The Best Dishes Eater LA Editors Ate in 2022, Mapped | Eater LA

"Every trip to the desert should include a drive out to Indio and dinner under the fluorescent lighting of 42 year-old El Mexicali Cafe. The no-frills spot, which shakes gently as nearby trains rumble by, is known for its shrimp-stuffed yellow peppers: a half dozen small-ish yellow chile peppers come bursting with a chopped shrimp filling, along with a few lemon wedges, cucumber slices, and a little plastic serving cup of mayonnaise. There’s clearly a reason why the dish is the cafe’s best-seller (with owner Monica Murguia telling Palm Springs Life the restaurant sells “about two million a year”). There’s the pleasant chew and sweetness of the roasted pepper, as well as the savory shrimp filling, further enhanced by a generous slick of mayo — but the real game-changer is adding a few drops of soy sauce. The Mexican town of Mexicali is known for having excellent Chinese cuisine, so soy sauce is a staple at the restaurant. Absolutely request a bottle if one’s not already on the table, because it turns an already delicious combination into an absolute umami bomb. I will definitely be making another drive out to El Mexicali the next time I’m in the desert. —Karen Palmer" - Eater Staff