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From Michoacán, with Love La Tostaderia’s Fernando Villagomez takes creative cues from his grandmother’s cooking
La Tostaderia’s seafood cocktail bowl features octopus, shrimp, oysters, celery, red onion, cucumber, avocado, tomato, cilantro, olive oil and sea salt
By Angela Matano La Tostaderia
1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (213) 624-2378 latostaderia.info Mexican food, while sprinkled generously throughout Los Angeles, gets a little more sporadic west of the 405. With a few notable exceptions, Venice hasn’t exactly been L.A.’s go-to neighborhood for authentic south-of-the-border flavors — otherwise culinary hotspot Abbot Kinney Boulevard even less so. La Tostaderia, which recently opened in the space that used to house 3 Square Café & Röckenwagner Bakery (sorry to see you go!), to rectify the situation with a seafood-centric menu of Southwestern coastal Mexican cuisine. Hailing from the Grand Central Market stand of the same name, La Tostaderia serves Michoacáninfluenced dishes with traditional integrity and inventive flair. Executive Chef Fernando Villagomez relies on his heritage for inspiration, but also dreams up eminently Instagram-able unique creations. One of the bright stars on the menu is the Patrona Burger, with
a patty made of shrimp, Oaxaca cheese and crispy potato. Guy Fieri recently featured the burger on the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” So how did the Patrona Burger — cheesy and bursting with shrimp, but not nearly as heavy as Fieri’s usual fare — come to be?
There’s also aguachile, a Sinaloan take on ceviche, for which raw shrimp is marinated in a charred habanero sauce and combined with radish, cucumber, red onion, lime and fresh cilantro. For health-conscious Venetians, this high protein, low-calorie version of Mexican food will likely hit the spot. Of course, no
“I used to call my grandma and ask her how to do things. Even though I have a culinary degree, I still cook like she taught me.” — Chef Fernando Villagomez “I made it up,” says Villagomez. “Shrimp burgers usually fall apart. I use all my culinary techniques to balance the flavors and make sure the potato has the right crispiness, like hash browns. The mango, avocado and radish give you freshness and sweetness, which cuts the greasiness.” Of course a cervicheria wouldn’t be a cervicheria without ceviche, and La Tostaderia offers two versions: shrimp and fish. Both arrive on top of a crispy tostada, laden with seafood and studded with fresh veggies and herbs.
fried tostadas for you guys. La Tostaderia’s dishes are spicy, but not overly so. They burst with fresh ingredients and bright flavors. A raft of tacos is yours with the sample platter. Octopus, shrimp and black cod come on tidy little tortillas, surrounded by colorful fixings. For the octopus that means ají sauce, ginger aioli, daikon sprouts and Thai basil. Although Villagomez attended French culinary school, he grew up cooking with his family in Michoacán and tries not to stray (Continued on page 16)
November 16, 2017 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 15