1 week Ago By Richard Guzman
After spending a lot of time in Baja California with her family, restaurateur Jenny Rush, who’s behind Santa Monica hotspots Blue Plate Taco and Blue Plate Oysterette, wanted to bring a bit of the region’s flavors back home with her. But she also wanted to go a step further and bring back some of the atmosphere too, and she’s done both with a breezy, lush patio and the Baja-inspired menu that makes up her new restaurant, Tacolina in Silver Lake. “It’s kind of a beautiful oasis in the middle of Silver Lake.
You walk in and the first thing that happens is people’s jaws drop because the garden is so beautiful and unexpected, very lush and open air. And the food is meant to reflect that ambience, as if you’ve gone away on a mini vacation to Baja,” Rush said. Tacolina owner Jenny Rush in her Silver Lake restaurant’s Jaguar Room on Friday, Nov.
15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Food at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
(Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Food at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Tacolina owner Jenny Rush at her Silver Lake restaurant on Friday, Nov.
15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Tacolina owner Jenny Rush at her Silver Lake restaurant on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
(Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Tacolina’s patio in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Tacolina owner Jenny Rush in her Silver Lake restaurant’s Jaguar Room on Friday, Nov.
15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) The Baja-inspired restaurant opened about a month ago at 2815 Sunset Blvd. The entirely outdoor space is made up of a 3,000-square-foot 100-seat patio decorated with bright colors and custom furniture crafted by Mexican artisans in Michoacan and Jalisco.
It’s all set amid green plants, palm trees, firepits and a greenhouse used for private dining. While the patio will provide the feel of being on a vacation in Baja, the modern menu isn’t meant to make you feel guilty about indulging a bit. “It’s kind of take me away vacation food, but it’s food you can eat every day.
It’s not piled on food. Everything is much cleaner and ingredient focused,” she said. So for those who want to go on a culinary getaway not far from home, here are five must have dishes at the new Tacolina.
Mary’s chicken taquitos with chihuahua cheese, portobello, bbq sauce, chipotle aioli and guacamole at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Mary’s chicken taquitos with chihuahua cheese, portobello, bbq sauce, chipotle aioli and guacamole at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov.
15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Mary’s chicken taquitos with chihuahua cheese, portobello, bbq sauce, chipotle aioli and guacamole at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
(Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) These are of course a staple at just about every Mexican restaurant, but here at Tacolina they could become addictive, Rush said. The taquitos are a dish that’s also served at one of her other restaurants. “These are a staple at Blue Plate Taco and definitely one of our most popular dishes, some people call them the crack taquitos,” she said.
The taquitos are stuffed with a pulled chicken, lightly fried and topped with guacamole, shredded lettuce, chipotle and pico de gallo. “This whole combination is just one of my favorite thing on the menu,” she said. The pork is stewed and braised then cooked a la plancha style, which means it’s thrown on a griddle until the outside becomes crispy but the interior remains tender.
It’s served in a house-made tortilla with a spicy pineapple tropical salsa and pickled onion. “I will say the tropical salsa makes it. It’s the combination of that spicy, sweet and crispy that really makes it a crowd favorite,” Rush said.
Shrimp a La Diablo, Chef Jonny’s secret spicy sauce and salsa macha at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Shrimp a La Diablo, Chef Jonny’s secret spicy sauce and salsa macha at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov.
15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Shrimp a La Diablo, Chef Jonny’s secret spicy sauce and salsa macha at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
(Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Rush was driving down to Baja on one of her many trips when she stopped at an inn for dinner and the chef made them this dish. She loved it and the chef showed her how to make it right there on the spot. The Tacolina version uses large shrimp sauteed in an in-house made mojo de ajo sauce, which is a garlic sauce served with seafood.
Her sauce has chili and orange juice to sweeten it up. “When it comes to the table you are looking at a cast iron pot with big shrimp in broth and you can take your spoon and drink the broth and the shrimp are going to be just grilled and plump,” she said. Skirt Steak with fingerling potatoes, cipollini and chimichurri at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov.
15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Skirt Steak with fingerling potatoes, cipollini and chimichurri at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
(Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Skirt Steak with fingerling potatoes, cipollini and chimichurri at Tacolina in Silver Lake on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) This steak is served sliced with house-made chimichurri, potatoes, chipollini and a tomatillo salsa.
The steak is served sliced because this is a make-your-own taco plate. “It’s got a great vinegar from the chimichurri and the acid from the tomatillo and it just a really well balanced mouth watering taco,” Rush said. This is a brunch item with a variety of grains from Anson Mills and cinnamon butter.
“It’s just wonderful and served with a molasses syrup,” Rush said. Tacolina Where: 2815 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.
m.- 10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday Information: 424-567-8226 or tacolina.la Related Articles.
