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I was told that this restaurant had table-side guacamole on the menu and I was anxious to try this. This is  another of the new restaurants to open along Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Located on the second floor of a building, Añejo Cantina & Grill is an upscale Mexican restaurant that opened this past summer and is offering authentic Mexican cuisine to valley dwellers. It is a big place with a big menu. With 11,000 square feet, space is not an issue. There is the indoor dining room where live music can be heard (or danced to), a large outdoor patio with a fire pit as well as private event space. The best seats in the house are on the outdoor patio that overlooks Ventura Boulevard. Even on a cool night, the patio is warm with the table-side heaters and blankets the restaurant is happy to provide. Once settled in, get ready to eat because the portions are big. The danger at any Mexican restaurant is filling up on chips and salsa. So, we did not waste any time and ordered the tableside guacamole. I just love the the taste of fresh avocado mashed with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and fresh lime. Tableside Guacamole Tableside Guacamole Tableside Guacamole
A brand new Mexican restaurant opened a few months ago on 4th St. and the Santa Monica dining scene is heating up.  Named Mercado in homage to the fresh ingredients regularly ordered from the Farmer’s Market, the food and drinks are fresh takes on authentic Mexican cuisine. Owner Jesse Gomez grew up in the restaurant business. Almost 50 years ago his grandparents opened El Arco Iris Mexican restaurant in Highland Park in 1964. Jesse began working in the family restaurant and was responsible for modernizing El Arco Iris  and reintroducing the restaurant to the neighborhood. In 2009 he opened his own restaurant Yxta Cocina Mexicana in downtown LA.  Now Mercado is his third venture with partner Chef Jose Acevedo.
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