La Estrella
Casual, authentic Mexican food
Come on in!
“Estrellaaaaaa...” Guy staged whispered as he walked through the office to his desk. It was lunchtime, and he was oh so subtly trying to convince me to go get tacos with him. I was making a determined effort to get through the pile of paperwork and memoranda that seem to mysteriously multiply on my desk whenever I look away, but by the third dramatic repetition of Guy’s word of the day on his way back from some task or other about the inn, I had to throw up my hands and laugh. “Alright! I’m hungry too, and the rest of this pile can wait a little while longer – let’s go get some tacos!” A boyish grin on his face, Guy led the charge to the truck, eager to get through the other errands we had up in Fort Bragg that day and take our lunchtime break at La Estrella.
A happy little welcoming committee
We pulled up to La Estrella’s unassuming yet still cheerful entrance and smiled at the brightly colored decorations that greeted us only moments before the upbeat “Hola!” that floated out from the open kitchen behind the counter. The owner nodded at us with smiling eyes as she helped finish up the order of a young family sitting at one of the nearby tables, then bustled out to the register to take our order. Guy knew exactly what he wanted – tacos! He had been craving a couple of their little carnitas “street tacos” as he calls them, saying that every time he has them they remind him of San Diego where he grew up.
Simple and straightforward, just what Guy was craving
I had been planning on ordering tacos as well, but when we saw a new-to-us line item on the Specials Board, we had to ask what it was. “The pambazo?” the owner replied to our query, “that’s a Mexican torta, one of my favorites. We dip the bread in salsa roja (but it’s not spicy, don’t worry!), then grill it and stuff it with beans, crumbled chorizo, potatoes, shredded lettuce, and queso fresco. It’s really good!” Intrigued, I decided to forgo the tacos I had been planning on and ordered the pambazo – how else was I going to know if it was as good as the owner claimed? Well, it was delicious! The flavors and textures were well balanced, and while it would have been too much food for Guy, who prefers smaller lunches, it was the perfect amount to fill me up after my run that morning.
We ordered another pambazo to-go so we could share this new treat with other staff and indulged in some people-watching while we waited. The little restaurant was comfortably casual, with a couple of young families and professionals on their midday break spread out between the faux wood-topped tables. Happy conversation and rich smells from the kitchen mingled in the air above, and the food felt honest and real, with that kind of rustic deliciousness you would get around the family table at your Mexican grandmother’s house rather than something that would be served to you at a regular restaurant. We thanked the owner again as we picked up our to-go bag and headed out the door. She smiled and waved, and off we went, food in our tummies and happy smiles on our faces.
Behold! The glorious pambazo!
La Estrella is at 250 N Main Street in Fort Bragg, right next door to Cowlicks Ice Cream. They are open Wednesday-Sunday, 11:00-6:00. They currently have to-go & indoor dining options. Not fancy by any means, their food is simple yet delicious and great for a casual lunch or early dinner.
Words and photos by Laura Hockett