Kosher Restaurants in Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles is home to the second largest population of Jews of any city in the United States (Greater New York has the most), and there are Jews living in every one of the numerous communities that can be seen on the Greater L.A. map. So it might be expected that one would find kosher restaurants spread out over its famously sprawling miles. But that would be wrong. There are fine kosher restaurants offering various specialties, but most of them are found within the relatively narrow parameters of the areas where Orthodox Jews live.
To understand why this is the case, one must understand a bit of L.A. history. Unlike New York, L.A. actually grew out of small-town status into a community worthy of the title of “a city” in the 20th century, and this growth spurt was in part caused by enthusiastic marketing of houses spread out into far-flung communities which you could only reach by car. (Huge advertising campaigns by real estate investors and automakers killed any and all efforts to build a modern public transportation system).
So, while Jews live all over L.A., members of the Orthodox community are clustered in a few areas where there are Orthodox synagogues they can walk to on Shabbat. Hence the concentration of kosher restaurants offering a variety of traditional and contemporary Jewish and Israeli dishes. But there is one kosher restaurant that is totally new, and somewhat amazing.
To understand the amazing part, you have to realize that Greater L.A. is second to none when it comes to another ethnic group: it’s home to more people of Mexican heritage than anywhere else outside of Mexico (about 10 times the number of L.A. Jews). Latinos live in many enclaves of the city, and – no surprise here – there are many, many Mexican restaurants serving the millions of people who enjoy Mexican food. Now, here’s the surprising part: In spite of its popularity, Mexican cuisine has not found its way to the Jewish palate. Until now, that is. Here’s how columnist Dan Cox tells it:
“It’s Mexican. It’s Kosher. And it’s Your New Favorite Obsession.” He’s talking about Mexikosher, a new restaurant planted right in the heart of the Pico-Robertson Kosher Corridor, and, according to Cox, “the very first kosher Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles.” The chef, who had already earned kudos as lead chef at a famous kosher steakhouse, “has discovered a world of diners that have never experienced even one bite of his childhood cuisine, and finds himself explaining basic dishes dozens of times each day.”
