Cocina Condesa – Brightening Up Ventura Blvd.

It seems like every time I drive down Ventura Boulevard in Studio City/Sherman Oaks, there is a new restaurant. It is hard to keep up but one of these restaurants caught my eye. With the vibrantly colorful exterior, it is hard to miss Cocina Condesa along Ventura Blvd just east of Colfax. Inside the restaurant is a large open space with long high wooden tables and tall red leather chairs, a full bar along the back wall and tv screens above the bar showing the local sports game. The walls are exposed brick while the ceiling is red. Mexican folk art is displayed throughout the restaurant, as well as accents of color. The loud, casual dining room opens up to an outdoor patio that runs the length of the restaurant. This restaurant screams high energy. Cocina Condesa features a menu prepared by Executive Chef Eddie Garcia of Mexican street food - tamales, tacos, corn on the cob and more. What that also means is that the menu consists of small plates so it is fun to order a lot of different items for a selection of tastes.