Mo-Chica: Ceviche, Oxtail Risotto & Lomo Saltado

This week I took the hosts of The Dinner Party Download, Rico Gagliano and Brendan Francis Newnam, to Mo-Chica just south of Downtown L.A. Rico and Brendan are both radio and podcast personalities, so there was a lot of material to pick from and I had to leave some great banter on the cutting room floor.

Mo-Chica is a Peruvian restaurant located inside Mercado La Paloma, a community martkeplace on South Grand Avenue just east of the 110 Freeway near the University of Southern California. It's a tiny little storefront among many in the market, and food lovers consider it a gem: Chef and owner Ricardo Zarate recently made Food & Wine Magazine's list of Best New Chefs for 2011. This success continues with the recent opening of Picca, Zarate's new upscale Peruvian cantina on the west side.

Brendan and Rico had been meaning to try Mo-Chica for quite some time. Rico had even interviewed Chef Ricardo for a radio segment a while back, so the guys were ready for this one. They ordered the mixed ceviche to start, which was served in a bowl made of ice, followed by oxtail risotto and lomo saltado, a dish that mixes South American and Asian techniques (which describes many Peruvian dishes).

I agree with both Rico and Brendan in that Mo-Chica merits a visit, not just for the food but also to support Mercado La Paloma, which provides services to the local community. It also houses other restaurants and shops, as well as (drum roll....) ample parking in the lot!

Readers, we'd to hear from you. Have you been to Mo-Chica? How about Chef Ricardo's new restaurant, Picca?

Please post your comments below, and by doing so you'll become eligible to participate in Free Lunch. Also, if you have some restaurant recommendations for us, please add them to this discussion.

Keep on Lunching!

Mo-Chica
3655 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 747-2141
http://mo-chica.com