Beach Nov 2017

Mexican,
the way it used to be
by Richard Foss
Martin Lorenzana with a burrito de mar. Photos by Brad Jacobson (CivicCouch.com)
They didn’t actually have restaurants when Spain and Mexico ruled
California, but decorating an eatery to look like a hacienda still has a
pretty long history. The first one on record was Casa Verdugo, a mansion
in Glendale that opened in 1905. It became so popular that it had its
own stop on the Red Car line. Visitors strolled the lush gardens and were
entertained by singing guitarists and dancing children, followed by dinners
of albondigas soup, chile rellenos, enchiladas, and other delights. The
restaurant spawned an offshoot that lasted over 50 years, proof that romanticized
Mexican dining had staying power.
The current incarnation of Pancho’s in Manhattan Beach has been around
for 40 years, following the same strategy of a beautiful Mexican fantasy.
In 1987, Ab Lawrence took over a dilapidated restaurant that had been
closed for three years and had previously served steaks and Chinese food.
That restaurant had been founded as a barbecue joint in the 1930s and
called Pancho’s, after a horse. Though the architecture resembled mission
style it had never focused on Mexican food. Lawrence’s decision to align
the food with the décor was evidently a winning strategy, because Pancho’s
has stayed in business while almost everything around it has changed.
The illusion here is still as potent as the margaritas, and has put Pancho’s
on the short list of places that are a must for out of town visitors. You enter
on the second floor next to a bustling and cluttered cantina, check in at the
desk, and are ushered down a staircase to a cavernous room with wall murals,
trees festooned with lights, and the inevitable bullfight posters. (There
is a smaller and less spectacular room upstairs, but downstairs is where
most of the tables are.) It’s an experience straight out of Olvera Street or
San Diego’s Old Town, and an example of the restaurant as theatrical set.
Servers are at your elbow almost immediately bringing chips and salsa
42 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • November 9, 2017
The illusion here is as potent as the margaritas
and offering drinks and starters. But it’s best to take time to study the menu
before ordering. As you consider appetizers, keep in mind that the portions
here are large even by the standard of Mexican restaurants. Unless there’s
something you always wanted to try on the appetizer list, you probably
don’t really need it.
The menu includes the standard taco and enchilada combinations and
burritos, but also their version of some Mexican regional dishes and a few
items created by longtime chef Ramon Hurtado. Some of these like tinga
Poblana and birria are rare in the South Bay, and it’s a credit to the owner
and chef that they’re offered.
On a recent evening, we decided to order three of the more interesting
items: a burrito del mar, chicken mole poblano, and chicken with salsa pipian
made from pumpkin seeds. Knowing the portions are hefty, we started
by sharing a bowl of albondigas soup, which we consumed alongside mezcal
and “Naughty Maggie” margaritas. There are apparently at least two
drinks called the Naughty Maggie, one a strawberry margarita and the other
this standard but strong version with a Grand Marnier float. It’s about two
bucks more than the standard margarita and worth the upcharge, because
the liqueur adds a dimension of flavor as well as a little extra kick.
As for the soup, it hit all the marks for albondigas with a flavorful broth,
chunks of potato, celery, and carrot, and meatballs that had a very light texture,
thanks to being boiled. The broth was a bit less concentrated than you
might get in East LA, but that could be a stylistic choice. If you’re deciding
between soup and a salad I recommend the soup.
As we snacked on chips and a surprisingly zingy salsa we watched the
first of three birthday celebrations of the evening. A server came out with
a piece of cake whose lit candle was concealed by a sombrero and plopped