Red O

Having lived once upon a time right around the corner from the Melrose Ave. Red O – one of Rick Bayless’ Southern Californian counterparts to his famed Chicago-based Mexican restaurant empire – I’ve long known the pleasure of settling in with an Alacran Margarita with serrano chile syrup and savoring both the beautiful, lounge-like atmosphere of this perpetual hotspot and the stellar menu generated by this famed early pioneer of local, sustainable cooking. As both a James Beard award recipient and a Top Chef Masters winner, Bayless was notably awarded a Michelin star for his Chicago restaurant Topolobampo (making it one of the only Mexican fine-dining restaurants in America to receive such an accolade).  With a perfect range from delicious appetizers, such as a deconstructed take on Mexican street corn; to raw items like Yucatecan shrimp and calamari ceviche; to modern takes on Mexican classics, like the carnitas in red chile guajillo, or wood-grilled carne asada brava, Red O has made me a Bayless fan (to the degree that I can’t wait to go back to Chicago, so I can eat my way through his other renowned restaurants as well!).

Dress: Deadly Dames Downtown Dame Dress in Baby Pink
Shoes: Pinup Couture Bettie Pink Satin Heel in Ivory
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW® Pomade in Soft Brown

Yucatecan Shrimp & Calamari Ceviche with steamed Mexican white shrimp and calamari, orange, lime, habanero, avocado, jícama, and cilantro.

Carnitas in Red Chile Guajillo with slow-cooked Compart Farms duroc pork, orange-guajillo chile sauce, ayocote beans, and jícama-citrus salad.

Mexican Street Corn, deconstructed with cotija, and serrano-cilantro crema.