Monday, February 2, 2015

Corazon y Miel (Bell, CA)

I don't venture out to East LA much, but there are a few great restaurants there worth traveling to. One of them is Corazon y Miel. This is an unusual restaurant to find in Bell, as it serves a more modern/non traditional Latin American food and craft cocktails to boot.

For appetizers you'd find things like marinated chicken hearts or Bacon wrapped dates with whipped cotija cheese, mustard seed cider ($5)

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One of my favorites was the Wild Boar Chilaquiles (guajillo, roasted carrot crema, queso casera, fried egg, $14)
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I love chilaquiles to begin with but the wild boar in the bold guajillo sauce and the runny egg just made it even better.
Borrego (lamb chops barbacoa, goat cheese gnocchi, pickled chayote, $28)
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I did say this was no traditional restaurant, right? Here, Chef Eduardo Ruiz uses creamy goat cheese gnocchi to soak up the delicious sauce once you're done cleaning the tender lamb chops off the bone.

I've written about Punch Bar in Pasadena before, which is owned and managed by the same team. Both bars are managed by Darwin Manahan and Robin Chopra. I was lucky to meet Darwin behind the bar when I visited.
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The Signature Cocktails list is quite fun. We started with La Moda Antigua (Tequila old fashion: Don Abraham anejo, Angostura bitters, brown sugar, lime peel, $12) and Flor y Miel Sour (Encanto pisco, cocchi americano, Benedictine, prickly pear, lime, egg white, $12)
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Perhaps my favorite entree that night was the Dry Rubbed Pork Shoulder, smoked duck gravy, fennel, raspberry slaw ($12/lbs)
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The shoulder was very tender, slightly fatty and the tart raspberry slaw helps cut the richness of the meat and the gravy.

There are a couple of cocktails you should save for dessert (but definitely should try). One is the Borra-Chata (Ancho spiced rum, Horchata, half and half, cinnamon, amaretto, $10)
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If you're a fan of horchata like me, you'll love this drink - a horchata both spiked and spiced.

Another is the Paleta En Su Jugo (Cana Brava rum, Cocchi Americano, coconut, lime, Mexican popsicle, $10)
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A traditional (but boozy) Mexican coconut paleta (popsicle) served with a shot of cocktail. A perfect end to the night.

Corazon y Miel is a one of a kind restaurant in Bell. The food and cocktails are ones you might expect to see on the westside or downtown, but I like that he preferred to draw attention to East LA by opening it in Bell. They're also now one of the very few places serving brunch in that city. Chef Ruiz has opened Picnik (a sausage and beer house) and Punch Bar in Old Town Pasadena, though I think Corazon y Miel remains his trademark spot.

Corazon y Miel
6626 Atlantic Ave
Bell, CA 90201
(323) 560-1776
http://www.corazonymiel.com/
Corazon y Miel on Urbanspoon

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