Margaritas and More at Casita

Drive to Silver Lake's pink house for Casita del Campo's authentic offerings.

By Joseph S. Amster

In Los Angeles, surprisingly, Mexican food can be a hit or miss affair. Sometimes the most popular restaurants can have so-so cuisine (certain chains spring to mind), while some of the best can be found in hole-in-the-wall places. In addition, some restaurants' cuisine can be overwhelmingly spiced, while others incredibly bland. For those seeking authentic south of the border fare, there's Silver Lake's Casita del Campo. I love restaurants that have been around for decades, and with 43 years in business, it's clear they've found the formula for success with their cuisine reminiscent of Mexico City.

Begin your meal with one of their margaritas, which we had blended, but are also available on the rocks. They come tart but not too sour, and they're gentle with the ice, which cuts down on the brain freeze factor. Appetizers range from quesadillas, nachos, taquitos, and tamales, but we went for the Casita's Special -- six mini tortillas topped with beans, beef or chicken, cheese, and sour cream or guacamole. While the tartness of the sour cream was a nice interplay with the rich and stringy beef, the chicken and guacamole combination was refreshing and lighter.

Entrée choices are numerous and all come with rice, beans, and tortillas, as well as salad or Casitas' albondigas soup which I recommend -- the broth was light and the meat balls were made of good quality beef. For those not familiar with Mexican cuisine, be sure to ask your server to explain the dishes -- Alex, our server for the evening, was polite, unobtrusive, and very informative. In addition to the usual combinations, choices include pollo con queso, carne asada, carnitas, taquitos, steak picado, chimichanga, machaca, and more. This evening, we sampled a variety of their house specialties, beginning with the chili verde -- tender chunks of pork in a rich green sauce with a slightly sour bite. For those who shy away from chili dishes because they fear the spicy heat, don't worry, because Casita's are mild without sacrificing flavor. Next up was the chili Colorado. With its chunks of beef swimming in an earthy and pungent deep red sauce, it was a considerable contrast to the chili verde. Delving deeper into the darker flavors is the pollo mole with its fragrant, thick, and chocolaty sauce. Mole is an acquired taste for some, but well worth it because there's nothing like this one-of-a-kind sauce. Moving on to the seafood specialties, try the grilled mahi mahi -- a nice change from the red snapper most Mexican restaurants offer. The grilling gave it a crispy exterior and the inside was nice and moist. Topped with a simple sauce of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, capers, cilantro, and olives, it comes with white rice, black beans, and plantains (which thankfully, were not fried with sugar). Another seafood favorite was the arroz con camarones -- six large and succulent shrimp served atop a bed of rice and sautéed vegetables. Dessert selections are simple: buñelos (a deep fried flour tortilla sprinkled with cinnamon sugar), or their flan which had a slightly rough and rustic texture that was a refreshing change from what I've experienced elsewhere.

Casita del Campo is open from 11 a.m. daily. For more information, call (323) 662-4255, or go to www.casitadelcampo.com.