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Spring Digital Edition 2013

lifestyle

City Dining

 

Take A Sophisticated Look At Latin American Cuisine with Some Of The Newest Restaurants in Los Angeles


 

lasandia

395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA 90401

310/393.3300
richardsandoval.com/lasandiasm

 

CSQ Contact
Ann-Marie Anderson
aanderson@richardsandoval.com

La Sandia Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar

Some Mexican food aficionados are traditionalists. Others are more adventurous. Chef Richard Sandoval and business partner/classical music legend Placido Domingo stir passions in both camps with an unusual pairing of restaurant concepts. La Sandia’s kitchen does traditional Mexican with an artisanal touch, underscored by their prolific tequila and mescal bar. Food and cocktails are prepared in such a way that the required richness of Mexican food is present, but intense mixes of spices, herbs, and seasonings shine through. Highlights include Chipotle ribs, roasted corn soup, seafood enchiladas, sopes de carnitas, and tres leches cake.

taberna

369 North Bedford Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90209

310/858.7070
tabernamexicana.com

Taberna Mexicana

A mention of “Beverly Hills” brings fine dining establishments to mind. However, there is an understandable fear among purists that authenticity may get watered down. In May, Taberna Mexicana opened with its sights set on changing that. Executive chef Alex Padilla’s pedigree is impressive, with several years under his belt at San Francisco’s culinary destination “Boulevard.”  This shows in his Cochinita Pibil, Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Scallops, Tequila Poached Shrimp Cocteles, Crab Cake Rolls with Roasted Garlic Poblanos Sauce, and Pacific Spiny Lobster with Tequila Mushrooms and Roasted Potatoes. Bobby Heugel’s signature cocktails complementing Padilla’s menu include Mole Montage (spiced rum, classic mole spices, ginger beer) and Hellfire Patch (habanero-infused vodka, strawberries, lemon, turbinado).

 

dcache10717 Riverside Dr
Toluca Lake, CA 91602

818/506.9600
dcacherestaurant.com

 

D’Cache

An intimate 1928 Spanish mission cottage unfolds into a warm meeting place that is at once traditional (family-owned) and contemporary (as tapas is still making its mark in L.A.). Spanish seafood, egg-based, meat, and cheese tapas are modernized with South American flourishes, as well as Mediterranean flatbread and some Cuban pork delights as well. The drink menu is concise but thoughtfully assembled. Beers include familiar Mexican favorites alongside discoveries from Spain and Argentina. The wine lists, meanwhile, include selections (e.g. Argentina’s Trapiche and Spain’s Marques de Riscal) both casual wine drinkers and aficionados will appreciate.

 

masmalo
515 West 7th St, 1st Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90014

213/985.4332
malorestaurant.com

Mas Malo

Màs Malo, downtown sister of Silver Lake-based Malo, sets a new standard for downtown Latin dining. The former 1920s jewelry emporium (with a vault retrofitted to safeguard some of the most precious tequilas around) makes for great dinnertime conversation, as does Chef Robert Luna’s whimsical approach to East LA-inspired Chicano food. Best bets include Coca-Cola-marinated Carnitas, The Boyle Heights Picnic (roasted chicken bathed in mole poblano), Lobster Diablo, and Vegetarian “Beef” and Pickle tacos. While the tequila flights are making news in downtown’s still-emerging bar scene, sweet and spicy cocktails by mixologist Fred Warner tempts the palate as well as complements the highly personal twists of Luna’s menu.

 

malbec
10151 Riverside Dr
Toluca Lake, CA 91602

818/762.4860
malbeccuisine.com/toluca

 

1001 E Green St
Pasadena, CA 91106
626/683.0550
malbeccuisine.com/pasadena

Malbec

If it is Argentine steakhouse cuisine you seek, Malbec is your go-to spot, given it is founded, owned, and operated by four gentlemen hailing from that country’s heartland. Authenticity is so important that they regularly travel back to Argentina for (literal) field research to explore, capture, and import what’s happening in the food and wine that puts Argentina on the map. Steaks and other meats are painstakingly selected, resulting in a menu that brings Argentina’s sensory appeal to all the senses.