Ask Mr. Gold: Señor Bayless + Where To Eat Regional Mexican Food in L.A.

By Jonathan Gold Wed., Jul. 6 2011 at 8:17 AM

Anne Fishbein

the invisible restaurant critic

Dear Mr. Gold:
Chef Rick Bayless has continuously told the media that he thinks L.A. is a "timid" food city and that we do not have as good regional Mexican cooking as what he can find in Chicago. He seems to think that we only have "California" Mexican food, but anyone who has spent any time east of Hollywood knows that's not true. What are your thoughts on that, and what places in L.A. do you think are great examples of regional Mexican cooking at its best?
--Frances Michelle Lopez, via Facebook

Dear Ms. Lopez:
After last year's brouhaha, you'd think Señor Bayless would have given up on this. But he talks about Los Angeles as being dominated by Cal-Mex cooking, which would be OK if true -- Southern California is a legitimate region of historical Mexico -- but happens not to be. As anyone knows who has tried the Oaxacan moles at Guelaguetza, the poblano stews at Elvirita's, the Veracruz chilpachole at Boca del Rio, the Sinaloan pescado Zarandeado at Mariscos Chente in Inglewood, the Zacatecas birria at Flor del Rio, the D.F.-style carnitas at Metro Balderas, the Yucatecan pan de cazon at Chichen Itza, the Guerrero-style lamb barbacoa at Bodega del Oro, the Baja fish tacos at Ricky's or Tacos Bahia Ensenada, the crunchy tacos de camaron at Mariscos Jalisco or the aguachile at Mariscos Nayarit, among many, many other places, Los Angeles is a center of regional Mexican cooking.

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Guelaguetza

3014 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

Category: Restaurant

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Ask Mr. Gold, Jonathan Gold, Mexican cuisine, Rick Bayless

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Henry__Chinaski

A few people like to rag on Rick Bayless over their personal webpages and twitter incessantly, as if it was an obsession. I can only imagine those people being jealous and that's pretty pathetic.

gustavoarellano

My response to Bayless is that, even if Cal-Mex still dominated Southern California, SO WHAT? Give me Mitla Cafe over his ripped-off recipes over at Topolobabababa any day. When the book on the history of Mexican food in the US is finally written (shameless promotion! April 2012 by Scribner), LA will stand far above anything Chicago ever contributed to Mexican cooking—which is really nothing beyond chili stolen from San Antonio and tamales from...somewhere...

Sammy Gomez

I Googled:

"Gustavo Arellano" book shameless promotion

and got dozens of hits -- some going years back -- illustrating how you've used that hackneyed phrase for self-promotion. You apparently believe that if you call yourself a jackass, people will think you aren't really a jackass. Here's a different approach to think about: stop being a jackass!

Anyone paying attention has always known you're a tedious blowhard, but I didn't realize that you styled yourself an expert on the Mexican-food scene in Chicago. Your presumption is laughable to this long-time Chicagoan who started out in Southern California and lived in half-a-dozen cities and small towns around Texas before moving to the Windy City for two decades and, then, ten years ago, returning to California. To claim that Chicago has contributed "really nothing beyond chili stolen from San Antonio and tamales from...somewhere..." is to announce your empty head with an off-key trumpet. Aren't you committing the same sin you charge Rick Bayless with -- pontificating while ignorant? Tell the truth, Arellano, how many times have you set foot in Chicago, and how many Mexican restaurants there have you visited -- in which neighborhoods? Where are the reviews to prove it? What would you say if someone who knew Orange County the way you know Chicago published a rant against OC restaurants?

Bayless was serving Chicagoans great high-end Mexican meals when chips smothered in refried beans and cheese were considered auténtico in LA. I've been going to his restaurants since 1989, greatly admire his cooking, ... and cannot for the life of me understand why he'd make those silly remarks about LA food (or why he participated in Red O, for that matter). But I overlook the man's errors, because of his great talent and contributions. Same for you. I cut you exactly as much slack as you've earned.

I'm just leaving for a month-long driving/eating trip around the country and will undoubtedly have more to say about Rick Bayless and his restaurants after I stop in Chicago for the first time this year. I can't wait!

Bill Esparza

Well, Rick studied anthropology and can't find Mexican food in Los Angeles, he uses American ex-pat fixers to find his spots in DF, and used a fixer in Baja who lifted info from blogs. Rick copies down authentic recipes from trips researched by others and then comically alters,tests, plates, and moves on. Outside of authentic names, anyone who considers Rick's cooking authentic Mexican is either a novice, or has fallen victim to Rick's marketing strategy.

I love it when people toss around where they've lived as if that means anything. I believe what Gustavo is saying is that California's Mexicans have contributed new cuisines and traditions. Chicago has various immigrant Mexican communities that cook their cuisine, as do the Sinaloans, Nayaritans, Zacatecans, Jaliscans,Pueblans, Michoacanans, Oaxacans, etc. here in LA. This isn't new cuisine, it's authentic Mexican, with varying authenticity. The restaurants by Rick and his American peers are selling a concept of authentic Mexican that doesn't resemble authentic regional cooking, nor any of the haute cuisine styles of Mexican in Mexico City.

On the other hand, Gustavo has carefully and painstakingly researched his book, and it will be a great contribution to the knowledge of Mexican cuisines in America.Hell,it will be the most important books written on Mexican cuisines in America ever, and one that's not promoting some entrepreneur's cookbook or goofy restaurant. I'd reserve judgment 'til you get to at least read a table of contents.

In that sense, Chicago has contributed nothing. It has a great authentic Mexican scene, but is a sliver of what exisits in LA. And yes, we have La Salsa and El Cholo, well, you have Rick Bayless, so touché!

Good luck on the road. I just went to Xoco, and hell if that's real Mexican. Get the Victoria's though, at $5 they're a steal!

Sammy Gomez

Maybe Rick hadn't visited LA since the Eighties, when El Cholo was among the best Mexican food available out here, while Chicago (both in the barrios and along swank thoroughfares) -- not to mention Austin, San Antonio, and a few other places -- had exceptional Mexican food, high cuisine and low. I don't remember what you were doing back then, but I do recall local and national food writers complaining about the lack of great Mexican food (among other cuisines). I'm saddened to hear that Bayless is still making ridiculous statements about LA Mexican food (can you provide a couple of recent references, by the way?), but our fair city did play catch up for a long time.