I found happiness at Rivera, a restaurant with three dining rooms, each offering their own menu. “Rivera’s Sangre” offers cuisine from Spain and Portugal, “Samba” gives you a taste of South America, and “Playa Bar” let’s you explore Mexico and the Southwest. We settled in at an open area that looked like a modern sushi bar, but instead of maguro, out came some of the best mexican concoctions that ever passed my lips. An explosion of flavor on the tip of my fork. Who are these people? I don’t know, but we are already friends. Anyone who could whip up something so pleasing to my palate, and fanciful to the eye is admirable. Taste + Vision = Nirvana. Keep in mind… I’m hard to please when it comes to what I eat, and I left Rivera’s Playa Bar with nothing less than magnificent fulfillment. Saying to myself “comida hermosa.” I will joyfully run back to this place again and again blowing kisses in the air.
Here’s what we ate:
Chile Guero Relleno- Huerito chile fried tempura style, stuffed with crab, corn, ginger and scallions. Resting in a shallow bath of a slighty spicy chile sauce. One of the tastiest dishes of the night!
Piquillos Rellenos- Spanish peppers stuffed with gruyere, chorizo, and golden raisins. Wow! This little pepper dish knocked our socks off!
Vieras Arabesque – Scallops on top of an eggplant mash, Ras el hanout, drizzled in preserved lemon sauce. My man went bonkers for this dish!
Yucatecan Puerco Pibil – Pork shoulder that was slow roasted for 18 hours in a banana leaf, served with a red sauce, that made me wish I could leave inhibitions behind and slurp it off my plate. This was by far the BEST dish of the night!
I washed it all down with a drink they refer to as “Siesta”- made of tequila blanco, grapefruit, campari, lime and orange peel. My man had the “Strawberry Fields” – Strawberry puree, tequila blanco and mint. Both drinks were perfectly blended.
For dessert we had the Torta Xocolata – a dark chocolate torte, covered in drunken pineapple slaw, sitting in caramel. YES…it was decadent and delicious. Unfortunately my camera needed a battery charge at that moment and I was unable to photograph it…. never the less it was YUMMERS!
If you are in Downtown Los Angeles and want to take a ride on a food merry-go round…. this is the PLACE! Enjoy!
RIVERA
1050 s. Flower Street #102
Los Angeles, California 90015
213.749.1460
www.riverarestaurant.com
I must go here! It looks amazing! Thanks for the recommendation!