Long ago in the land of Long Beach, there was a magical...Mexican restaurant. Well, I don't know how magical it was, but it seemed special as a little kid. It was one of those traditional dark windowless Mexican restaurants with mariachis and tacky decor. My family went there frequently even though we nicknamed it El Stinko. The only thing that I remember about the food was the albondigas soup and the lollipop bowl at the front of the restaurant. My love for albondigas soup stayed with me throughout my childhood and well into adulthood. Something about the rice meatballs and the chili spiked broth that worked for me.
Finding albondigas soup became something of a quest for me. "El Stinko's" went out of business sometime in the mid-80's and in the fajita/enchilada world of Texas' Mexican restaurants there was no albondigas soup. Once we moved to California, it was menudo and caldo del mar that dominated the soup menus of the taquerias of Watsonville and Santa Cruz. It wasn't until I went to Old Towne Mexican Cafe in San Diego that I got to taste my beloved albondigas soup. It was the only place that I knew that served the soup for years. Then all of the sudden a couple of years ago it began appearing on menus at Mexican places in the East Bay.
Quality varied but I was happy to have this classic back. Now that I have a selection to choose from, I can make a judgment call on who has the best. And the winner is...Mi Pueblo Supermarket on High Street(Oakland). It is a rotating special at their taqueria/market that I have had on Wednesday. What made their albondigas special was not the meatballs themselves, but the broth that got a smoky, spicy kick from generous helping of chipolte peppers left whole in the broth. For meatball quality, I would have to say La Carta de Oaxaca in my new home of Seattle is the best however the thick heavy broth was a negative for me. Albondigas should have a light smoky/spicy broth.
I have listed a link below for a recipe that is a good approximation of what is available at Mi Pueblo. The broth can be a bit tricky. I have had it turn out too oily and rich, which makes the soup difficult to eat as a main. The recipe does not use chipolte peppers but still has that smoky kick to it. The poblano peppers adds a new dimension to the meatballs.
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/01/poblano_albondigas_with_ancho_chile_soup
