Rosa Mexicano

Last weekend my godparents took us out to dinner at Rosa Mexicano at L.A. Live, which is across the street from the Staples Center. I had never heard of it before, but I loved the decor inside and the food even more. They do have a gluten free menu, but most of the items on the menu are already gluten free.

I ordered Pato en Salsa de Zarzamoras, also known as Duck with Blackberry Sauce. It was also served with mashed chile de arbol sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus. I broke the cardinal rule of eating out and waited until AFTER I ate and ordered to see what was in everything I ate. Fortunately, there was only butter in the sweet potatoes (by the way, the staff was very helpful in helping me find out this information). I was hoping that they would be worth the pain, but the truth is that no food is worth that much pain.

However, chefs Christian Plotcyzk and David Suarez know what they are doing. The blackberry sauce was like mole, and it was truly amazing and just got better with each bite. The sweet potatoes provided a good balance to the sauce, and the asparagus had just enough salt on it to make you appreciate the vegetable.

Sadly, they did not have any gluten free desserts, but the table ordered Mexican doughnuts, which were really churros. They were served with a trio of dipping sauces, and the Oaxacan chocolate sauce was incredible. It is a bit pricey, but worth the cost.

Rosa Mexicano's website is www.rosamexicano.com, and they also have locations in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Hackensack, National Harbor, and three in New York city.

As a side note, Mexican and especially Oaxacan restaurants are almost always a safe bet for eating gluten and dairy free. Corn tortillas are usually served or can substitute flour tortillas, and the sauces are normally safe to eat. The important thing is to make sure that your dishes are not served with cheese.