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We weren't kidding when we said we wanted to hear from you about Late Night Eats in our fair city. The following review of Cuban restaurant La Bodeguita de Pico--sometimes serving until 1 in the morning--came to us from an enthusiastic reader. Don't be shy, Los Angeles, LAist likes you!
By Jeremy Weinstein
Even if you didn’t take note of the Bacardi Mojito billboards strewn throughout the city, you still probably know that the drink’s popularity has grown. Note your favorite party girl’s reaction next time you offer her one. Where can you find our Los Angeles’s best mojito though? Until tonight I wouldn’t have had an answer for you.
It was one of those days where all I got was a late lunch and dinner was going to be a bowl of tomato soup with a sliced onion on the side. As my good fortune would have it though, I recently subscribed to Los Angeles Magazine and its restaurant guide had more than enough alternatives. Paging through I picked a Cuban restaurant called La Bodeguita de Pico. I’ve got a thing for good plantains so excitedly I headed over with an after meal cigar stashed in my front pocket.
The words “Real Cuban” glow in a neon red sign attached to the side of the building. Inside that’s just what I found. I was seated immediately at a table made of wood fit for a castle drawbridge. Having furniture like that resting under your arms just feels good. Being my first visit to “La B d P”, the waiter recommended an appetizer of Yuquita Fritas (deep fried Yucca) in a cilantro sauce. I chose the Pescado al Mojo Naranja (Sautéed Halibut fillet topped with an orange glaze) with a side of white rice, beans and sweet plantains…and of course, the mojito.
There is something about a good mojito I can’t put into words. With the only ingredients being rum, sugar, lime, mint and soda water it is a hard drink to screw up. In my opinion though, it is equally hard to get just right. The mojito they brought me was as close to the version that I’d drank in Havana as I’d had anywhere else. Mixed right. A small stalk of sugar cane soaking. The mint leaves crushed just enough to feed its essence into the glass. Before you can express how good it is to those around you, the drink is gone. To me that’s what is special about a mojito.
The food was great as well. The Yucca was nice and although I will chose a different appetizer next time, I can still recommend that you try it at least once. The Halibut was delicate and tender and cut like fish should cut. Both dishes were complimented very well by the two hot sauces which were also recommended. And their plantains…I could make a meal just out of those.
Santiago, my server, stopped by from time to time to check in and chat a little about Cuba. We discussed the restaurant’s food and Latino culture. He even taught me some Spanish for my next visit. I was excited to learn that La Bodeguita De Pico, which takes its name from one of Cuba’s most famous bars, La Bodeguita Del Medio (the birthplace of the mojito), is owned by the same family who operated the Cuban establishment in Havana from 1991 – 2001. No wonder it’s so authentic!
After finishing my meal, I moved out front to the restaurant’s patio where I lit up a cigar and let the smoke waft out of my mouth and disappear into the night. There’s nothing like being able to smoke a good cigar on a full stomach. Santiago saw me hanging out and came by with a complimentary mojito. “This one’s on me,” he said. I don’t think I could have asked for anything more.
La Bodeguita De Pico
5047 West Pico
(323) 937-2822
Open: Weds – Sun. (11p – 1a depending on the day).
Wednesdays and Fridays beginning at 8:30p, you can hear live Cuban music.
Photo by 1bluecanoe via Flickr
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