The Chori-Man - San Pedro

For true-blue foodies, Chori-man makes every list. A pick-up window slinging succulent sausage puts this sweet little San Pedro street on many a foodie-destination map. The hours are odd, and it's a long drive from Lawndale, but it's one I may never stop making. 

They sit behind a closed door and a tiny takeout window, but they'll come right out to help you order if you need some help. I felt like family...maybe better than family because my family has never given me a Mexican Chocolate Horchata just for showing up. 

And this Breakfast Burrito is worth showing up for. The South Bay's best burrito lives here, and it is filled with juicy red chorizo nuggets which have a uniquely sweet and spicy chile finish and good hit of garlic. Crispy potatoes bring the texture, contrasting the ooey-gooey runny eggs. 

Chilaquiles Verdes are fun to try, but I like the burrito better. Get two if you must, but don't by any means miss the Tolucan green pork chorizo. The green is a godsend with aromatic herbs and earthy poblano.  

The Chori-Wings are an obsession at only $17 for the dozen, red chorizo drippings clinging to the crispy skin.

Both the best burrito and the best wings come from this South Bay institution. I dare say Choriman is a must-stop on the road to sampling the South Bay's best. 

La Espanola Meats UPDATE - Torrance

This used to be my favorite weekday lunch. I would drive over on my days off when the rest of the world was at work and order a warm sandwich with slices of jamon. I'd shop around, fill a basket, check out when my sandwich was made, and go home to eat or munch on the way to the next place. Errands never tasted so good, as long I remembered to brush off the crumbs.

No more cured meats due to pregnancy, then no more anything due to covid. But despair not, they have delivery. A flat fee for each price range; the more you spend, the higher the fee. 

Dona Juana will do, but I went down the importado rabbit hole and now I am hooked. The Spanish jamon will cost you double, but the Redondo Iglesias is worth the cost. The texture is less moist, and the salinity reaches deep into the meat to draw out the natural flavors of the pork. 

Iberico Chorizo by Palacios. Every box I order has at least four. Beautifully dried, concentrated fat without the grease. Dona Juana's Chorizo Soria and Chorizo Pamplona are more moist if you prefer. 

The cheese. So much cheese. Manchego at every age, the older the nuttier, similar to most humans and pets. I always get a P'tit Basque as well. The sheep's milk has a silky-smooth finish, and this cheese ends with a pleasant, lingering pungence. 

Garnish with Marcona Almonds and Quince Paste. Their most basic paste is only $4.99, with the texture of a fruit jelly dessert and flavor like a fig married to a very sweet lemon. 

Cans of Serpis olives can be stuffed with all sorts of stuff, but I still like the blue cheese best.

When I feel safe, I'll be picking up some preorder-only paella on a Saturday, but until then it's delivery or Doordash for me. Doordash is sandwiches only so I prefer the delivery even with the fee. Plus they always throw in a few free gifts if you order on an empty stomach, with fun freebies like rose (wine) potato chips and just-add-milk packets of flan, as if their food weren't gift enough.