Red Hook'd: Sosa Fresca

I speak "burrito" but not Spanish which is, inconveniently, the sole language used at Sosa's fresh fruit stand. But no worries, gringo! Even in this day and age love finds a way: love of delicious Mexican fresh fruit drinks, that is.

I first discovered agua fresca at El Farolito in San Francisco, when my buddy and I rolled almost daily to the Mission for burritos, beverages, and Latin Freeze popsicles. It was love at first taste: light, fresh fruit drinks pair perfectly with spicy pork and melted cheese.

Delicious memories like these gave The Porkchop Express courage and incentive. Drawing upon a lexicon of international stutters, points and nods, and some half-witted Italian, we managed to order everything we wanted. Which, as it turned out, was everything.

Decisions, decisions!

Fresh squeezed limonata: an invigorating blend of sweet and tart. Melon (a personal favorite): bursting with ripe cantaloupe goodness. Lime: never you mind that noxious green color, the flavor is au naturel. And there's more: pineapple, tamarind, hybiscus, horchata... truly something for everyone. Everyone with taste buds, and two bucks.

S.O.S.A.

The owner, Victor Sosa of Puebla, Mexico, is a mildly intimidating guy. And it's not just the "dude from Scarface" last name. He brings a little John Stockton/EPMD flavor to the Red Hook Soccer Field food scene: strictly business. But oh what a business. Only 5 years old, Sosa combines veteran poise and rookie excitement with slam-dunk results.
And we don't just mean the beverages. Check out the stacked boxes in front of the van, a cornucopia of ripe citrus and melons, mangoes and papayas, all ready to be cut... and consumed.

I was debating what to taste, when I remembered that a friend recently requested a Chilie Mango report. I can't say I'm well versed in this dish, but I gave it a shot and was instantly hooked. Sosa did it up exceptionally well, topping slices of slightly underripe mango with two types of dried chili powder (one hot, one not), a little salt, and some Goya bonfanita sauce. The cherry on this sunday? He squeezes the juice of one lime into each bag. (Details like this set him apart: none of that nasty, artificial-tasting, made-from-concentrate pre-squeezed lemon here.) Chilie Mango has a sweet/salty hot/savory combination not unlike Thai papaya salad: bold, arresting, far more subtle than you'd imagine. And a perfect way to round out a taco binge.

But no matter what you try, you really can't go wrong. After all, Sosa puts the "fresh" in refreshment. I always return several times on a single Red Hook mission, because these goodies keep me grounded and hydrated. They also have that Christmas-eve appeal of a gift in waiting. Unwrap yours early and often, good reader; you wont be disappointed!



Sosa Fruit & Agua Fresca
Clinton Street side
(second tent from the corner)

Drinks: $2 & $2.50
Bags of Fruit: $2