In the late 1990s, I was stuck working the worst possible job in the history of time. I was writing copy for a law firm’s fledgling website and hated every minute of it. Lawyers, y’all.
Anyway, one of the highlights of the job was my cellmate (or office mate, however you see that), Brenda. She is Mexican-American and her husband’s family owned a restaurant in town. He would sometimes stop by and drop off food for us. Brenda would ask what I wanted and I’d tell her “tacos,” and she’d roll her eyes and say, “No, this is what you’re getting.” Brenda never disappointed.
One of the things she turned me on to was torta de milanesa. I’d never had it or even heard of it, but it pretty much changed my life. The days her husband would drop these sandwiches off to us were pretty much the best days of the week. There was something about the crispy fried thin steak and the fresh vegetables on that bun that was pure magic.
Like most places in Santa Maria, La Perla Market and Deli has milanesa on their long list of Mexican dishes, and it’s bananas good. I had wandered into the venue looking to reconnect with some old memories of that sandwich, and I certainly was not disappointed.
La Perla isn’t a traditional restaurant; it’s a deli, where you order at the counter and take your food to go. When you go in, a menu is on the wall to the far left-hand side of the venue; order at the counter when you’re ready.
I got the beef milanesa, which is loaded with jalapeños, tomatoes, hot carrots, and sour cream but no avocado (perhaps because of the depressingly scarce avocado crops we’ve had this season). It’s a huge sandwich, so be prepared to eat a lot of food.
Prices at La Perla are really reasonable and include daily lunch specials for $4.99 and include enchiladas, chicken flautas, tortas, and more. I went on a Thursday and indulged in chicken flautas. By the way, don’t forget to absolutely smear your flautas with the guacamole they serve with the dish because it is really good; a lot of bright acid notes and just a touch of heat.
Next up, I tried their nachos. I never turn down crispy nachos with gooey melted cheese (lalalala, I can’t hear you about my cholesterol) and La Perla’s offering is another huge meal. They do not skimp on ingredients here so don’t worry about still feeling hungry when you leave. Overall, I thought the nachos were a little salty and missing vegetables—like more tomatoes—but the chips held up well under the weight of everything on them.
While you’re waiting for your order (which won’t be long because, wow, were they fast in getting me my food) make sure you explore the market, which also has a lot to offer, including fresh meats. If I wasn’t completely lazy and useless, I would have grabbed some meat and tried my hand at making the milanesa. I would do that but unfortunately, food at places like La Perla is just too good to miss an opportunity tasting.
Deliciosa
La Perla Market and Deli is located at 1138 W. Church St, Santa Maria. More info: 922-9001.
Rebecca Rose is also thinly sliced and breaded. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• I got a chance to attend Alisal Ranch’s Barbecue Boot Camp on Oct. 25 (more on that in a future issue) and it was mind-blowing. Frank Ostini demonstrated just how the Hitching Post II gets its oh-so-perfect flavor on meats and vegetables. For more info on future boot camps, visit alisal.com/packages/featured/.
• Congratulations to Foxen Winery and Vineyard for some big awards from Wine Enthusiast. The Foxen Canyon trail winery got 96 points for the 2015 Bien Nacido Block 8 Pinot Noir and 95 points for the 2015 John Sebastiano Pinot Noir. Sample them all at 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd, Santa Maria.
This article appears in Nov 2-8, 2017.