Oaxaca in Palms

Oaxacan Clown Lollipops

On Friday we double-dated with Joe....Trader Joe, that is. A branch of the fine Oaxacan restaurant, Guelaguetza, occupies the same parking lot as the Palms Trader Joe's, on the corner of Palms Blvd. and Sepulveda (11127 Palms Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034). There are other branches of this restaurant in Korea Town: 3337 1/2 W 8TH St. and 3014 W Olympic Blvd. We've been to all three restaurants. The one on Olympic (near Normandie) is huge. It used to be a Japanese place and the exterior is still white with an upturned blue tile roof. The place on 8th St. is really small, but cozy.

The food here is wonderful the mole' sauces are exquisite. The minute you sit down they serve you hot tortilla chips (kept warm in an old industrial popcorn maker) with sweet red mole' sauce and queso fresco (cheese) sprinkled on top.

Larry ordered the chicken chile relleno with beans and rice. I ordered the caldo...chicken soup served with rice on the side, along with cilantro, onions, peppers and lime....very traditional.

There are all sorts of things to buy at Guelaguetza besides food. They have sugar skulls all year long for your Dia de Los Muertos needs, delicacies and pastries to go, little statues and figurines from Oaxaca, etc. It's usually busy here and the service is kinda' slow, but the food is well worth the wait. Oh yeah....it's reasonable too!