Hotel restaurants aren’t usually a destination for those not staying there. These restaurants are typically owned and operated by a large corporation and usually lack the creative flair of a passionate chef. My wife and I recently learned about Polanco, a modern Mexican steakhouse inside the Ayres Hotel in Hawthorne. The Ayres Hotel restaurant was…
Mexican
Where to Celebrate National Nacho Day
Nov 6 is National Nacho Day. You may be someone that believes that nachos were created in the US. According to New York Times writer Pati Jinich, Piedras Negras, in Coahuila, Mexico, is the birthplace of nachos. They’re so proud of their creation that they started the International Nacho Festival, which takes place annually on…
Taqueria Los Anaya, A Surprise in West Adams
LA’s West Adams district is not known for Mexican food, and I was surprised to find Taqueria Los Anaya, a family-owned restaurant on West Adams Blvd. The Anaya brothers (Juan, Manuel, and Gerardo) hail from Guadalajara and opened their West Adams restaurant ten years ago. While they advertise themselves as a taqueria, their menu is…
Tacos La Caretta Dishes Out Mazatlán-Style Carne Asada
Many livelihoods changed once COVID hit. In early 2020, José Morales Jr. was fired from his job due to the pandemic and instead followed in his father’s footsteps and became a full-time taquero. Previously, he worked part-time with his father on a food cart called Tacos La Carreta on Sundays. There they prepared Mazatlán favorites…
Alma Delivers True Mexico Experience
Mexico City’s powerhouse restaurant company Grupo Hunan recently opened Alma in The Grove. Grupo Hunan operates many high-profile restaurants in Mexico City, and Alma is their first foray into the US market. Grupo Hunan completely transformed the space where Dominique Ansel resided into a stylish restaurant you might visit in Mexico City. At ground level,…
Proudly Serving and Bee Taqueria Create The BEErria Burger
Thanks to businesses such as Teddy’s Red Tacos and Tacos Y Birria La Unica, birria is one of the hottest trends in LA. The owners of Proudly Serving and Bee Taqueria recently collaborated to create the BEErria Burger, an orgasmic mashup between the two chefs. On Fri. Aug 5, you’ll have the one-time opportunity to…
Smorgasburg LA, What’s Changed?
Smorgasburg LA is the premier outdoor market featuring some of LA’s best food finds. Located at Row DTLA, they are open each Sunday, rain or shine. It was based on the Brooklyn summer weekend food market and opened almost six years ago. Due to the pandemic, Smorgasburg LA was closed from mid-2020 to 2021. I…
Where To Find New Year’s Eve Dinners To-Go in LA
With the pandemic spiking with yet another variant, some restaurants have shifted their New Year’s Eve operations to address concerned diners. Below are a number of restaurants providing New Years’ Eve Dinners To-Go. Echo Park Tsubaki Chefs Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan have pivoted and created a very special Japanese New Year’s 6 course menu….
Barbacoa La Brava Pop Up For Flavorful Barbacoa
Let’s face it; LA is a great place to reside if you like tacos. While Tito’s Tacos set an early craze for tacos in the ’60s, King Taco’s soft tacos with carne asada took LA by storm in the mid-’70s. More recently the tacos dorados de camaron from Mariscos Jalisco. Barbacoa La Brava, a pop-up…
Vida Modern Taqueria Delivers Upscale Tacos and Beverages
Located in the cozy Riviera Village in Redondo Beach, Vida Modern Taqueria is a Baja-inspired modern taqueria with Mexican fan favorites, combined with some creative twists on East LA comfort food. Partners Micky Mance and Justin Essman own Vida Modern Taqueria. The pair have extensive experience in the industry. Mance was formerly vice president of…