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.
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