Message: | La Serenada is a hit and miss restaurant. Some (few) of their fish sauces are good. Also, they will screw around with the sauce from one night to the next and you'll be disapointed if you've had the better one. Their molcajete sauce is always good. Stay away from the burracha (sp) and the huitlacoche. Their milanesa is very good. More often than not their fish is not up to my freshness standard. La Serenada's service can be quite slow, it all depends on the night. The LS Gourmet has "littler" dishes--burritas instead of burritos, more antojitos. They use some of the same sauces. I have eaten at these varied restaurants for 10 years and sadly they are not what they used to be. But, they are good and are similar to a fabulous place in Tijuana called Cien Anos--which is probably the best Mexican food within a days driving.
As for Guelagetza: I didn't know there was a new Olympic location. Hmm. Where is it? There is no difference in the food between the one in Koreatown and west LA. Both are good--The pork spine soup, all moles, clayudas, tamales (althought El Texate in Santa Monica has a better clayuda) are all good. The one in Koreatown has some embellishments that are quite Oaxacan--dried crickets for example--they both have the nice and spicy, fruity chile de agua. The last time I was there they had no beer, only mezcal. Fine by me. The west LA has beer and wine--good stuff--Rhones and Spanish wines.
Both restaurants also sell Mexican cigarettes. Yeah, smoking is bad but Los Farros cigarettes are pure tobacco and taste pretty good at night after a good dinner.
Nicholas |