Every month, Memo Torres picks five great Los Angeles restaurants for Apple Maps.
For a true Mexican taquero experience, Torres recommends Brothers Cousins Tacos, which has two stands in West LA. Story has it that when someone wanted to write a Yelp review and asked for the name of their stand, the response was, "We don't have a name, we're all just brothers and cousins here!" Finely chopped meat gets an extra sear on the plancha and Torres swears their $10 behemoth of a burrito is the best deal in town.
Daughter's Deli in Sunset Plaza is owned by Trisha Langer, who grew up in the delicatessen business. Photo by Memo Torres.
Torres' go-to spot for a pastrami sandwich is Daughter's Deli in Sunset Plaza. Owner Trisha Langer knows a thing or two about the delicatessen business. With the same soft, rye bread you'll find at Langer's, Torres thinks the meat is "softer" and "gentler."
In the Northridge area and looking for a place to bust out his laptop, Torres discovered Mate Conmigo. They don't serve coffee but treat the mate almost like an agua fresca, which can be ordered with fruity flavors like mango and guava. Run by an Argentinian woman and her son, they also serve homemade empanadas. "It feels like you're on the set of Friends," he says about the atmosphere.
With four locations, Madre, offers hundreds of craft mezcals made by small producers in Mexico. Photo by Memo Torres.
"Everything I know about mezcal, I know because of Ivan," Torres says, referring to Ivan Gonzalez, owner of Madre, a budding chain of Oaxacan restaurants. With four locations — West Hollywood, Torrance, Palms, and Santa Clarita — and hundreds of bottles to choose from, Torres got a crash course on commercial vs. craft mezcals. "If you want to break into learning about mezcal, you've got to do it from this guy," Torres says.
Finally, Torres uncovers a hidden gem in Wilmington. Surrounded by refineries and petroleum fields, Marina Cafe serves comfort fare like biscuits and gravy alongside bowls of menudo and clam chowder.