Located in DTLA on Olympic Boulevard in Koreatown, Guelaguetza is a restaurant, boutique market, and an advocate of Oaxacan culture in Los Angeles. Owner, chef and author Bricia Lopez spoke about her cookbook, “The Art of Mexican Style Grilling”, at our local Costa Mesa Library in late January. Two hundred people showed up. That kind of following caused my curiosity to go into overload. I had to see what all the fuss was about. I had dinner there with my son on a Saturday night in February. We had a reservation but still had to wait a bit and ended up in the covered patio. The menu is mole-based and a little overwhelming if you are not familiar with this type of cuisine. We were a little disappointed with the experience. I drank my first Paloma.

But not to be discouraged, I decided to give it another try – this time with my friend Sandy who is more familiar with mole. We went on a Tuesday for lunch and ate in the dining room.

First of all, there was no paper menu. We had to scan it to our phones. Not my idea of the best way to peruse my options, but I guess this is the future. The day called for Palomas (Don Julio Reposado Tequila, fresh lime juice and 1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice), served with complimentary chips covered with Mole Coloradito. Made with ancho chiles, New Mexican chiles and pressed on a hot dry skillet and flash roasted. They were sprinkled with queso fresco.

Sandy needed some coffee to prepare for what was to come next. Friends of my son told him that we must try the Chapulinis ala carte. This term is specific to Mexico and Central America and derives from the word meaning “crickets”. They were grilled with jalapenos and garlic. I managed to avoid the peppers, but still, they just weren’t good – not much flavor. The couple in the table behind us were gobbling them down like candy.

We were just not feeling it so far, but on to our entrees. This is where my photos fall short because all the dishes are covered with mole, and you can’t tell one dish from another. On the left is my shredded chicken with Mole Coloradito (I knew that mole was tasty). On the right was Sandy’s Carnitas Mole Negro (made with chilies, nuts, seeds and Oaxacan chocolate). Both dishes were served with rice.

They don’t look that appetizing, but I think we gringas are just not used to this type of Mexican food. All dining out, in my mind, must end with dessert. The flan were pretty good and so was my Oaxacan hot chocolate.

The Other Thing – We came a long way to be disappointed, but it was an adventure, and the service was friendly and helpful. When with my son and with Sandy, most of the diners there were Hispanic. That should be a good sign – just not for us.