El Caporal

It started simply enough, with a sign I spotted on Obama Way in Seaside (aka Broadway Avenue) – “tortillas hechas a mano,” or tortillas made by hand. But the resulting take-out meal – and consequent late-night dinner and weekend brunch – filled up with an incredible amount of flavorful comida and even hearfelt emotion.

Caporal means “chief” in Spanish but at this restaurant it signifies foreman on a ranch. More on that later. As I wandered in around 8pm on a Wednesday there was no chief – or host, cashier or servers. Most would turn right around and exit but this kind of mystery is the stuff that I live for. I stood and studied the very basic decor.

A lady named Christina Madriz eventually appeared and I ordered one of each taco: pollo (chicken, $1.99), lengua (beef tongue, $2.49), al pastor (slow roasted pork shoulder, $1.99), carnitas(shredded pork, $2.49), pescado (pan-seared fish, $2.99) and camaron (seared shrimp, $3.49).

I also ordered a shrimp tostada and a fish tostada ($3.50 each). As I waited I gathered that the lovely lady is the owner, chef, server, cashier y mâs. Madriz brought me a small basket containing a colorful mini blanket. Like a precious surprise present I unravelled the cloth to find beautiful handmade tortillas, piping hot alongside a spicy salsa verde, a medium-hot salsa roja and a few slices of queso fresco. The super soft chewy on-the-house snack made the ensuing wait so worth it.

I returned to my workplace afterhours to share it with the last man standing and we both smiled as we tried tender meats and fish and those incredible tortillas. Standouts were the shrimp tacos, fresh medium-plump shrimp seared to order with a hint of garlic.

On a different evening I drove by after 10pm thinking she mistakenly left the bright open sign on. “People are hungry,” Madriz said. “I’m here doing prep, might as well feed them.” I sat down and called my co-worker, who rushed over.

Madriz offers several enchiladas. I recommend them estilo Apatzingán – “her hometown style” ($10.99) – with two homemade corn tortillas folded over, topped with shredded cabbage, roasted potatoes and moist chunks of chicken with a citrus-forward herb sauce.

The highlight was the pollo en jugo de tomate ($7.99) served with rice and chicken stewed tender in a homemade tomato sauce cooked with chunks of jalapeño, though not too spicy.Matahambres ($10.99), two pieces of thin grilled flank steak stuffed with queso Oaxaca – a paleo cheese steak sando – also satisfied, alongside a cactus salad and frijoles charros, soupy beans with chunks of ham and chorizo. We didn’t stop there: The veggie tostadas were filling and the warm boiled potatoes were a joyous surprise. All this savory food made us thirsty so we ordered agua frescas ($1.99) – watermelon and tamarind, made in house. Lilly had two 24-ounce servings. The fresh warm corn tortillas are their signature thing – fluffy, large and unlike any other in the area.

On my most recent trip, we discovered chavindeca ($3.50), a mini corn quesadilla stuffed with gooey Oaxacan cheese and carne asada. Not greasy, yet the cheese help the meat and the tortillas bind together. Pozole ($10.99) is available on the weekends and came in a large bowl with just-cut limes, but if you’d like authentic toppings of extra cilantro, oregano and diced onions you might have to ask.

Camarones al mojo de ajo ($11.49) is a plate of crazy garlic droppings for your mouth. Pan-seared with some serious garlic paste, they’re a bit intense, but served with bare-bones beans and rice it makes for a good combo plate. Another weekend-only dish is the birria (slow-stewed goat, $12.99) that melts in your mouth and comes plated with a special salsa verde and fresh tortillas.

This time I tried the other two tostadas: pig’s feet, which I will never have to try again (just not my thing); the carne desabreyada ($3.99) or shredded meat, which was much easier for me to enjoy. Two rounds each of homemade horchata and jamaica (hibiscus) fruit coolers too.

Here’s the deal. If you are the kind of person who wants to be served a pretty burrito, on a warm festive plate with pristine toppings, you might not care for this place. If you go out of your way to enjoy locals-only spots and street vendors I would give this place a chance. Just make sure to allot enough time. They are not quick. This can become a serious problem once business starts picking up. Madriz will definitely need an extra hand or two.

She learned basics from her mother on a ranch in west central Michoacan. When I finally asked why she named her business El Caporal she started describing her childhood, how she grew up on her family’s ranch, how her dad trained horses how to dance on command, how her dad lived to nearly 100 years old. I teared up as I put two and two together: Her father is elcaporal.

Christina is la caporal in my eyes, raising a family – you may see the little ones hanging out – as a business owner who also owns a commercial carpet cleaning business. Her enterprising ambition speaks to my entrepreneurial heart. The from-scratch food speaks for itself.

EL CAPORAL • 720 Broadway Ave., Seaside. • (831) 394-4270