Chichen Itza

Tauger / Los Angeles Times) Chichen Itza/Holbox (36) At lunchtime, every office worker within a five-mile radius seems to be gathered inside the Mercado La Paloma complex near USC. The most coveted seat inside the busy food court is the chef’s counter at

mariscos cocktails are excellent; the mixta is a sweet-sour goblet of octopus, wild Mexican shrimp and oysters in a citrus-spiked sauce. Across the room, the Cetina family’s Chichen Itza restaurant continues to make soulful renditions of Yucatecan classics

Sonoratown    Burritos La Palma    Grand Central Market    Porridge + Puffs    Chichen Itza    Holbox    Northern Thai Food Club    Kobee Factory    Konbi    Mariscos Jalisco    Carnitas El Momo    Langer's    Guisados    Chong Qing Special Noodles    Tsujita    El Coraloense    Howlin' Ray's    X'Tiosu Kitchen    Joy    Dai Ho    Hasiba    Apey Kade    Kogi BBQ   

new Yucatán-style seafood restaurant from Gilberto Cetina Jr., whom you may know from Chichen Itza, which he founded with his father. (Gilberto Sr. is back in the Yucatán at the moment, building his own island dream house.) Like Chichen Itza, Holbox

occupies a corner of the Mercado La Paloma complex near USC, sharing tables with a vegan Ethiopian restaurant and a Oaxacan juice bar. As at Chichen Itza, you stand in line to order and take a number to put on your table. As at Chichen Itza, you commandeer

, brokenspanish.com Chicharron with elephant garlic mojo, radish sprouts and herbs. (Silvia Razgova / For The Times) Chichen Itza & Holbox (36) At lunchtime, every office worker within a five-mile radius seems to be gathered inside the Mercado La Paloma complex near

family’s Chichen Itza restaurant continues to make soulful renditions of Yucatecan classics. 3655 S. Grand Ave. C6, Los Angeles, (213) 741-1075, chichenitzarestaurant.com; 3655 S. Grand Ave. C9, Los Angeles, (213) 986-9972, holboxla.com Chef Gilberto Cetina

I know – I’m supposed to report on the new places. But while Chichen Itza, in the La Paloma complex south of downtown, is a fixture on my list of 101 Best Restaurants, I’ve been back at least half a dozen times in the last month – the clean, tart

anyone else I know has even read, to taste Chichen Itza’s poc chuc. He marveled at the juiciness and the complex flavors the cooks had coaxed from the super-thin grilled pork filet. I’ve been to Chichen Itza at least a couple dozen times since it opened

that anchor the restaurant’s hanging light fixtures, a nod to the Mesoamerican ball court at Chichen Itza. There’s also a glittering L-shaped bar dispensing Mexican wines by the glass and mezcal cocktails made with tamarind paste and mole bitters. The

follows the ‘Snook Whisperer’ legend to four restaurants At Manuela in DTLA, Jonathan Gold enjoys a ‘Redneck’ platter surrounded by fine art Jonathan Gold tastes transcendent Mexican seafood tostadas at Holbox, a sister stand to Chichen Itza

for some more. The hot chicken has won. 727 N . Broadway, No. 128, Los Angeles, (213) 935-8399, howlinrays.com.  Chichen Itza The cochinita pibil at Chichen Itza. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) At Chichén Itzá, when you order a panucho, which is a

, pork roasted with a spice paste, which comes across as underseasoned when you compare it with the classic versions at Chichen Itza or La Flor de Yucatán near USC. But you have come, no doubt, for the tacos. And if you’ve been to Lotería, Guisados or

seafood tostadas at Holbox, a sister stand to Chichen Itza jonathan.gold@latimes.com @thejgold

sister stand to Chichen Itza Jonathan Gold follows the ‘Snook Whisperer’ legend to four restaurants jonathan.gold@latimes.com @thejgold