Listen closely and you'll hear L.A.'s culinary cognoscenti hiss and moan about the great hordes of ho-hum local Mexican restaurants that basically churn out the same basura. Among the notable names turning against that tide is Ricardo Diaz, whose inspired and attentive takes on Mexican cooking are found at the owner's Bizarra Captial in Whittier and Cook's Tortas and Dorado's Ceviche Bar, both in Monterrey Park. Opening Guisado's in Boyle Heights in 2010, Diaz partnered with longtime real estate agent Armando De La Torre to debut a taqueria that would really catch L.A.'s attention, showcasing thick, handmade tortillas precisely engineered (with Midwestern, not Mexican, corn) to play perfect support for the restaurant's titular slow-cooked stews and braises; spicy, heady flavor-grenades that put competitors' ubiquitous skirt steak asada and pork butt pastor in their proper places, garnering awards and distinctions along the way.
