Salvadorian and Mexican dishes find a home in Larkspur

Taquería & Pupusería El Torogoz, which opened a little more than a year ago — one of many Marin restaurants that opened during a pandemic, which we will be focusing on as the Marin IJ begins to review restaurants again — is tucked into the little strip mall by the Lucky supermarket in Larkspur, where aromas of spices, corn masa and grilled meat drew us into the counter to place our order. My friend Barbara and I were hungry and had a lot of catching up to do after so much time apart during COVID. We sat at a table for two outside.

The food was a bit slow to appear, but that was fine. It gave us more time to talk without our mouths full of food. I ordered a glass of the tamarindo ($4.25), the tamarind-flavored agua fresca, which was a little sweeter than I’m used to. I wanted to taste their horchata but it wasn’t available when I visited. Another time.

We arrived at 1 p.m. and there were several tables of diners both inside and outside.

The pasteles beef ($8.75) arrived first. Two super-crunchy, achiote-seasoned crescents of masa amply filled with beef, potatoes, carrots and onions. Lots of deep flavor and texture, fried but not greasy.

Barbara and I have a mutual friend who used to judge a meal on the amount of crunch it contained. He would have loved these.

Some lightly pickled cabbage salsa, curtido, and a small pot each of tomato sauce and green salsa shared the plate with the pasteles. The cabbage salsa is simple. This one is basically shredded green cabbage with vinegar. Traditionally, Salvadoran cuisine isn’t spicy. Some of the cuisine’s side dishes can be but, aside from the habanero salsa that the restaurant serves with your order and sells to-go in a 6-ounce bottle, the sides at this place are mild. Even the habanero salsa isn’t lip-numbing spicy, and finishes with the surprise hit of sweet chilies.

The woman who took our order brought out a bottle of the hot sauce. We told her how much we had enjoyed the pasteles. She enthusiastically said she had grown up with this food and that she’d eaten very well. She then announced her mother, Alba Carranza, from El Salvador, is one of the owners along with Cecilio Dominguez, who drives the Mexican dishes of his heritage on the menu.

We ordered two pupusas ($3.50), one chicharron with cheese and the other filled with cheese with loroco flower. The soft pillows of dough were a pleasure to sink my teeth into and the smell of warm corn masa hits a primal note. The pupusas eaten with the curtido define comfort food for me. However, the pupusas were too similar in flavor to distinguish between them — possibly our mistake in ordering. Another pupusa on the menu has cheese and shredded squash. That might have offered greater contrast.

The pastels were fried so well I was looking forward to the fried fish tacos ($5). I know I’ve been spoiled by Baja fish tacos, but I always approach fish tacos ever hopeful. The two pieces of fried mahi mahi fish were too large to wrap in the tortillas and too crusty. I had to eat them with a knife and fork.  The fish sat atop a bit of mayonnaise-based chili sauce with a scattering of pickled red onions. Also a lime that I tried to squeeze over the fish but was just too hard to get any juice from. Next time, I’ll opt for the tempura shrimp tacos ($4.50).

At this point, we’d eaten well but still wanted to try a burrito ($10.50 to $14). A friend had told me to order the super chorizo burrito ($12). This is what he and his friends like to eat here before heading to the Silver Peso down the street. The tightly wrapped super-sized torpedo opened up to scrumptious beans, rice, chorizo, cheese and guacamole. And, amazingly, we had no difficulty devouring this. Delicious.

I had forgotten to order dessert ($4.95), so we asked what there was. Two were available: flan and nuegados, yucca fritters. We’d never tasted nuegados, so we had to try them. The texture is similar to sesame dim sum balls with a bean paste center. A bit spongy and sticky. Served with a panela/piloncillo syrup flavored with cinnamon sticks, you can dip bites of the nuegados in the syrup or pour it over them.

The extensive menu features main dishes, or platos principales ($14.75 to $17.95), featuring vegetables, steak, chicken and shrimp;  tacos ($3.50 to $5); antojitos/snacks ($3.35 to $11.95) such as nachos and flautas; salads ($12.95 to $13.50); quesadillas ($10.50),  and sandwiches ($10.50 to $12.50), including a Mexican torta Cubana with ham and cheese that I must try. The breakfast menu ($10.50 to $12) with traditional Salvadoran casamiento, rice and beans, would be a great way to start the day.

If you search for El Torogoz online, the Larkspur location is family-owned and not affiliated with any other by the same name. It’s named after a beautiful bird in Latin America.

Cheerful, reasonably priced El Torogoz is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Good for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.

Taquería & Pupusería El Torogoz

Address: 574 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur

Phone: 415-758 7057

Website: taqueriaypupuseria.com

Cuisine: Mexican and Salvadorean cuisine

Noise level: Medium-low

Liquor selection: None available

Corkage: N/A

Vegan dishes: Yes

Gluten-free selections: Yes

Organic offerings: Yes

Dog friendly: No

Parking: Free lot

Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

Prices: $4 to $18

Reservations: N/A