![]() ![]() When they arrived in 1992, finding work in Los Angeles wasn’t as easy as they imagined, so Maria and David began making goat barbacoa, mole negro, and other Oaxacan dishes for Oaxacan and Central American weddings and parties. And while we know Madre! could speak for itself without the added punctuation, we’ll keep using it as long as they keep serving that mole.Gish Bac is the most respected Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles among Oaxacans This massive platter is ideal for splitting with a group - or when you’re just extremely excited by the possibility of having leftover mole for lunch the next day.Įither way, this is the kind of food that warrants an exclamation point or two. The Pecado De Moles lets you pick three of their housemade moles, and our favorites are the earthy Estofado, the sweet and rich Negro, and the spicy Rojo. It’s also crucial to order Madre!’s mole sampler. We particularly like to get them on the side with the braised short ribs in a spicy salsa de chile morita, which we load onto the tortillas in too-big portions. They’re wrapped in fresh-pressed tortillas that are so good you’ll likely eat them on their own - which you definitely should, considering an extra order is just $2. Nearly all of our favorite things on the menu involve some sort of stewed meat - the flavors are deep and rich, and complemented well by the Oaxacan cheese and toppings that accompany most dishes, like the raw jalapeños and fresh cilantro on the excellent barbecued goat tacos. ![]() Once you’ve settled on a couple mezcals to sip, it’s time to eat. Chances are, you’ll only be pretending you know what to sniff for, but it’s still exciting to have a bartender handing you bottles like you’re a Laker at 1Oak. There’s a good chance that they’ll pull five or six bottles, hand them over, and instruct you to open them up and smell. Tell them you want something sweet, or smoky, and they’ll slide their step ladder up and down the bar, grabbing mezcals you might like. ![]() ![]() The bartenders have an encyclopedic knowledge of what’s in stock. There are almost 400 different bottles on the shelves, stretching behind the bar like volumes at the greatest public library in the universe. Because Madre!’s mezcal collection is staggeringly large. Another shows a beating heart inside a blooming agave, which might seem like an overstatement of mezcal’s importance to this restaurant - but it’s far from it. One’s a map of Mexico, with little agave plants indicating the locations of mezcal distilleries. There are murals on the walls, but unlike the blown-up photos of margaritas at your local Tex-Mex spot, these ones actually have a deeper meaning. The servers are warm and personable, and there’s a good chance the owner will come over with a few drink recommendations - which is impressive, considering just how many people are in this place at any given time. But once you start talking to the staff, any reservations start to fade. The two dining rooms are absolutely massive (and kind of sterile), and the menu is dizzyingly long. In fact, you’ll probably feel like you’ve just wandered into a rebranded Border Grill, not a fantastic Oaxacan restaurant. You might not feel all that enthused when you first walk in. But at Madre! (as the name appears on the sign) the exclamation point is appropriate, because there’s a lot to get excited about at this legitimately great South Bay spot. It feels a bit like you’re shouting, or forcing enthusiasm upon any group chat where dinner is discussed, and seems better suited for a chain restaurant. It’s a bold move to put an exclamation point in your restaurant’s name. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |