Jonathan Gold Discusses Colonia Taco Lounge

Over the weekend The Goldster filed on Ricardo Diaz's recent La Puente construct Colonia Taco Lounge, a family-friendly Mexican bar pushing thoughtful cocktails, craft beer, and inventive tacos:

... the newest and possibly most consequential restaurant from Ricardo Diaz, in the southwest corner of La Puente, an area not previously noted for its fine cuisine.

Delicate tongue tacos with green salsa are especially good, as are the tacos of chicken tesmole, an herb-intensive Oaxacan preparation thickened with corn. The best tacos in the house may be the ones made with florets of battered, fried cauliflower — crunchy, soft and then crunchy again; the sulfurous funkiness of the vegetable mellowed and made soulful by the sharpness of the capers in the salsa and the merest touch of cream.

B-Rod doles out three shining stars to Little Sister in Manhattan Beach: "So you'll sit under the back-wall mural of a machine gun spewing vivid butterflies and eat Vietnamese crepes and Myanmar curries and Sichuan noodles and Balinese meatballs. And to your surprise, despite the trendy digs, beyond the almost-obnoxious service, all those things will be bloody delicious ...While some of the culinary acrobatics Vuong shows off at Abigaile make their way onto the plate here as well, this is not cute American food with Asian accents. There's a purity of intention that shines through. Dishes are boldly spicy where appropriate, unapologetically funky, bursting with flavor." [LAW]

The Elsewhere: Darin Dines at Wolvesmouth, Food GPS hits Wong Java House, Gastronomy treks out to Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee, kevinEats at Hakkasan, The Offalo returns to Night + Market, and The Unemployed Eater visits Go Greek Yogurt.