Mexicano

What comes to mind when you think about Mexican food? Is it the variety of salsas created from a unique amalgamation of chilies and spices that both brighten and ground a dish? Perhaps it’s the complex depth of a mole, the stuffing of a chili that blends meat and fruit, or a uniquely executed guacamole that incorporates tequila for an airy iteration of something familiar. This is exactly what would come to mind if you have tasted the authentic Mexican cuisine of Chefs Jaime Martin Del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu.

At Mexicano (pronounced “me-hi-ka-no”), Jaime and Ramiro will expand their repertoire for a new audience and continue to redefine what many people think constitutes Mexican cuisine.
“When we create a dish, it is always rooted in our history,” Jaime says. “Perhaps it’s inspired by the tamales my grandmother used to cook every Sunday, or the way Ramiro’s mother would keep tortillas warm in a wicker basket when bringing them down to the river to her husband after he was done fishing.”

After years of cooking bold and traditional Mexican food together at La Casita Mexicana restaurant in Bell, CA, Jaime Martin Del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu are affectionately known jointly as Jaime and Ramiro. Among some of the biggest stars in the Mexican cooking world, the duo will bring the authentic flavors and heirloom family recipes of their signature Los Angeles-area restaurant to Baldwin Hills Crenshaw with the opening of Mexicano in the fall of 2014. Since garnering a nomination for Best Chef: Pacific from the James Beard Foundation in 2008, Jaime and Ramiro continue to earn recognition for serving exemplary traditional Mexican gastronomy from numerous national and international publications. Their charisma and passion for Mexican cuisine has afforded them broadcast opportunities, including a role as judges on the Telemundo show, “Top Chef Estrellas,” as well as recurring work with La Opinión, the largest Spanish newspaper in America. They have also received many certificates of recognition from the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and from the Los Angeles Board of Education for their civic work and contributions.