!Viva Oaxaca! Mole and more at L.A.'s new wave of Mexican restaurants - Travel

Sunset, May, 2003 by Ellen Melinkoff

"We are one family, one circle," Fernando Lopez Mateos says of Los Angeles' Oaxacan community. It's a growing circle: Los Angeles Times figures put the city's Oaxacan population at 250,000. The immigrants have brought wonderful culinary traditions with them-worth sampling the next time you visit.

Oaxaca (wa-ha-ca), a Mexican state, is famous for the complex, slow-cooked sauce called mole (mo-lay). While chocolate-based mole negro is the best known, Lopez Mateos's Guelaguetza restaurants serve six different versions, including a cumin-spiced mole amarillo.

But Oaxacan cuisine does not involve mole alone. Homemade dayudas--crisp, thin, platter-size coincakes--are the Oaxacan variation of the tortilla. At Guelaguetza, you'll also want to try the costilla de puerco enchilado (mild chili-marinated pork ribs).

As an accompaniment, mescal is the Oaxacan liquor of choice. Purists order it con gusano, straight mescal served in a shot glass on a small plate with a lime wedge, salt, and a dried wonn.

You might just find that the combination of great food and potent drinks makes you want to be a permanent member of the Oaxacan family circle.

RELATED ARTICLE: Sampling the best Oaxacan restaurants

Guelaguetza (downtown). Each of Lopez Mateos's restaurants takes its name from Oaxaca's traditional July festival. The main location, the larger of the two, may look Korean on the outside (a former tenant's decor), but it's pure Oaxaqueno within: marimba players and guitarists perform throughout the week. The long, detailed menu explains everything in English. Although it's not on the menu, you can order a sampler of moles and chips-a great way to determine which of the sauces you want to base your dinner around. Main location: .3014 W Olympic Blvd.; (213) 427-0608. Second location: 33371/2 W Eighth St.; (213) 427-0601.

Guelaguetza (Westside). Yet another Guelaguetza, but this restaurant has a different owner than the downtown duo, and it serves a larger non-Latino clientele. A good bet to order here is the Botana Oaxaquena a tasting platter that is listed under snacks and appetizers but is more than a meal for two people. 11127 Palms Blvd.; (310) 837-1153.

Las 7 Regiones de Oaxaca. This small cafe, located on a lively section of Rico near downtown, serves huge to-die-for chicken and mole negro tamales wrapped in banana leaves. Entomafadas-tortillas and red sauce with cheese, onions, and a choice of meats, often chorizo-are cheap and filling. 2648 W Pico Blvd.; (213) 385-7458.

Tlapazola Grill. Want nouvelle Oaxacan? Perrier with your mole? This Westside restaurant is the place. The dining room is a study in white tablecloths and light wood, with works by local artists decorating the walls. Amid the French-influenced Mexican menu are Caxacan entrees such as sliced chicken breast with two moles and grilled pork loin with mole amarillo. 11676 Gateway Blvd.; (310)477-1577.

Restaurante Monte Alban. Named for the ruins just outside the city of Oaxaca, this cafe packs a lot into a small space: wall murals, colorful tablecloths, even miniature Mexican flags sticking out of the rice. Caxacan specialties include malotes, tiny, deep-fried dumplings filled with potato and chorizo; taco de barbacoa, a large handmade corn tortilla rolled with cabrillo (goat), onions, cabbage, and spicy green salsa; and nicuatole, a Oaxacan-style corn pudding that jiggles on the plate. There's also a good children's menu. 11927 Santa Monica Blvd.,' (310) 444-7736.