West LA

If you had a Venn diagram of Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, Westwood, and Mid-city LA, the overlapping portion right at the center would be West LA. This neighborhood has an ever-increasing list of hip and trendy offerings while continuing to maintain many of the classic establishments that have made it a destination for over half a century. Because of its central location amid so many iconic LA neighborhoods, West LA benefits from the spilling over of influences from its various neighbors without succumbing to the stigma of hype that has engulfed so many desirable areas of Los Angeles.

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La Serenata

Address
10924 West Pico Boulevard
Website
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It’s not easy for a Mexican restaurant to stand out in LA. Let’s face it: we’re spoiled with Mexican food. That’s why it’s always extra special when you find a spot in your own neighborhood that really nails it with superbly authentic food (not Tex-Mex mind you), a plethora of homemade salsas (they’ll serve you one with your chips when you sit down, but don’t be shy to ask for a variety), all in a bustling setting with a décor that provides a nice ambient texture without being annoyingly thematic. Indeed, the restaurant is an LA institution: The late founding chef, Jose Rodriguez, opened his first restaurant with his wife in Boyle Heights in the 1980s and has been credited as being one of the first to expand what was then LA’s more basic notion of Mexican food. The LA Times once referred to Rodriguez as a “genie of sauces.”

La Serenata
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La Serenata
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La Serenata
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La Serenata
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La Serenata
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La Serenata
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La Serenata
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Hamasaku

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