Oaxaca State in Monterey County: The culinary journey through Mexico continues.

A couple weeks ago, the Weekly took at look at local restaurants serving food from specific Mexican states: Nayarit, Jalisco and Baja California.

Now we travel south to the coastal state of Oaxaca, by way of  Salinas. Some U-turns are involved in getting to El Oaxaceño, which is part of a commercial strip awkwardly situated parallel to busy Sanborn.

Mexconnect calls Oaxaca "Land of the Seven Moles," thanks to the state's bright weave of topographic and cultural diversity—and its abundant tropical fruits, farmed vegetables and fresh seafood. 

The waitress at El Oaxaceño doesn't hesitate in recommending a traditional Oaxacan menu item: tlalluda. Pronounced "lye-YOO-dah," it's a sort of Mexican pizza built on a plate-sized, baked flour tortilla, with a seasoned black-bean spread. Layered on top is the classic Oaxacan string cheese, quesillo, then lettuce, tomato and avocado.

Choosing among several variants, I go with tlalluda al pastor ($11.50), and the meat doesn't disappoint. The pork is generously marinated in a mild red chili sauce and just tender enough, though the tortilla foundation is a little stale.

The actual tortillas, the waitress tells me proudly, come from the state of Oaxaca. So does the quesillo, which has a dry and salty quality that seems to have weathered the journey better than the tortillas.

I'm stoked enough on the cheese to order a torta de quesillo ($6.50) to go. The string cheese is stuffed in a warm roll with tomato, avocado, lettuce, mayonnaise and a mild green chili pepper, and it makes for a perfect road-trip snack later in the day. (I toss out the mealy tomato slice—not the local summer love apple I'd hoped for. But the avo is spot on.) 

One more Oaxacan specialty: a sweet magenta fruit drink called tuna ($4). It's made with the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. And while I'm not generally one for sweet drinks, it hits the spot on a hot day, down to the last slurp.

Where should the Weekly go next on the quest for Mexican state food in Monterey County? Drop a line to edible@mcweekly.com.