California and Mexican food go together like Beyonce and Jay-Z. Good news: there’s a new Mexican restaurant in town that is avo-control. And almost the entire menu is gluten free…
Picture yourself in downtown LA relaxing on a beautiful outdoor patio – the setting sun reflecting off the big buildings, the peaceful sound of a trickling fountain and you’re sitting across from the love of your life. Guacamole. The night has just begun at Pez Cantina, and you’re about to go on the Mexican food journey of a lifetime. You probably know Chef Bret Thompson from Patina, Tortilla Jo’s or maybe from his famous macaron ice cream sandwiches at Milk. And let me tell you, he did not disappoint with his new restaurant! Let’s start at the beginning. The drinks: the Hibiscus Raspberry Margarita was as tasty as it was beautiful and the Peach Mojito was hands down one of the best cocktails I’ve ever enjoyed. Pair that with a crazy creative salsa flight and some bomb guacamole and I’m already on Cloud 9. But, we are just getting started. Next come the Ceviche Tostadas: so much fresh seafood and an explosion of flavor! Then, the best Shrimp Cocktail I’ve ever had served in the most adorable ceramic teacup. Next up is the Fish taco (I NEED LIKE 10 MORE OF THESE) and then the Beef Cheeks (so tender I could write a love song about them). And yep, all of these menu items were gluten free! In fact, the only thing you can’t order at Pez Cantina are their sandwiches (and just ask for the salads without croutons)! All ingredients are kept separate in the kitchen to prevent cross contamination. Furthermore, the fritters are covered in rice flour, and fried items are not subject to any cross contamination with gluten. I did my best to try everything on the menu, but (luckily!) my stomach wasn’t large enough to try them all. Fortunately, this means I get to come back again to try that famous Mocajete (basically a huge steak stew served with tortillas), the fresh oysters, the Calamari, the Octopus and everything else!
You won’t feel like a fish out of water at Pez. Life is better under the sea.