Guelaguetza (restaurant)

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Guelaguetza
Guelaguetza (restaurant) logo.png
Guelaguetza (restaurant)
Restaurant information
Established1994 (1994)
Food type Mexican
Street address3014 West Olympic Boulevard
City Los Angeles
State California
Postal/ZIP Code90006
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 34°03′09″N118°18′03″W / 34.0524°N 118.30076°W / 34.0524; -118.30076
Website ilovemole.com

Guelaguetza is a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, California. [1] Established by Fernando Lopez (father of restaurateur and author Bricia Lopez) in 1994, the business has been recognized as one of "America's Classics" in 2015 by the James Beard Foundation. [2] [3] The restaurant is the winner of the 2021 Gold Award. [4]

Contents

Guelaguetza is one of the few places in Los Angeles (or even the United States) in which patrons can intentionally ingest insects, namely chapulines (fried grasshoppers), an Oaxacan delicacy. [5] [6] [7]

History

Fernando Lopez emigrate from his native Oaxaca to Los Angeles in 1993 and opened his original restaurant on Eighth Street the following year. [8] After outgrowing its original location, Guelaguetza was moved to its current location on Olympic Boulevard in 2000 that previously housed the VIP Palace Korean Restaurant. [8] [9] In 2012, Fernando turned the business over to his four children after he decided to retire and return to Oaxaca. [10] [11] [12]

Reception

The reviewer from Condé Nast Traveler wrote, "This is a great meal to enjoy with family and friends, especially for a celebratory occasion where you don't want to spend your entire rent check." [13] While writing for the LA Weekly, food critic Jonathan Gold called the restaurant "one of the best Oaxacan restaurants in the country." [14] Time Out Magazine called "Guelaguetza a citywide institution, and the kind of place worth visiting over and over again." [15]

See also

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References

  1. Cox, Brant (2022-01-14). "Guelaguetza Review - Koreatown - Los Angeles". The Infatuation. Archived from the original on 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  2. "2015 America's Classics: Guelaguetza". James Beard Foundation . Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  3. Kuschner, Erin (2015-02-26). "Guelaguetza named a James Beard America's Classics Award honoree". Time Out Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  4. Ochoa, Laurie (May 16, 2021). "And the winner of the 2021 Gold Award is ... Guelaguetza". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  5. Artsy, Avishay (August 1, 2015). "Crickets: They're What's for Dinner". KQED . Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  6. Cabral, Javier (July 12, 2013). "Eat your crickets: Los Angeles is the chapulin capital of the U.S." Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  7. Rylah, Juliet Bennett (May 3, 2015). "California Is Getting Its First Edible Cricket Farm In The Valley". LAist . Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Palmer, Karen (September 18, 2023). "Why Oaxacan legend Guelaguetza is still a Los Angeles staple after 29 years". OpenTable . Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  9. Quinones, Sam (June 3, 2001). "The Koreatown that never was". Los Angeles Times .
  10. Trinh, Jean (December 14, 2016). "The Family Story Behind Guelaguetza, The Restaurant Serving L.A.'s Best Mole". KCET . Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  11. Guzman-Lopez, Adolfo (June 3, 2013). "For founder of renowned Oaxacan restaurant, there's no place like home". KPCC .
  12. Williams, Vonnie. "For Guelaguetza, family is the key to survival". Toast, Inc. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  13. Simmons, Krista. "Guelaguetza". Condé Nast Traveler . Archived from the original on 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  14. Gold, Jonathan (June 24, 2010). "Guelaguetza". LA Weekly . Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  15. Yeo, Patricia Kelly (February 17, 2023). "Guelaguetza". Time Out Magazine . Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2024.