La Casita Mexicana

The inspiration

La Casita Mexicana began as a homesick dream: Jaime Martín del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu, both from Jalisco, couldn't find the traditional cooking they grew up with in Los Angeles, so they built a restaurant around it^1,2 . The menu was partly a tribute to their grandmothers' cooking, and the name and casita facade were meant to evoke a little Mexican house serving home-style, pan-Mexican food^2,3 .

Who's behind it

Chef-owners Jaime Martín del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu met while working for airlines in Los Angeles before leaving those jobs to cook for a living^3,1 . Both natives of Jalisco, they have appeared as hosts and judges on national and international cooking shows, including programs on Food Network, Telemundo and Univision^4,1 . Their work has earned a James Beard Award nomination, and the Los Angeles Times named the restaurant to its Hall of Fame in 2023^4,2 .

What to order

• Enchiladas tres moles: enchiladas smothered in a trio of house moles, poblano, red pepian and green .⁵
• Queso Azteca: Mexican cheeses with poblano slices, cactus and mushrooms, cooked in plantain leaves .⁶
• Chilaquiles al mole: breakfast tortillas bathed in the traditional mole, which the chefs make with more than 40 ingredients .²

What people are saying

Eater LA calls it one of the best Mexican restaurants in LA, singling out the fonda-style cooking and the chile en nogada⁷ . The Los Angeles Times honored the restaurant in its 2023 Hall of Fame, noting in particular the from-scratch mole with more than 40 ingredients² .

Why you should try it

This is a rare chance to eat regional, Jalisco-rooted Mexican cooking made from scratch by two widely recognized chefs, in a part of LA most visitors never reach^7,3 .