Bar Food

Grazing at its best! Last night we had a bar food dinner for $20 -- two servings of Killer Shrimp (steamed on a baguette slice with a sauce of fire-roasted peppers, tomatoes and habanero cream,) Barrel House Shrimp Jackets (grilled on a skewer with a bit of onion and a chunk of pineapple) in a thick, hot sweet sauce for dipping, a bowl of thick Jambalaya (Richie) and "Crawfish Spears" -- I asked our server what they were and when she said, "Crawfish tails grilled on a skewer" I said, "Bring 'em on!" But when they arrived, they were crisp-shelled like an egg roll, cut on the bias. I look quizzical and she said, "They changed the way they do it..."

All of these dishes were $5 each! Dinner was $20 because, without saying a word, she'd not charged me for the crawfish which I had liked very much and had said so. Drinks were 2 for 1 - a pairf of Stellas? $7.

Along with the bill came a postcard advertising "Taco Tuesdays." Each of the following is $3 per taco (and by tweaking some of the sauces, you could make a couple at home...)

Killer Shrimp Tavcos - see above
Sexy Veggie Tacos (an oxymoron if I ever read one) of roasted corn, red and green peppers, black olives, carmelized onions, shitake mushrooms, diced avocado, Swiss cheese with a citris vinaigrette sauce.
Creole Carnitas Stack - hickory-smoked, pulled pork, carmelized onions, cucumber relish, tomatillo sauce
Cajon Chicken Tacos - oakwood-smoked, pulled chicken, iceberg lettuce, tomato-lime salsas, Swiss cheese, tomatillo sauce

For this one, I think you'll have to visit Boogaloo Cafe, 1238 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach 310-318-2324 boogaloo.com

And that would be: Alligator Tacos! Hickory-smoked alligator, southern slaw, cilantro glaze, aioli sauce.

You'll need their Bucket of Beer - five for $15; choice of Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors, Light, Corona, Pacifico, Heineken - to wash those babies down!

BEWARE: the HB city parking lot across the street charges a flat $6 rate Thurs., Fri., and Saturday nights.