On Friday, the forces behind Frida soft-opened a new Mexican restaurant in Westwood Village named Casa Azul Cantina, with an official grand-opening slated for January 2nd. Here, owner Vicente del Rio seeks to merge the breeze of his Frida Taqueria with the serious cooking and art-rich atmosphere of Beverly Hills’ more formal Frida. To that end, he’s commissioned a cantina-style setting named for the Coyoacán house of Mexico’s legendary uni-browed painter and her marido, Diego Rivera, in an art-ricj space of blue and turquoise, complete with a mural by Mexican artist Cándida Peña. And what’s being served here?
The cooking, under executive chefs Orlando Candanoza and Oswaldo Robles, flits from region to region, with everything from mole Poblano to Baja fish tacos to Michoacan-style carnitas to coastal ceviches and Peruvian tiraditos, with the occasional cultural mash-up like the halibut al meunier. A long list of tacos, served betwixt house-made tortillas, is rivaled only by the mezcal and tequila selection, sure to put some hair on the college crowd’s chest when the planned happy hour kicks in. Until then, Casa Azul is currently soft-open weekdays, 11:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. See the full opening menu below.
Casa Azul, 10853 Lindbrook Dr. Westwood. 310-209-0666.
MENU
BOTANAS
Guacamole en Molcajete $10.95
Fresh avocado mixed with onions, jalapeño chile, tomato and
cilantro and fresh lime juice ( Prepared tableside.)
Gambas al Ajillo $12.95
Fresh shrimp prepared with olive oil, garlic, guajillo chile
and lime juice.
Casa Azul Platter $11.95
A sampler plate with crispy chicken and potato taquitos, lettuce, limes, oregano and radish slices on the side. cheese quesadillas, mini sopes and guacamole.
SOPAS
Sopa Azteca $5.95
This soup combines flavors and textures with tortilla strips; garnished with avocado, cheese, sour cream, chicharrón and
chile pasilla. With chicken add $1.95
Consome de Pollo $5.9 5
Chicken consommé served with vegetables, white rice and shredded chicken.
Pozole Diego $8.95
Chile guajillo broth with hominy (blanched corn kernels),
spices and shredded chicken. Served with corn tostadas,
Aguachile de Camarón $12.95
Fresh shrimp marinated in a spicy lime serrano peppers
sauce with onions, avocado cilantro and cucumbers, topped with extra virgin olive oil.
Cantina Nachos $9.95
A mountain of fresh tortilla chips topped with a melted blend of cheeses, beans, jalapeño chile, sour cream, guacamole & pico de gallo salsa.
With chicken or beef add $2.50
With shrimp add $4
Ceviche Camarón Rasurado $12.95
Fresh shrimp with avocado, chile jalapeño, onions and
cilantro, prepared with olive oil and lime juice.
Queso Fundido $8.95
Melted cheese served with flour tortillas.
With chorizo add $2.50
With mushrooms add $2.50
Carpaccio Mixto $14.95
Thin sliced tuna and shrimp with avocado, onions, cilantro
and jalapeño chile in olive oil, lime juice and soy sauce.
Corn or Flour Quesadillas $9.95
Fresh handmade corn or flour tortilla filled with cheese.
Served with guacamole, lettuce and sour cream.
With chicken or beef add $2.50
With shrimp add $4
ENSALADAS
Small / Regular
$ 7.95 / $9.95
Casa Azul Salad
Mixed greens with avocado, tomato and red onions in our house vinaigrette.
With chicken add $2.50 / With shrimp add $4
Caesar Salad $7.95 / $9.95
Fresh romaine lettuce, tossed with our home made cesar
dressing. Garnished with croutons and anchovies.
With chicken add $2.50 / With shrimp add $4
Mango Passion Salad $9.95 / $12.95
Mixed greens, grapes, chopped mangos, caramelized walnuts and goat cheese, tossed with a passion fruit dressing.
With chicken add $2.50 / With shrimp add $4
Tostada Chicken Salad $9.95 / $12.95
A tostada bowl filled with spring mixed greens, grilled
chicken, tomato, rice, refried beans, sour cream and cheese. Tossed with mandarin dressing.
TIRADITOS
Octopus Tiradito $10.95
Thin sliced octopus with rocoto chile in olive oil, lime juice and volcanic salt.
Fish Tiradito $11.95
Thin sliced fish with onions, carrots, jicama, cilantro and
jalapeño chile in olive oil & lime juice sauce.
Hamachi Tiradito $11.95
Thin sliced yellowtail with avocado and rocoto chile in olive
oil, lime juice and ponzu sauce.
TACOS
All our corn tortillas are freshly handmade.
Served with rice and refried beans.
Low Carb: any of the below tacos in a lettuce wrap
Tacos de Filete $11.95
Handmade corn tortillas with beef tenderloin strips, onions, cilantro and spices.
Tacos Gobernador $12.95
Sautéed shrimp with onions, jalapeño chile and melted cheese. Served in flour tortillas.
Tacos de Rib Eye $15.95
Handmade corn tortillas with grilled marinated Rib Eye, diced and topped with onions and cilantro. Served with Chiles toreados.
