It was a lazy weekend for yours truly. Not so many adventures this weekend other than those in my dreams (aka I caught up on sleep). However there was one culinary experience this week that was worth mentioning. A trip to Rivera in downtown Los Angeles. This swank spot is located a block or two away from the new LA Live and Staples center. It was my second cousin John's B-Day and we celebrated in style. I suppose Rivera is best described as Latin fusion. It is a modern and sheik blend of culinary traditions from all over South America. The low lighting, modern chandeliers, and latin elevator music all make for interesting atmosphere.
Rivera is known for their specialty cocktails and so we indulged. The most interesting titled drink was "Blood Sugar Sex Magic". Small plates seemed like the thing to order so we ordered many different tastes. I won't recount everything we ate, but suffice to say I tried combinations of flavors I would never think to put together... and many of them were great! But the presentation of the plates was really the highlight.
Above is a short rib tamale and the wording was done in some kind of powdered spice.
My camera phone doesn't do the plate justice, but you can see the interesting face design.
All in all it was a fun experience, but Rivera isn't a place I am likely to frequent. The small plates were fun, but hardly a good option if you have any kind of apatite. It's also pricey. You will need 2-3 small plates per person to fill you up and they each run between $10 and $19. $14 for the specialty cocktails isn't the worst I've seen, but isn't the best I've seen either. Service was a little slow as well.
If you are looking for something different and your not on a budget give Rivera a shot and you probably won't be disappointed. But it's not exactly Schu's kind of place, so no stamp of approval this time. Sorry.
Good to Know
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