Jonathan Gold Reviews Corazón y Miel in Bell

Jonathan Gold is utterly won over by both the food and drink served at newbie Corazón y Miel, an inspired new Mexican restaurant in Bell from former Animal chef Eduardo Ruiz and barman Christian Pulido:

The imaginative craft cocktails, which may include Mexican tamarind candy and housemade horchata in addition to the usual sorts of bitters and amari, are as well-made as they are at the fancy uptown bars — try the summery La Nanula — but at $8 a pop are priced for the Eastside.

What Ruiz is doing here is pretty much the Latino equivalent of restaurants like Spice Table, Lukshon, Chego, or Bar Ama, where chefs classically trained in the European tradition focus their hard-won technique on the cuisines that they grew up eating. It's the vital edge of Los Angeles cooking at the moment.

Gold writes that here Ruiz "transforms" Mexican bar snacks. There's carnitas terrine with cubes of Coca-Cola gelée, fried chicken feet treated like Buffalo chicken wings, and a Mexican take on bacon-wrapped dates. And as for dessert, Gold suggests you try both options. [LAT]

Though she applaud's the restaurant's healthful efforts, B-Rod finds much of the food served at LYFE Kitchen tasteless: "I found most of the entrees reminiscent of Trader Joe's frozen entrees, albeit of higher quality but slightly blander ... Quick and easy are the mainstays of fast food anyway — I'm convinced a large swath of fast-food customers don't particularly care what the food tastes like; they just want something immediate and cheap." [LAW]

The Elsewhere: Time Out LA files on Hinoki & The Bird, kevinEats at Paiche, The Unemployed Eater visits Lemonade, Darin Dines at Paiche, Caroline on Crack drinks at The Corner Door, Eat: LA considers Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken, Food GPS hits Isaan Station, and Gastronomy ventures out to Sushi Ichi.

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Corazon Y Miel

6626 Atlantic Avenue, Bell, CA 90201 323-560-1776

Corazón y Miel

6626 Atlantic Ave Bell, CA 90201