Two LA restaurants recognized for their historical significance with $50,000 awards

It’s a tough time for restaurants, with many in L.A. closing, especially much-loved places like Cole’s and Papa Cristo’s. So, for $50,000 to pretty much land out of the sky is an event to celebrate.

This week, two long-running restaurants each received awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in partnership with American Express: El Paseo Inn on Olvera Street and Qusqo Bistro and Gallery in West Los Angeles.

A total of 50 historically significant restaurants are chosen annually from across the country to receive the money as part of the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, which has been running for five years. The money is for renovation and growth, as well as helping to keep the doors open and preserving their respective legacies.

El Paseo Inn

Floral tablecloths, iron chairs, and plates of chile relleno at El Paseo Inn in Olvera Street.

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Courtesy El Paseo Inn

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El Paseo Inn opened its doors in 1930. Initially, El Paseo was located at the corner of Alameda Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue, where Cielito Lindo now stands, before moving to its current site in the 1950s. The building itself was originally a warehouse that served as a winery, containing a bar that's still in operation at the restaurant, making it one of the oldest in Los Angeles.

In 1984, El Paseo was purchased by Andy Camacho and is now run by his son, Don.

It’s a classic Mexican restaurant, filled with historic art and fixtures that date back to its opening. It's known for its homemade tortillas, which are made on-site, as well as its chile relleno combo plates and tasty margaritas. They've been feeding generations of regulars, as well as tourists who visit the historic neighborhood.

El Paseo Inn has been bustling since its opening in 1930.

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Courtesy El Paseo Inn

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Don Camacho said small, independent businesses like his are an integral part of L.A.’s social fabric. He also sees the restaurant’s role as educational, given its location in the city’s birthplace.

“It teaches people from outside the area, from other regions who are unfamiliar with Los Angeles, about the city's offerings and where we come from," Camacho said.

While he acknowledged that it’s currently a tough time for restaurants, he takes a long view.

“We would love for the cost of things to be lower,” he said. “We would love for tourism to be a bit stronger, right? However, oftentimes, things happen in cycles, so when you look at it from a historical perspective, the pendulum swings back and forth.”

Qusqo Bistro and Gallery

Located on a stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard along Historic Route 66, the owner of Qusqo Bistro and Gallery, Lucy Haro, and her family have been serving their own homemade style of Peruvian cuisine for nearly 20 years.

For Haro, who grew up in Southern California but also spent time in Peru, the food at Qusqo is her version of soul food. This includes their lomo saltado, perhaps the most famous dish in Peruvian cuisine — a stir-fry that combines Peruvian ingredients and Chinese cooking techniques, a fusion known as chifa cuisine.

The dining room at Qusqo Bistro is also a gallery and a communal hub.

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Courtesy Qusqo Bistro and Gallery

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It’s often served with aji salsa, made from the aji pepper, known for its fruity yet spicy flavors, and accompanied by a glass of their sweet and tangy house-made chicha, brewed from native purple corn.

Haro said she ensures that every aspect of Qusqo honors the indigenous cultures of Peru, while also striving to serve the immediate community in west Los Angeles. The restaurant also serves as an art gallery, featuring a rotating exhibit of local artists, and a community hub, like when they donated free meals to those displaced by the wildfires earlier this year.

Haro said she plans to use the money for essential renovations to her restaurant, which has seen significant wear and tear over the past five years, beginning with the pandemic and the recent nearby fires in Pacific Palisades. In addition to renovations, she’s planning to have a new mural installed.

“In Los Angeles, you've got a blend of cultures. So, we want to create a mural that showcases that spirit, that brings so many people together," she said. "That's the beauty of L.A.”