One of LA’s best Alta California chefs is back

Broken Spanish comedian

One of the city’s most popular Mexican restaurants is back in a new form.

Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish, which closed in 2020, was a pillar of LA’s Alta California-food movement. At his newly minted Spanish Comedor in Culver City, Garcia is reviving some of his signature dishes and adding a few new dishes, even with personal service for the chef.

“It was telling my story, telling the story of people like me,” Garcia said of the first Broken Spanish. “It’s Mexican and Mexican-American cuisine through the lens of a third-generation Angeleno.

“In 2015, there were no restaurants like this. Since then, fortunately, there have been more restaurants like this,” he adds.

The first Broken Spanish iteration was called “brilliant” and “so great” by former LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold, and placed on the paper’s 101 Best Restaurants list, as well as winning other awards. In 2020, Garcia announced the hiatus on Instagram, saying he hoped it would only be temporary.

Five years later, the frozen lentils, chicharrones and albondigas are back, as is the process of home-nextmalization for heirlooms, Mexican-grown corn is used in García’s tamales, tortillas, tostadas and even desserts, made from corn cakes with tres leches and mactetor chocoustlate.

Grilled Mushroom Tamal en Cazuela with Honey Fruit Squash, Spinach and Salsa Titmada in a Broken Spanish Comedor.

(Stephanie Brijo/Los Angeles Times)

Garcia sees the broken Spanish comidore as a more relaxed, “accessible” offshoot of the original with a more casual touch: for one in his mother’s enchiladas and another in his mother’s fido. It’s a little lighter, a little more affordable, a little more domestic.

“I knew I was going to open the broken Spanish back, or at least that was always the plan,” Garcia said. “The idea of ​​Broken Spanish lives in the back of my mind … I have other restaurants and I’m proud of what they do. I’m grateful for all these opportunities, but I need to be in Los Angeles, and I need to do Broken Spanish again.”

In the intervening years, Garcia launched two restaurants on Level 8 of the downtown nightlife complex, and helped with the recently closed Astrid at the base of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. And in 2023, he recreated the broken Spanish brother concept, BS Taqueria, in Las Vegas, where it continues.

But after years of being asked when he would reopen a broken Spanish in L.A., Garcia recently decided to take the plunge. The restaurant’s original hospitality partner, the Sprout Group, has expressed interest in partnering again, and it has a location it can use: Culver City’s iconic A-Frame building, the former home of IHOP, Roy Choi’s A-Frame and, most recently, Jason Neroni’s favorite Bat Pizzeria.

Fideo verde, a new dish made with fennel, hoja santa, avocado and parmesan, at Broken Spanish Comedor.

(Stephanie Brijo/Los Angeles Times)

In about two months, they transformed the space and designed a comedor menu, including a drink program featuring about 100 agave spirits and cocktails served by former BS Taqueria and 71 Above bartender Genaro Garcia.

This could be the start of an LA comeback for the broken Spanish brand. The chef hopes to one day reopen Broken Spanish in its official state, and in addition to the returning dishes at Comedor, Garcia said he regularly asks for dozens more — including BS Taqueria’s popular churros. They will most likely return at one point or another. With Garcia, never say never.

“It’s always been the goal, to create and continue a conversation here in my city about cooking, my food,” he said.

Broken Spanish Comedor is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. at 12565 Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, breaksspanishcomedor.com

The super peach orange painted dining room also features bar seating with an animated flip board view of the restaurant that announces specials and fun facts.

(Stephanie Brijo/Los Angeles Times)

Super Patch

Celebrity chef David Chung’s Momofuku Group first hit LA in 2018 with Majordomo. In October, Chang followed with Super Peach, an all-day offering of American staples cooked with Korean and international style.

Located on the ground floor of Westfield Century City Mall, SuperPeach offers culinary mashups and genre mashups from a range of cultures, such as Korean kimbap stuffed with fried chicken, spicy tuna or Australian wagyu; baby back ribs glazed in soy barbecue sauce; Dressing Caesar; and a delicious, limited-edition donut topped with rich coconut curry.

Momofuku corporate chef Jude Parra Sickles and majordomo and cato vet Nick Piccioto lead the kitchen at Chang’s new project, where they rely on seared salmon in bonito beurre blanc and a creamy concentrated Japanese sweet potato glaze almost like a crust.

Super Peach Fried Chicken Kebab.

(Stephanie Brijo/Los Angeles Times)

The house cocktails are just as worldly, with options like Red Miso Micheladas, Aperol Peach Spritzes, Italian-inflected Palomas and Jackfruit Margaritas, served alongside classics like Negronis, Duke-style Martinis and Paper Airplanes.

Super Peach seats about 200 guests in its dining room and patio, and is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

10250 Santa Monica Blvd., #1025, Los Angeles, momofuku.com/restaurants/super-peach

Vegan Utica Pie, made with herb-based mozzarella and parmesan, in an old-gold tomato pie.

(Stephanie Brijo/Los Angeles Times)

Old Gold Tomato Pie

After years of pop-ups serving Sicilian-style pizza and a number of vegetarian options, Old Gold Tomato Pies just opened its first restaurant in Los Feliz.

Old Gold Pizzeria owner Jeff Vance stands in the dining room of his long-planned restaurant.

(Stephanie Brijo/Los Angeles Times)

Chef-owner Jeffrey Vance, a connoisseur as well as Seattle’s New Anchor and Spor gastropub, also serves farmers market salads and baked pasta alongside his light square slices. Toppings include farmers market vegetables, anchovies, Baja clams, creme fraiche, lemon zest ricotta, vegan mozzarella and more. Slices can be dipped in dipping sauces such as homemade tofu ranch.

The dough is not quite a crispy crust, still bready but with a softer crumb, and is chilled for 48 to 56 hours. The edges are golden brown and crunchy with a bit of chew – it’s not Detroit style, but something close.

“The thing I like about it is that I find it interesting,” Vance said. “I’m a child of the ’80s, and Pizza Hut’s personal pan pizza was like one of my favorite things of all time. I like to recreate something that’s nostalgic.”

He started his pop-up out of a fixation on baking dates during the pandemic. Vince started with simple toppings during meals at home for himself and his wife, then graduated to parking lot pizza parties with friends. By late 2021, Vince was selling pieces at pop-ups at local restaurants and bakeries.

Old Gold Pizzeria’s vegan mozzarella is topped with a slice of ground-up, plant-based mozzarella, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, red onion and spinach.

(Stephanie Brijo/Los Angeles Times)

One of Old Gold’s first was at Jin Yee’s plant-based bakery, Baker’s Bench, when it was a pop-up residence in a Chinatown mall kiosk itself. In a nod to those early days, the Old Gold restaurant now offers Yee’s vegan chocolate chip cookies, with other local chef collaborations to follow.

After years in the punk and hard music communities, and years as a vegan himself, Vince wanted to make sure he would always offer plant-based options at Old Gold; Check out the Vegan Slices and Plant-Based Caesar with Focaccia Crumbles. For his meat and dairy products, he sources from farms that prioritize animal welfare.

Old Gold is open Sunday to Thursday 11am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday 11am to 10pm.

4681 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, instagram.com/oldgoldla