Kate DurocherOne of the many perks of living in L.A. is the influence of Mexico's culinary history on our local cuisine. Now, a new modern wave of Mexican cooking is influencing the city's food scene. Here are some of our recent explorations of the modern Mexican invasion.
The Rocky Start and Bright Future of Diego Hernández's Verlaine
The city has always been home to the most diverse Mexican cooking in the country, so it's unsurprising that the modern and high-end evolution that's taken place in Mexico in recent years would manifest here as well. That evolution is already well underway, but now we're beginning to see some of Mexico's most respected chefs launch new projects in Los Angeles.
Read the full L.A. Weekly review here.
Maestro's free-range chicken mole with avocado puree, queso fresco and jocoque, plated in the shape of Mexico; Credit: Anne Fishbein
Maestro in Pasadena Gives a Taste of the Modern Mexican Food Revolution
If there's one potential great leap forward for American dining that we all should be pulling for this year, it's the promise of a new generation of Mexican chefs. Mexico's modern culinary scene has emerged as one of the most exciting in the world, and that excitement is steadily creeping across the border.
Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.
Mushroom “chorizo” tacos at King's Highway; Credit: Rebecca Pardess
Modern Mexican Cuisine Comes to Palm Springs via Celebrated Chef Carlos Salgado
Last year, Palm Springs’ King’s Highway diner at the Ace Hotel changed direction when award-winning Taco Maria chef Carlos Salgado redesigned the menu.
Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.
Chef Maycoll Calderón is bringing his Mexico City cuisine to Silver Lake, opening Tintorera in the former site of Cowboys & Turbans.; Credit: Courtesy Huset
Mexico City Chef's New Silver Lake Restaurant Promises Rustic Modern Mexican Cuisine
Chef Maycoll Calderón at first appears to radiate nonchalance as he nurses a cappuccino in the serene, sun-drenched patio of Huset, his restaurant in Mexico City.
Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.
Moronga at Broken Spanish: blood sausage, peach, arugula; Credit: Anne Fishbein
Chef Ray Garcia Wants to Make Angeleno Mexican Food a Regional Cuisine All Its Own
Contemporary chefs often stake their reputations on mastering regional cuisines of far-off locales from around the world. But for chef Ray Garcia, his culinary terrain is much closer to home. He aims to showcase L.A.'s modern Mexican food as its own regionally focused style, just like the fare coming from Mexico City, Baja or the Yucatán.
Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.
Thomas Ortega's Amor y Tacos, in Cerritos, offers both Mexican-American fusion and authentic traditional dishes.; Credit: Anne Fishbein
Meet the Angeleno Chefs Who Will Change the Way You Think About Mexican Food
Over the last decade, a new kind of Mexican-inspired California cuisine has emerged. And Los Angeles is its hub. Food writer Bill Esparza once dubbed the Southland's modern Mexican revolution “Alta California cuisine” to distinguish it from a movement happening in Mexico itself.
Read the full L.A. Weekly article here.
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