MXO One of L.A.’s most celebrated chefs is playing with fire.
Wes Avila, founder of Guerrilla Tacos and the now-shuttered Angry Egret Dinette , just opened Mexican steakhouse MXO in Beverly Grove, where steaks and seafood are singed over mesquite and peach wood, salsas and tortillas hit the tables along with ceviches and sides such as stewy Mayocoba beans or salsa macha potatoes, and dishes can come topped with Avila’s own take on steak sauce (here called W1). “We wanted to do something familiar but unconventional,” Avila said. “You don’t see this stuff in steakhouses.
The format of the steakhouse is sides that are a little bit more American, even a little French in there, and maybe pastas too. We wanted to do that but flip it and do some Mexican stuff.” During a trip to visit multiple restaurants in Monterrey, Avila realized he hadn’t seen anything quite like what he envisioned in L.
A.: He envisioned open-fire cooking for steaks served with a range of Mexican flavors but with steakhouse service and flourishes such as surf-and-turf add-ons and caviar options. As with his other L.
A. restaurant, Ka’teen, Avila partnered with restaurateur Giancarlo Pagani (Mother Wolf, Mars), and both teamed up with SBE Group to open the nearly 5,000-square-foot MXO. It is, notably, Avila’s first restaurant where he isn’t serving tacos — though all dishes include salsas and can be served with either flour or corn tortillas.
At least one item might strike Guerrilla Tacos f.
