Some of my relatives from Chicago were in LA recently, and we conducted our usual what-kind-of-person-are-you-now-that-you’re-a-year-older discussions. My uncle, admirably a fan of food, decided that the 405 freeway would be a whole lot more interesting if we discussed our favorite dishes, so we took turns naming aloud our favorite Italian food, Chinese food, etc.

If you don’t think that topic of discussion is an adequate method for getting to know someone, maybe you’re right, but you probably haven’t been out on a first date with me. I think that some of life’s hardest hitting questions come fully loaded with the term “favorite” and I think that Frost could have crippled Nixon on the first day of interviews with, “What’s your favorite Mexican dish?”

When my uncle threw that right hook in my direction, I stumbled. A few years ago, I would have had my answer at hand – chile relleno burrito – but growing up has altered my palette enough to leave me almost stumped. To tell you the truth, greasy and cheesy Mexican food is becoming a personal nemesis of mine, pushing my bed times earlier and my belts longer. So when my uncle asked me what my favorite Mexican dish was now, I couldn’t help but see Mariscos painted in fading pastels across my mind. “Ceviche,” I answered.

While chile relleno burritos and the hundreds of Campos Tacos establishments fell from my grace over the last decade, one neighborhood favorite has never strayed. Mariscos Guillen La Playita, because it was open until eleven, became a teenage favorite of mine. My friends and I enjoyed many late night walks for a chorizo or al pastor burrito and I have fond memories of eating pickled jalapeno carrots on the way home – an evening in the life of a young Angeleno.

Ten years later, I still frequent my old haunt whenever I’m in LA, but my order has changed. Instead of burritos and pork products, it’s purely mariscos from a taco stand that dares to call itself La Playita. In my resolve to familiarize myself better with Mexican seafood I decided, why not? I’ll welcome myself back to my home town of West Los Angeles with some shrimp ceviche.

I’ve always been a huge fan of shrimp cocktails, and while I do love the simplicity of a naked piece of shrimp dipped into cocktail sauce, I can’t say no to citrus or cilantro, and my Russian- and Jewish-trained palette will always have a weak spot for pickled anything. When I told my uncle that my favorite Mexican dish was ceviche, it was La Playita’s shrimp ceviche that I envisioned. To this day it remains one of my favorite remedies for the unnaturally hot day. However, shrimp ceviche is not my favorite dish at La Playita.

When I was working in Santa Monica a couple years ago, I made what would seem like a mistake by driving to La Playita during a lunch break. When I arrived, I found a line extending from La Playita to the construction site of a future Whole Foods, thirty or so men spitting Spanish and wearing tool belts. Against my better judgment, I got in line anyway and accepted the fact that I would be late for work. As I waited, I noticed that all of the men were ordering the same thing, something called a “mixta,” and I became curious enough to order one myself.

The mixta tostada is a cold cocktail of shrimp, imitation crab, octopus, salsa and avocado served on a crisp corn tortilla. At first sight, I was very skeptical; the dish seemed like too much seafood, and I had never been a big fan of octopus. At first bite, however, I fell in love. The mixta blended the benefits of the taco with the ceviche. Each bite was a surprisingly smooth burst of flavor and texture. Since that day, I’ve ordered a mixta tostada every time I’ve returned to La Playita, and these days the mixta is a welcome return to Los Angeles and a fond reminder of my carless and careless teenage years. I’m not sure what I’ll say next time someone asks me, “What’s your favorite Mexican dish?” but if nostalgia is high and the weather is hot, I might say La Playita’s mixta tostada.

Mariscos Guillen La Playita
3306 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 452-0090

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 7th, 2009 at 11:23 am and is filed under Los Angeles.