BY MELISSA CHUA
Whenever I have a craving for Mexican food, there’s only one place in the Valley I can think of for fresh, traditional and hearty Mexican cuisine, and where you don’t have to spend that much. Melody’s Mexican Kitchen is a quaint and cozy Mexican eatery hidden in the city of Reseda on the corner of Reseda and Vanowen boulevards. Although you order at the counter, the ambiance isn’t like a typical “counter” restaurant.
The Mexican music playing sets the tone. The walls are a colorful array of lime green and bright yellow and blue. Melody’s is adorned with genuine artifacts and sculptures of suns and moons from Mexico. Decorative wooden carved chairs add a finishing touch to the authentic Mexican feel.
Melody's Salpicon Tostada is the house specialty prepared with cold shredded beef (pictured), chicken or vegetarian style. This is a Mexican style salad with lettuce, tomato, beans, cotija cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream and avocado on two corn tortilla shells. Photos: Courtesy Melody's
Husband and wife owners, Alex and Norma Morales first opened the restaurant doors back in 1993, initially called Melody’s Hamburgers and More. Named after their daughter, Melody’s originally had a 1960s theme serving burgers, fries and shakes. But three years later, the couple decided to transform Melody’s into the popular Mexican kitchen it is today.
The reinvented restaurant became a counterpart to their first restaurant, Las Fuentes Homemade Mexican Food Restaurant, which is located a few blocks away on Vanowen. The new Melody’s adapted the same concept, Mexican decor and menu of Las Fuentes. But Melody’s definitely has a personality of its own being more intimate. Also some of the menu items are solely available at Melody’s.
The Platillo de Bistek Encebollado is one of many dinners plates. This dish consists of tender steak strips with grilled onions. Most plates include rice, beans, guacamole and tortillas
Melody’s offers a full menu of dishes from tacos and sandwiches (tortas) to burritos and combination plates with enchiladas, taquitos and tamales at affordable prices ranging from about $3 to $10.
Melody’s is noted for a breakfast favorite, Huevos Con Nopalito, which consists of a scrambled egg uniquely prepared with tender cactus, tomatoes and onions served with chilaquiles topped with cheese and sour cream. Chilaquiles are customarily eaten for breakfast or brunch, and they are known to help cure hangovers because of their spiciness.
The beef (pictured) or chicken taquitos combination plate contains two taquitos topped with guacamole, sour cream and jack cheese.
My favorite item, which happens to be a Melody’s specialty, is the Salpicon Tostada. This is a Mexican style salad with your choice of cold shredded beef or chicken, with beans lettuce, cotija cheese, pico de gallo garnished with sour cream and avocado slices on two corn tortilla shells. I love to order this vegetarian style with rice and whole beans.
Consome de Pollo is one of the two homemade soups at Melody's-the other being, Albondigas. (Pictured) This chicken broth-based soup is prepared with rice, chicken, avocado, cilantro and tortillas.
I am also a fan of Melody’s taco and enchilada plate. It comes with your choice of beef, potato or chicken taco and enchilada accompanied with beans, rice and chips. It will fill your appetite for the entire day for less than $8.
And if you still have room for dessert, Melody’s offers a selection of homemade treats that come from family recipes passed down through many generations. The moist chocolate cake is Melody’s favorite. Many regulars indulge in the milkshakes, which are made the old-fashioned way with real vanilla, strawberry or chocolate ice cream.
The tamale plate includes one chicken (pictured) or beef homemade tamale topped with pico de gallo, mild salsa and jack cheese. All combination plates are served with rice and beans.
Melody’s is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Dine in (you walk up and order) or order to go from this casual and affordable Mexican mom and pop kitchen. They serve wine and beer, but no hard alcohol.
Although you walk up and order, Melody's has a warm, authentic feel. Photo: Melissa Chua
Melody’s Fresh Mexican Kitchen, 6747 Reseda Blvd. Reseda, CA 91335 www.peacecity.tv/friends/lasfuentes/melodys/las.htm
Melissa Chua is a journalism graduate from Cal-State Northridge. She is a freelance writer, and a regular contributor and copy editor for LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health magazine. When she’s not on deadline, she enjoys doing yoga at different studios along Ventura Boulevard and on the West side, hiking, dancing and traveling to anywhere with a tropical climate and beautiful beaches.
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