Some of the best food in town is at the new downtown restaurant, Rivera. And as KPCC's Steve Julian discovered, it also has some of the best drinks ... courtesy of the award-winning Julian Cox. Steve also discovered what you WON'T find there. Hint: You never have to say "rocks" or "no salt."

Come inside for more photos of Cox and Rivera by Steve Julian.

All photos by Steve Julian, who also writes about food for the LA Weekly’s Squid Ink blog.