Last Saturday I had the pleasure of dining at
La Mo in downtown Turlock. Not only was I lucky enough to be accompanied by my mom and sister from another mister (best friend), one of the owners sat down with us to make sure we made the best and healthiest menu choices.
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| The numerous options available for breakfast and lunch. |
La Mo has been a dream of the Smallwood family for many years. The menu is comprised of fresh, lighter Mexican-inspired items the Smallwood family has been cooking and perfecting over the years. It is their goal to use only fresh and locally grown ingredients whenever possible. The extra effort to utilize fresh ingredients and inject a little love into each dish has kept the restaurant buzzing with new and regular customers since they opened their doors less than a year ago. Here's a look into why
La Mo is the new hot spot in town and has officially been added to my list of favorite restaurants.
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| The fabulous decor inside. |
We arrived around 11:30 a.m. and Brityn quickly put in an order for a C
ornmeal and
Oatmeal Pancake before breakfast ended. She insisted that we must try them and we soon learned why. The cornmeal pancakes are made with a 4 to 1 flour and cornmeal to sugar ratio making them a lighter, heartier option. It is topped with low-fat honey, greek yogurt and fresh fruit. No need for maple syrup. Next, was an oatmeal pancake with the same oatmeal and flour to sugar ratio. It was topped with locally grown walnuts, a light sprinkling of powdered sugar and fresh 100% maple syrup.
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I forgot to mention the Sangria. Not too sweet and so
refreshing. It will be my go to cocktail in the summertime! |
Honestly, we could not decide which one we preferred. The cornmeal pancake had a completely unique, creamy flavor, while the oatmeal pancake was reminiscent of classic pancakes, but with a cinnamon kick like french toast. Both were hearty and had so many complex flavors that leave you wondering what exactly was in each to make them so delicious. I'll definitely be trying each again. However, next time I will be trying their
Vegetable Scramble with a side of
Chicken, Apple Sausage. They also have traditional favorites like
Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles that my future husband already informed me he will be ordering.
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| The Oatmeal Pancake and the Cornmeal Pancake. |
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| Clearly they were just as good as they looked. |
I know you're thinking this concludes my dining experience, but we were just warming up for lunch. We started off with the daily appetizer special of
Shrimp Ceviche with homemade tortilla chips. Wow, the depth of flavors is unlike any ceviche I've ever had. For the main course, Brityn suggested the
Chicken & Vegetable Enchilada served with
Mixed Greens, the
Healthy Burrito and
Shrimp & Mahi Tacos served with
Jicama Salad.
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| The Shrimp Ceviche. Enough said. |
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| The Chicken Enchilada with Mixed Greens. |
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The Shrimp and Mahi Tacos with Jicama Salad.
This may have been my fave. |
Check out this spread! Yes, we almost ate all of it. The chicken enchilada and burrito were stuffed with roasted vegetables and topped with two unique sauces. Not surprisingly, they were both phenomenal. I would suggest splitting the burrito or eating only half if you have that kind of will-power. The fish tacos were fresh, light and served on their signature handmade corn tortillas. Seriously people, these tacos were no joke. You're not going to find these anywhere! I wished that I didn't have to share. Let's not forget the amazing salads. The mixed greens were topped with a homemade lemon vinaigrette that will be my new house dressing at home. The jicama salad is truly a unique spin on a cabbage salad that will turn anyone into a salad lover. Sub the rice and beans for either one of these salads. You won't miss them and you'll feel better about your choice.
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The Healthy Burrito. This big boy is stuffed to the brim
with flavorful veggies and grilled chicken. Remember to
SHARE!
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Warning, this last item is NOT healthy, but everyone needs a little decadence in their life. It's the
Chocoflan. Before you turn up your nose and exclaim that you hate flan like my BFF did (or maybe that was me), try their flan! It has a chocolate bottom layer that reminded me of a molten cake. However, the true star was the flan itself. Crazy, I know. The texture was like cheesecake, with the lightest hint of egg. The combination of the molten-like chocolate and flan topped with homemade caramel was life-changing. That may be a little dramatic, but it definitely changed my view on flan.
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| Heaven on a plate, or Chocoflan. |
I cannot stress enough how wonderful the food, atmosphere and people of
La Mo are. Once again, I would like to thank Brityn for taking the time on her Saturday off to provide her extensive knowledge of each delicious menu item. Next time you're in the mood for Mexican food, or any type of food for that matter, and want to have some healthy options you absolutely MUST try
La Mo. It definitely will be your first of many trips.
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The beautiful ladies of La Mo.
Brityn, Gloria and Hillary. |
P.S. They are going to start serving dinner Thursday and Friday this week!! I've already decided I'm getting the
Grilled Salmon.
Contact Information:
La Mo
(209) 632-6655
lamocafe@gmail.com
Check them out on Facebook and Yelp!
