Seemingly every Mexican food fan knows about the joys of La Super-Rica thanks to longtime proponent Julia Child, and Los Angeles probably has the best Mexican food outside of the motherland, but that still leaves a considerable distance between the two cities. Yes, plenty of Mexican restaurants reside along the way, and of course some of them are worth visiting. One notable option is Taqueria Cuernavaca, a five-year-old restaurant in Ventura near the 101 that takes its name from the largest city in the central Mexican state of Morelos. A sign hints at the restaurateur’s spirit, depicting revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata.

According to the menu, “Cuernavaca is known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring.’ It is a very modern city with a definite Mexican flavor, and since Aztec times has been a favorite vacation and weekend retreat. Cuernavaca is a word in Nahuatl, originally Cuauhanahuac, which means close to the trees.” The menu also referenced Cortes, Emperor Maximilian, and the climate, but Food GPS isn’t Wikipedia, or an Almanac, so back to the restaurant.

Taqueria Cuernavaca’s interior has tile floors, figurines and a detailed mural of Cuernavaca and the surrounding state, which the owner, Joaquin Solorzano, painted. Order at the counter from a menu that is by no means limited to Morelos.

They had several different meaty stir-fries called Alambres. El Fortachon ($8.50) involved a crusty mess of thin-sliced steak, marinated pork, chorizo, ham, cheese, onion and bell pepper, topped with fresh shucked avocado, and served with stack of corn tortillas.

A satisfying Al Pastor ($1.50) taco starred spit-shaved slices of pork loin marinated in onion, garlic, chile de arbol, chile guajillo, and habanero for a hint of heat. The condiments included a firm slab of pineapple, mildly sweet and reminiscent of Mexico City.

Our final bite was from a Sope ($2) with crisp edges, supple center and a topping of pinto bean puree, cheese, sour cream, onions, iceberg lettuce, and potato. Of course they had meatier versions, but the alambre pretty much covered our protein consumption for the day.

Their salsas were also above average, including a hot and tangy salsa of habanero-tomatillo, spicy habanero-tomato, and an aromatic slurry of avocado, jalapeno, onion and garlic.

During our visit to Taqueria Cuernavaca, I learned that the owners recently opened a branch in Santa Barbara at the corner of Cabrillo & De La Vina. Clearly Taqueria Cuernavaca’s revolutionary spirit is gaining traction.