Hangin' With My Sweetie

Just hanging out with My Beloved the other night, and we decided to watch "Check Please Bay Area." We had heard that our local Hotel Mac will be reviewed one day soon, so we wanted to see it.

Of course, that night, no Hotel Mac.  But, they did review, and all the guests LOVED, a Mexican restaurant in Old Oakland called Cosheca. So, the next day, when we had an errand that took us to Oakland, we slid into a parking space near the building that Cosecha calls home.

The whole building is a conglomeration of small restaurants and food vendors, each with a different theme. They all seem to feature local, sustainable, etc etc, so it was like a giant, high-end, food court. Usually, courts are roughly as appetizing as airline food, but I was game to try Cosecha based on those three rave reviews.

One orders at the register, receives a number on a silvery stand, and searches for an open table. The table can be a bit of a challenge, as Cosecha is very popular. We were there closer to 1pm than to Noon, and still it was very lively. We found a table outside in the shade and away from the brouhaha caused by lots of conversation and too-loud music.

We ordered guacamole and chips to start, and each ordered two tacos for lunch with iced tea to drink. The guac was nicely chunky and tangy. The chips were hand cut and home made - fresh, substantial scoopers for the thick guacamole. I could have asked for a few more chips, as we ended up with more guac than chips, but by then our tacos had arrived, so we dug in.

All four tacos - chicken, crisp fish, braised pork, and pork belly - were absolutely delicious. The tortillas were soft and flavorful, and double-layered. The sauces were lively without being truly spicy, and complemented wonderfully the meats. The pickles were perfect and the fresh cilantro showed that someone had given some thought to how they would look as well as taste. 

They were so good, in fact, that I forgot to take a picture until I was halfway through my lunch. That brilliantly red sauce is all that was left of my braised pork; the remaining taco is the pork belly. This was my first taste of pork belly - I expected bacon flavor but it was not smoked, just crisped and eye-rolling good. There was a similar silence from My Beloved across the table as he enjoyed his fish and chicken.

Next time you are hangin' with your sweetie in Oakland, don't miss Cosecha. We may be at the next table.