Tacos de Carnitas $10.95
Handmade corn tortillas with slow cooked pork meat topped with onions and cilantro.
Tacos de Pollo $10.95
Handmade corn tortillas with grilled marinated chicken topped with onions and cilantro.
Tacos al Pastor $10.95
Handmade corn tortillas with grilled pork in a chile guajillo orange annatto sauce, topped
Tacos Vegetarianos $10.95
Handmade corn tortillas with sautéed asparagus and zucchini. Served with rice and beans.
Fish Taco Baja Style $12.95
Two soft tacos with fried fish, lettuce and chipotle sauce. Served with guacamole, pico de gallo, rice and beans.
LUNCH SPECIALS
Served until 4:00pm
Taco Combo $7.95
Two soft tacos with your choice of chicken, beef, pastor, or carnitas. Served with rice and refried beans.
Chilaquiles Mayita $9.95
Crispy corn tortillas dipped in a green, red or mole sauce. Topped with shredded chicken, sour cream, cheese and on- ions. Served with refried beans.
With 2 eggs add $2.95
Chiles Rellenos $12.95
Two lightly battered and fried chile poblano pepper stuffed with melted cheese and topped with ranchera sauce. Served with rice and refried beans.
Orlando Chicken Tamales $8.95
One red and one green Tamal. Served with rice and refried beans.
Taco Tasting $11.95
Your choice of 5 soft tacos: beef, chicken, carnitas, or pastor. Add rice and refried beans $1.95
Burrito Vegetariano** $9.95
Sautéed asparagus and zucchini with white rice, black beans, lettuce, sour cream, queso fresco and guacamole, wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Burrito Azul ** $ 9.95
Your choice of beef, chicken, carnitas, or pastor with refried beans, rice, queso fresco, lettuce and sour cream, wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Burrito Campechano ** $11.95
Combination of marinated grilled chicken and beef sirloin
with refried beans, rice, queso fresco, lettuce and sour cream, wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Casa Azul Combination #1 $10.95
One tamal, one enchilada and one taco. Served with rice and refried beans.
** Go low carb and ask for bowl type no flour tortilla!
**Topped with green, red or mole sauce add $1
ESPECIALIDADES DE LA CASA
Fajitas
Your choice of the following items: chicken, beef tenderloin
strips or grilled prawns, with sautéed tomatoes, green bell
peppers and onions. Served with rice, refried beans, guacamole and fresh handmade corn tortillas.
Lunch/Dinner
Chicken $15.95/$17.95
Tenderloin beef $15.95/$17.95
Prawns $17.95/$20.95
Mixtas (select two choices) $17.95/$20.95
Enchiladas
Wrapped corn tortillas filled with chicken or cheese, topped with queso fresco, sour cream and green onions. Served with rice and refried beans.
Lunch/Dinner
Suizas $14.95 / $16.95
Tapatias $14.95 / $16.95
Poblanas $15.95 / $17.95
Mole Poblano $15.95 / $17.95
Chicken simmered in a delicious chile chocolate sauce.
Served with rice, refried beans a cheese gordita and fresh handmade corn tortillas.
Arrachera Norteña
$17.95 / $20.95
A tender marinated charbroiled skirt steak cooked to perfection. Served with a chicken mole enchilada, Guacamole, rice, refried beans, nopalito salad and fresh handmade corn tortillas.
Carnitas Michoacanas
$15.95 / $17.95
Slow cooked pork loin in its own juice with spices. Served with rice, refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and fresh handmade corn tortillas.
Pescado, Salmon o Camarones al Gusto
Your choice of fresh fish, salmon or prawns cooked
with your favorite homemade special sauce.
Sauces:
Zarandeado - Marinated in three chiles sauce.
Al Limon - Lemon butter sauce.
A la Diabla - Chipotle cream sauce.
Al Ajillo - Garlic butter guajillo sauce
Served with your choice of two: white rice, fried plantains, black beans or grilled vegetables and fresh handmade corn tortillas.
Lunch / Dinner
Fresh Fish $15.95 / $17.95
Salmon$15.95 / $17.95
Prawns $17.95 / $20.95
Halibut al Meunier $23.95
Fresh halibut in a butter and lime sauce. Served with white rice and vegetables.
Filete Mexiquense $ 25.95
Charbroiled filet mignon on a red wine reduction sauce. Served with poblano pepper with cream and sautéed potatoes.
Rib Eye El “10” $ 25.95
Charbroiled Rib Eye cooked to perfection on a red wine chiles reduction sauce topped with fried onions. Served with sautéed potatoes or grilled vegetables.
SIDES
Vegetables $3.95
French Fries $2.95
Fried Plantains $3.95
Rice $1.95
Beans $1.95
Chiles Toreados $1.95
Cheese Gorditas $2.95
Scoop of Guacamole $2.95
Pico de Gallo $1.95
Handmade Corn Tortillas $1.00
Sour Cream $1.00
DESSERTS
Pastel de Tres Leches $6.95
Fresas con Crema $6.95
Flan Napolitano $6.95
Churros $6.95
Dessert Platter $12.95
Fresas con Crema - Flan Napolitano - Churros
