For those of you heading to Santa Ana for KCRW Summer Nights on August 10th at the Bowers Museum, KCRW DJs Valida and Nassir NassirzadehI will be there and the festivities will begin at 7pm. I thought you might need a little pick-me-up before dancing the night away. My favorite Santa Ana couple, renowned LA Times journalist Gustavo Arellano and Alta Baja owner Delilah Snell, had some suggestions.
Alta Baja, Santa Ana’s 4th Street Market, offers a wide variety of unexpected goods from both sides of the border. Photo by Koda Hult.
If you’re in the mood for a casual pub meal, head to Chapter One, where there’s something for everyone: from the go-to pub burger, here called the Royale with Cheese and duck fries, to hearts of palm tacos for the vegans in your group. Maybe you’re in the mood for fried cheese curds, bacon-wrapped meatloaf or a plate of seriously good tacos. Expect comfort classics with a twist. And of course, there’s a long list of well-made craft beers and cocktails.
El Mercado Modern Cuisine offers Latin American-inspired cocktails that aren’t fancy. I’m partial to their classic Caipirinha, but Snell goes for the Ay Madre, a mix of mescal and tequila with jamaica—or the Sinaloa In a Glass, which is like an agua chile cocktail! Arellano prefers the El Inquieto (which has amaras ancentral, tobala joven, maraschino liqueur, valet de fernet, and chocolate bitters) or the Smokey Negroni. Food-wise, Snell and I always get two plates of the superb Aquachile—and cauliflower with adobo, sautéed tomatoes, red onions, and crispy potatoes. They also offer a few torta-style sandwich options, burritos, and more.
These Taco Ahogados are from El Mercado in Santa Ana Photo by Gustavo Arellano.
Need tacos from a truck? Then look for Alebrijes, the pink van on the corner of Cubbon and Main. They serve Milanese tacos called acorizados (that’s Arellano’s order), and of course La Palma burritos. Keep in mind that they close at 6 p.m.
But if you have the time, it’s best to head out to San Juan Capistrano early so you can hit up the award-winning Heritage BBQ for a quality meal. It’s about a 25-minute drive to Bowers. You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy their brisket, tri-tip or pulled pork in whatever form you choose: tacos, sandos or even loaded nachos and more. The meat is rich with flavor.
This platter of cooked meats and sides comes from Michelin-rated Heritage BBQ in San Juan Capistrano. Photo by Ron De Angelis.
