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Larchmont Chronicle Neighborhood newspaper representing Hancock Park, Larchmont Village
Miracle Mile, Park La Brea Fremont Place in the Wilshire center area of Los Angeles. Local News and
stories about the local Los Angeles Scene. Historical informattion regarding the Larchmont Chronicle and
Hancock Park area. Founded in 1963 on Larchmont Bouelvard, Los Angeles, CA, California

March 5, 2010

MARGARITAS IN THE MILE

Maren Clifford & Amy Priore

Assignment? Track down great margaritas in the Miracle Mile area. Result? Success. Where else but Los Angeles would a trek for these citrusy delights take you not only to a few Mexican restaurants, but to a mall, a small neighborhood beer and wine joint, and an Asian fusion restaurant?

We began our quest by visiting a Mexican mainstay, the famous El Coyote, which would serve as the litmus test. Regulars know that these margaritas are not the overly sweet versions one might find at a touristy locale. Even El Coyote’s house version, with a hint of pineapple, reminds one that tequila is still the base for these lime concoctions. We typically order their scratch margaritas, meaning each order is made from scratch, and we find that one usually does the trick. Basically, lime, ice and tequila, and salt; the way margaritas were originally intended.

We next journeyed to El Toro Cantina, where they pour a slightly more citrusy version. We found that their standard margarita (we opted out of their self-proclaimed Big Ass Margarita that can serve three!) goes well with an assortment of tacos.

The drinks do not overpower the food and instead, are a pleasing accompaniment.If you have not tried the fun variety of tacos at El Toro, we suggest going on a Tuesday night when a handful are offered at $1 a piece.

While shopping at the Grove, we stopped in the Whisper Lounge for a taste of their blood orange margarita. Both color and taste received our praise, and this more elegant-seeming version of the famous cocktail fits the décor of the lounge. Whisper is actually undergoing a cosmetic uplift, and we look forward to seeing the result given that the lounge already boasted a cozy mix of classic elegance and modern charm.

We headed out of the mall for lunch to nearby Buddha’s’ Belly for its scrumptuous Rock Shrimp Tempura starter. Having just a beer and wine license, Buddha’s Belly serves a select menu of soju-based cocktails. Although they do not serve an actual margarita, we opted to try the gingerita….at least the ending of the word is the same! We were pleasantly surprised by this refreshing cocktail.

Not usually keen to drink soju-based libations, we felt the ginger would mask the fact the drink was made with a rice-based liquor, and with lime and simple syrup, the gingerita did taste like it could be the Asian cousin to the margarita.

Our final Miracle Mile destination was Little Bar on La Brea Ave. Also a beer and wine establishment, Little Bar makes some cocktails with soju, including margaritas. Not wanting the strong flavor of ginger, we must admit that we were very hesitant to dive into yet another version, and again, emerged happy. The soju version tasted very much like an actual margarita, and we discovered this is in part to the use of a lower alcohol version of tequila called Los Cabos made with actual agave. The Little Bar margaritas, with salt of course, really did taste like their older and more experienced cousins, with less headache potential the next day.

On a side note, Friday nights are trivia night at Little Bar, and we found the questions to be answerable, unlike some other versions of this bar game. We are going to give some of the regular teams a run for their money.

El Coyote, 312 Beverly Blvd., 323-939-7766.
El Toro Cantina, 5364 Wilshire Blvd., 323-525-2618.
Whisper Lounge, The Grove at Farmers Market, 323-931-0202.
Buddha’s Belly, 7475 Beverly Blvd., 323-931-8588.
Little Bar, 757 South La Brea Ave., 323-937-9210.

Larchmont Chronicle
542½ North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Editor & Publisher: Jane Gilman
Associate Publisher: Irwin Gilman

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Information about the Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Park LaBrea areas of Los Angeles, california. The larchmont Chronicle provides information, news stories, local events, advertising, real estate information, real estate listing advertisings, Los Angeles area demographics and other neighborhood news.