Costa Azul

I have a new man in my life that I meant just 16 months ago and I have fallen helplessly in love. He is all I think about and yearn for a smile or a belly-giggle. He is my grandson and as far as I am concerned the most amazing person on the planet. He is smart, with a 100-word vocabulary (both sign language and verbal) and lives for my pratt falls. Oh to be a grandparent. If I knew it was going to be this good, I would have done it first. Each week I take him out to eat to give his mother a rest and train him to be a foodie. He already has exotic tastes and knows how to thank a sushi chef when presented with a pickled octopus. His favorite food is Mexican, and luckily I found a great restaurant in Grover Beach that is authentic, delicious and kid friendly.

Costa Azul Mexicana Restaurant is a location that surprised me above my wildest expectations and is now one of the places where I dine at least once a week. The salsa is fantastic, a bit spicy and even the grandson loves to dip and eat with the chips. Our server Liz is sweet and accommodating and I love the way she teases. This time we had Juanito’s Chicken Soup that boasts the most incredible broth with a hint of spice, poached chicken, potatoes, carrots, rice and cilantro. This dish would cure the common cold. For the little man I got lunch combination of a chile relleno, chicken tamale with rice and beans. He loves the rice and beans and shovels them into his mouth as fast as I can blow them cool. The chile relleno is a roasted pablano chili stuffed with jack cheese then battered with an egg mixture and fried. It is splashed with a tomatillo sauce that enhances the flavors. The tacos are of note here, like the street vendors in Mexico, these small wonders of two corn tortillas, carnitas (a pulled pork meat) and onions, cilantro and flavor. You can have them hot or mild, both will deify your taste buds and send your pleasure centers into overdrive.

I returned the next day with just grandpa (baby calls him “Dude”) to try some more of their fresh and wonderful food. This time Jackie was our waitress and immediate asked for the baby. I admitted that sometimes, I must dine with people who can have a beer. She brought us a bucket of Negra Modelo’s. Dude started with the Impossible Cake, a bundt shape molded combination of dense chocolate cake and flan. It is topped with whip cream and fresh strawberry slices. This exotic combination proved perfect for Gary. I had the Chili Verde Plate with a huge heaping of twice-cooked pork and a delectable green sauce. This dish is so good it will be competing in the Chili Cook Off. Gary got the Taco Salad which was a wonderful surprise with a fresh made tortilla shell and stocked full of beans, rice, shrimp, baby greens, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and fresh Mexican cheese. It was topped with sour cream, guacamole and salsa. This is a huge meal with a flare for the sensational.

Owners David Lopez and Juan Vazquez come to Costa Azul with heady experience in some of the best restaurants in the area. They know that solid, fresh food with original recipes was the key to success and succeed they have. They are open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and always have amazing specials to try. They are located at 750 West Grand Avenue in Grover Beach or you can reach them at (805) 481-4039. Tell them my grandson sent you and they will whip you up a crazy torta for you!

UPDATE: They have closed because of a hostel take over from the landlord. Just sad.