Sabor del Barrio: An article series exploring the Latino food scene in the East Bay ---  

There isn’t much that’s changed at La Mexicana since the restaurant’s beginnings in 1932. The tables are key lime, the vinyl booths dull brown, and a framed portrait of the Kennedy brothers hangs over the cashier at this modest eatery on Oakland’s International Blvd. “I’ve ordered the same chorizo enchilada and rice and beans for forty years,” said diner Tom Borst of Oakland. “Although when I was younger I had three tortillas and a chile relleno on the side too.”

Borst said the Kennedy portrait has been up since he can remember. The sound of Mariana Sixto, the restaurant’s tortilla maker, clapping together balls of masa and flattening them on the stone comal, reminds him of his childhood. The owner, Emma Frida, a tall woman with a confident walk and a smile that breaks big for her regulars, is a fixture here too. In fact, most regulars can’t imagine La Mexicana without her.

Frida started as a waitress here at the age of 17. “Two years ago the owners wanted to sell the place,” said Frida. “But I asked them if I could try running the business, and they gave me the chance.” After twenty-nine years as the waitress, Frida was managing the business. She remains the only waitress, although her husband can be seen next to the banda-filled jukebox occasionally checking on orders.

The menu is simple, full of traditional favorites like enchiladas, tamales, and tostadas. The most expensive item on the menu is $15. There’s nothing extraordinary or innovative, but for Frida, that’s besides the point. “My goal is to keep everything exactly the same, and use all the same recipes we’ve had for years,” she said.

Portions are large and most come accompanied by Mexican rice and refried beans. The flour tortillas, fresh off the comal, are so big they hang over their basket. A popular dish, the crispy cheese taco, passed us by— it’s huge and undoubtedly requires an attack equipped with a fork and knife. I tried the chicken mole, which was fairly sweet, but velvety and flavorful. Frida also recommended the steak a la mexicana, a mix of grilled onions, tomatoes and peppers smothering a large well-done steak. It’s the kind of meal I’ve seen my family friend make her son after a long day of work and a hard game of soccer. Rosalia Wilkins, who was visiting the restaurant for the first time, said that her plate of rice, beans and a chile relleno reminded her of the food her grandmother made. She loved the beans so much that Frida brought her an extra serving.

One customer whose grandparents immigrated from Mexico to the Fruitvale told me that even when she moved across the Bay Area, she drove back to Oakland regularly to get a taste of Frida’s food. She had just finished her lunch and was ordering dinner to bring home to her family. Take-out orders go in empty beer boxes and I saw several Negro Modelo cases stuffed with plastic bags sitting in booths. Regular customers come from as far as Lafayette and Walnut Creek. Frida pointed out a Latino couple with a young son— the mother came to the restaurant as a child. “We have five generations of customers,” said Frida. “ The parents, the kids, and now the kids of the kids come.”