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Rebanada

Ever since Chef Ray Garcia left Fig restaurant in Santa Monica, I’ve been waiting for him to find a new home. So when news came that Garcia was taking over the old Rivera space in downtown Los Angeles to open Broken Spanish restaurant, I couldn’t wait to check it out.

While Rivera’s loss was mourned, Broken Spanish has more than filled the void with inventive food and drink. This is contemporary Mexican food turned up to 10. And Garcia’s team has opened up the space so it feels lighter and more festive. (Bonus: It’s just a few blocks from my office!)

For smaller bites, the requeson cheese accompanied by snap peas, black sesame, agave and sea beans is a light way to start before moving on to the esquites, or Mexican street corn salad. Garcia’s version uses Kewpie mayo, manzano pepper and parmesan, changing up the classic.

Requeson

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The Blogger Prom Committee all dressed up! Photo by Heather Kincaid.

The Hollywood Confidential Blogger Prom, the second incarnation of last year’s Blogger Prom, took place at the elegantly historic Yamashiro Restaurant last week, and boy, was it a party! With guests decked out in their best Hollywood glamour — every decade from the 1920s to the 1950s were represented — along with classic tunes and abundant food and drink, Blogger Prom was a hit. Just check out these stories in the Los Angeles Times and Brand X!

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Cocktails and the Taco de Atun Crudo

I rarely go to the South Bay. I can count the number of times I’ve been there on one hand. So when Mexican restaurant Ortega 120 invited me and a bunch of food writers, including fellow blogger e*starla, down to Redondo Beach for a meal and tequila pairing, I was a little skeptical. I mean, it just seemed so far (melodramatic, I know). But far be it from me to turn down free food and tequila, right? I’m not gainfully employed at the moment, after all.

So when we arrived at the homey-yet-stylish restaurant via chartered passenger van (tequila pairings, remember) and I saw the extensive menu, I was immediately excited. And co-owners Demi Stevens (mixologist) and Tommy Ortega (chef) didn’t disappoint. Neither did the night’s tequila sponsor, Partida. Let me tell you why.

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