get Mexican wine sadly, and I had a wonderful nebbiolo from baja to go with my slutty queso-rrito. Bar Ama remains one of my favorite places to stop in for food that is cooked well, and done in ways that maybe cross the line into lunacy just a bit, but keep you anchored with nuanced wine and playfl, but delciious cocktails and a relaxed, homey atmosphere.