Category Archives: Teri Bayus

Burnt, A Tasty Treat For Foodies

By Teri Bayus ~

Attention foodies: “Burnt” is the movie for you and for people who work in the food industry. But if you are not arguing about what three kinds of cheeses makes a perfect grilled cheese sandwich with the person you are going to see this with, or don’t agonize over your olive oil choices and dream of foie gras, skip it like we foodies skip the drive thru at Jack in the Box.

Burnt is elegant and classy, sophisticated, yet centered around Bradley Cooper’s largely unlikeable character seeking redemption and forgiveness from those he burned in the past, but who may not deserve it.

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Nutrition and Taste Meld at Fig

By Teri Bayus ~

Food should nourish the soul, as well as the body. When a culinary master creates an establishment with the goal of providing the best nutrition and taste, we are blessed in flavors.

Fig Good Food is such a haven. Run by Chris Dillow, part of the gastronomic royalty of our area.

Fig offers the best of a Mediterranean style diet with roasted meats, house made pasta, chutneys, salads and sandwiches that are large in flavor while served in a tiny efficient galley.

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Boni’s Tacos a Wonderful Little Taco Shack

By Teri Bayus ~

In my culinary adventures I have accepted that the look of a restaurant doesn’t always reflect on the food. Some of the best things I have tried were from street vendors.

I’ve had duck soup in Thailand; curry pies in Grenada; and tacos in Mexico. On my latest “stay-cation” we traveled to the village of Cambria. Our first stop was for lunch and as I pulled into the industrial part of town, littered with broken cars and dented doors, I was hesitant to get out of the car and go to my destination.

But my husband reminded me of my credo and my responsibility to squirrel out the best food no matter what the outside looks like.

We found Boni’s Tacos, a small restaurant tucked away behind a jasmine plant. With only 4 seats outside, most of the food was to go. When I arrived, there was a line and it never went away.

Boni (pronounced, bone-ee) and his wife have owned and operated the taco stand for over 11 years, with the help of other family members — plus customers and staff that have become family.

As we waited, a family from Australia arrived. They were fresh off the plane and had to go back to their Air B&B to get American dollars, because cash is king at Boni’s. They returned and we helped them decipherer the menu. Their first taco was an extraordinary event for all of us.

The house special is “al pastor,” a favorite of mine. Al pastor is pork, marinated in Boni’s secret red sauce, then cooked on a vertical rotisserie to a crispy perfection. The other meat choices were carne Asada, which is hand-cut beef seasoned with authentic spices and expertly grilled until tender and succulent.

The pollo is fresh, never frozen, chicken breast, slow cooked in a delicious chipotle sauce. And finally the chile verde, a tender pork, lightly fried until golden brown, then slowly simmered in a savory green sauce with special spices.

Gary started with the Flan, a traditional custard dessert covered in a rich caramel sauce. He claimed it to be the best one he had ever tried and ordered another so we could get a bite.

I ordered one taco of al pastor and one sopes or Huaraches. The sopes is a thick handmade tortilla (more like an English muffin) that is layered with beans, shredded lettuce, sour cream, cotija cheese and the salsa roja. Boni makes all the salsas and the subtle flavors show through. The sope was crispy, yet pliable and I was in Heaven. The al pastor was emanating with authentic flavor and I now understand why there was still a line to get this food.

The burritos were shown in three sizes, the largest one as big as my head! My producer ordered that and she was in Heaven and this girl is a burrito expert (I swear that is all she eats). The chile verde with beans, rice, cilantro, sour cream, cotija cheese and the salsa morita, this was the flawless example of an exceptional burrito. A Mexican cola was the perfect accompaniment to this wonderful meal.

Boni and his wife came to talk with us and said everything is 100-percent authentic and created there. The dishes are made from recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation, leading back to their roots in Taxco, in the Mexican State of Guerrero.

Boni emigrated from Mexico in 1972, and in 1989, he and his wife laid new roots in Cambria. Boni and his family have been living in Cambria since then and founded Boni’s Tacos in 2004. He is a cabinetmaker in his spare time and a culinary delight at this wonderful little taco shack.

Boni’s Tacos is located at 2405 Village Ln., Ste. F in Cambria. They are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. They do catering and special events, too; call them at (805) 909-7651.

‘Into the Woods’ — Read the Book, Skip the Movie

By Teri Bayus ~ 

A Walk In The Woods is a film that follows Robert Redford, as author Bill Bryson, as he makes an ill attempted trek along the famed Appalachian Trail with his long estranged friend, Steven Katz, played by Nick Nolte.

Director is Ken Kwapis, but this book adaptation did not excite as much as the source material, however, it was a fun movie to watch.

The plot: travel writer, Redford, wants to reinvigorate his life. Many of the people he knows are dying and he wants to do one great thing. He’s a successful, yet unfulfilled writer.

His patient and loyal wife, Emma Thompson, tries to get him to perk up. He has returned home to New Hampshire after years living in the U.K. He comes up with an idea to walk the Appalachian Trail to experience and reconnect with his country.

He contacts many of his friends who refuse to accompany him on this fool’s journey. Steven Katz, an estranged friend, begs to be included in this adventure.

I was impressed that Ken Kwapis and his writers, Rick Kerb and Bill Holderman, did not try to recreate the book. What they did was put together vignettes, episodes similar to the book but more adaptable to the screen.

Nolte captured Katz to his very soul. Katz is the everyman of this insane millennium — out of work, fighting booze, avoiding drugs, running from the law — and Nolte nailed it. Surprisingly, Redford plays straight man to Nolte’s Katz throughout the movie. A very subtle performance that turned the film into The Stephen Katz Story rather than Bill Bryson’s walk in the woods.

Redford has been trying to do this movie for years and originally, he wanted Paul Newman to play his friend. It’s rated “R” for language and some sexual content. I would say, read the book and then rent the movie.

Teri Bayus can be reached at: [email protected] or follow her writings and ramblings at: www.teribayus.com. Bayus also hosts Taste Buds, a moving picture rendition of her reviews shown on Charter Ch. 10. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Tolosa Press.