Balle Oaxaqueno

2318 West Jefferson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90018
323 766-1727

The old Two Star Bakery on Jefferson has been renamed, but it doesn't look much different inside, except that now they seem to have things like baggies of cocao beans and some rough looking chocolate, perhaps to use to make molé or other Oaxacan delicacies. There is a small supermarket here too, selling pantry staples, vegetables, fruits, and spices.
Everyone who works there is very friendly, and the place smells sweet and yummy. One room is lined with pastry cases full of sweets and bread. Sometimes I go by to get a Mexican Coke or Pepsi, made with real sugar, instead of corn syrup like the stuff made in the U.S. They also have an ice maker and will sell you bags of ice for a party (unlike the corner liquor store, where people are rude and they don't sell ice and won't tell you where you can find it, but that's another story).
I finally tried the restaurant today, and as usual, I probably ordered the wrong thing. Not much vegetarian food, so I got the veg burrito, which was OK, not great. My friend had the carne asada burrito and she was also lukewarm about it. They didn't give us any salsa, which was part of the problem, but also the ingredients seemed uninspired.
I still think the best burritos around here are at La Taquiza, which is a bit of a schep.