Slideshow

What to Eat at Corazón Y Miel, Now Open in Bell

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Pan de Chompipe

Corazón y Miel, the passion project of Animal alumnus Eduardo Ruiz with partners Travis Hoffacker and Robin Chopra, opened in Bell this past Saturday. Partially inspired by a stint at Diego Hernandez’s Corazón de Tierra in Baja, Ruiz named the restaurant “Heart and Honey” in Spanish, extending the trio’s vision into a restaurant space originally intended strictly to expand their catering outfit, which developed through underground dinners in Chopra’s apartment. With bright flavors and serious chops, the chefs are merging the kind of heavy-duty dude food made famous locally by chefs like Jon and Vinny with a panoply of Latin ingredients and traditional techniques (think mescal-marinated beef, lamb burgers on cemita buns, force-meat carnitas, queso fundido pizza) though the chef’s Salvadoran background also shines through in an abundance of pickled items and an excellent whole turkey leg sandwich inspired by his grandma’s cooking.

The restaurant carries local brews on tap, as well as cocktails prepared by La Jolla local and UCLA water polo stud Christian Pulido. Overall, the effects are pretty awesome. Take a look for yourself in our slideshow exploration of the menu at Corazón y Miel.

Córazon y Miel, 6626 Atlantic Ave. Bell; 323-560-1776.

Signage soon to go up.
Instead of chips, each table gets a cowl of chile peanuts, garbanzos, and peas.
Pork rillette, pickled vegetables, and Coke jalea.
House-made potato chips with scallion ash.
Pig skin two ways with chili con limon and canided citrus zest. This dish si served with a 4 Oz. taster of Orange Ave. Witbier by Coronado Brewing Co.
Avion anejo with Grand Marinier and Chambord.
Panko-crusted avocado with coconut, mango, and habanero chutney.
Bacon-wrapped pepper with chorizo on an elote-style salad.
With shrimp, octopus, and salsa de nuez (walnut sauce).
Bartender at Corazon y Miel.
Mezcal, Ciroc peach, pineapple juice, chili lime candy.
Ruiz’s hulking Salvadoran turkey leg sandwich was inspiredby his grandmother’s own recipe.
Lamb burger with lime aioli, rajas de chili, and serrano curtido on a cemita bun.
The restaurant’s sole vegetarian dish includes mushroom mole, hominy, pickled onion, and lime crema.
With berries, with the feel of a slightly denser take on tres leches.
Fried banana puff pastry with caramel and ice cream.
From left: Ruiz, Hofacker, and Chopra, the partners at Corazon y Miel
What to Eat at Corazón Y Miel, Now Open in Bell