The Quesadilla Lady
Monday, June 1, 2009 18:15
The Quesadilla Lady is a lady with a cart, some fast hands, and the tastiest quesadilla I’ve ever had. She sets up her stand on the sidewalk on Echo Park Blvd., just a few steps south of Sunset. When I spotted her, there was already a handful of people crowded around her cart.
For $3, you get a fresh, handmade blue corn quesadilla with your choice of filling. I asked her to fill mine with cheese and huitlacoche, also known as corn smut, also known as corn fungus. It may sound gross, but boy was it tasty. It had a smooth, almost slimy texture, and a sweet, subtle taste not unlike corn itself.
In front of the flat grill, there’s also a variety of toppings which can be put on the quesadilla, free of charge. I recommend the pickled cactus, pico de gallo, and red salsa. But use the red salsa sparingly! Even though I was told it was very mild, it actually has a lot of kick to it — a delicious but painful kick.
The best part about the Quesadilla Lady is that she has vegetarian and even vegan (we hope!) options. When I asked if the quesadilla contained lard, the answer was no, just corn oil. The BF, curious to try Mexican street food, asked for a quesadilla filled with huitlacoche and squash blossoms. The squash blossoms gave the quesadilla a nice change of texture. I may have to get some of those next time.
A group of people in front of us, who must be street food pros, brought their own plates and utensils! Considering I live so close and will most likely visit the Quesadilla Lady again, this sounds like something I should be doing too. Next on my list of fillings to try are the chicharrones and potato filling.
Echo Park Quesadilla Lady
corner of Sunset & Echo Park (south of Sunset)
Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.
Jonah says:
June 1st, 2009 at 7:49 pm
That is my kind of street cart, nice find! Sounds like great filling/topping selection. Do you know what the hours at that spot are?
Louise says:
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:59 am
I went on Saturday, around 12pm. I think she leaves whenever she runs out of stuff, so I suggest going around lunch or early afternoon. Not sure if she’s there on weekdays though.
Eddie Lin says:
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Louise,
Love it! I need to find this queen of the quesadilla! Thanks for this.
Eddie
Nanciful says:
June 9th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I must try this! Did you also see the churros truck that time? I had the hardest time finding it last time I was in the area and ended up going home empty handed! :(
Louise says:
June 9th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Unfortunately, the churro truck was no where to be seen when I went. He’s usually right on that corner though, so maybe he just had a vacation day.
Costa Rica Restaurant says:
July 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Great find indeed! You can find some of the tastiest food at street carts/vans. The best hot dogs I’ve ever eaten in my life were cooked by some guy in a hot dog van along a highway somewhere.
Now in Central America, there are all kinds of street vendors selling food all over the place. One of my favorites was eating Salvadorean Pupusas purchased from someone cooking them on a grill right along side of the road in San Salvador. Tasty and extremely inexpensive! But quesadillas — that’s something I have yet to find, even in Central America.
Dave says:
February 24th, 2010 at 9:14 am
Detroit-style Coney Island hot dogs FTW!