Los Angeles is a city that proudly embraces its Hispanic heritage, which is no wonder since almost half of all Angelenos identify as Hispanic. That translates to the city’s food as well: LA is home to all manner of Mexican restaurants, ranging from traditional Oaxacan spots to modern taquerias, as well as plenty of Spanish, Peruvian, and South American-inspired restaurants.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, we’re looking at three beloved dishes across the city that proudly showcase the heritage of their creators.
Whether that’s paella at a Woodland Hills favorite or stuffed potato at a new Peruvian hotspot in Echo Park, each of these dishes hold special meaning for the chefs that make them.
Read on for what to order at these Hispanic restaurants in Los Angeles, and make a booking on OpenTable.
Paella at Gasolina Cafe (Woodland Hills)
Since 2015, chef Sandra Cordero’s cheery all-day cafe has been a go-to for casual dishes like Spanish tortillas and chicken sandwiches slathered with romesco. But if you want a really special taste of Cordero’s cooking, go to one of her monthly Paella Nights. “I’m from Northern Spain, so I didn’t grow up with paella. I’ve really mastered it here in LA,” Cordero says of the dish that originated in Valencia in eastern Spain.
Paella gets its signature yellow hue from saffron and is often made with meat or a variety of seafood—a versatility that Cordero now adores. You’ll find Cordero experimenting with different versions all the time at Gasolina like paella with rabbit to rice studded with mussels, squid, and shrimp. “We have a lot of fun seeing what’s at the market. We love creating new paellas every month,” she says.
Papa no rellena at The Hummingbird Ceviche House (Echo Park)
Veteran Peruvian chef Ricardo Zarate is at the helm at this brand-new Echo Park restaurant, where he’s cooking up some of the greatest hits of Peruvian food—like Nikkei-style hand rolls and five different kinds of ceviche, including an unexpected mushroom version. But the dish closest to his heart is the stuffed potato he grew up eating.
You can order his papa no rellena (stuffed potato croquette) with salmon, tuna, crab, or tomato. “I used to eat it all the time as a child. It really speaks to my Peruvian heritage,” Zarate says. “We just season the potato, fry it, and serve the stuffing on top. It’s delicious.”
Kondo tostada at Loreto (Frogtown)
Seafood is the star at Loreto, Frogtown’s chic indoor-outdoor coastal Mexican restaurant that weaves in Japanese and Californian influences. Chef Paco Moran is especially passionate about the tostadas, particularly one topped with Baja scallops that nods to his childhood in Los Angeles and his Mexican American heritage. “I grew up eating mariscos,” he says. “It has wasabi aioli and it’s topped with Santa Barbara uni, so that dish is really a blend of cuisines and influences up and down the California coast.”
Make the most of Moran’s cooking by choosing Loreto’s multicourse omakase dinners, which take place over one week every three months and feature completely new dishes conceived by Moran—sign up to receive notifications about the October dinner.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. She is the former editorial director of Tasting Table, and her work has appeared in Eater, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and many other publications. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
