If, for some reason, you still think Los Angeles is still lagging behind other major cities in the sophistication of our Mexican cuisine, maybe you haven't been getting out much. The city has been going through a renaissance in the last few years, with highly talented chefs bringing the food they grew up with to new heights of both artistry and authenticity. Today's feature food story, by journalist Lorenza Munoz, explores some of the restaurants that have changed the game in this town, from places like Chichen Itza and Teresitas and La Casita Mexicana that have been open for years, to those like Seta and Rocio's Mole de los Dioses that have opened recently. But it was not always so:

When La Casita first opened, one guest threw an enchilada at them, scolding that it was not a proper enchilada because it did not have cheddar cheese or rice and beans. Introducing people gently to the new was a delicate dance. “We have been seducing them with the flavors of Mexico,” [Ramiro] Arvizu says. “We go out into the dining room and explain the stories of the dishes and traditions.”

Read the story, and check out Anne Fishbein's spectacular photos of Seta.

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