In quarantine, it is often quite difficult to find any good food. Some have taken to cooking, and can make their own food. Others have not. To be quite frank, I am a pretty terrible cook, and providing quality food for myself has been difficult to say the least. So, as many I know, I have turned to take-out food and ordering in.
LA has a vibrant Latinx community, and due to such a large population of Latinx people, LA also has a truly excellent Latinx culinary culture. One of the great bastions of this, at least that I know of, is Nina’s Mexican Food on Sawtelle.
This quaint, unassuming restaurant may not seem like much, but it is truly excellent. They have a quite limited menu, and provide a number of Mexican staples. They have a range of tacos, such as beef and pork. Each dish is delicately prepared, with the perfect amount of toppings and seasonings on each taco. They also have various kinds of burritos, which are held to the same level of quality as the tacos.
One great dish at Nina’s is their Molcajete burrito. This dish is truly exceptional when it comes to burrito-making. It is a standard burrito, with grilled chicken or beef, beans, rice, and burritos. However, what sets this dish apart is the salsa they use to season the burritos. The taste of it I am unable to put into words, you just have to try it for yourself.
However my favorite dish at Nina’s is their Chile Relleno. For those of you who do not know what a Chile Relleno is, it is a popular Mexican dish where a Poblano pepper is stuffed with cheese, and deep fried/baked in an egg batter. Most restaurants I have been to fry the chile rellenos in such a way that they are heavy and taste like oil. But Nina manages to keep the breading light and fluffy, alleviating this problem. In addition, the melted cheese inside of the pepper is sublime. And to top it all off, there is a slight spicy flavor provided by the chilies.
One of the best parts about Nina’s is how it still maintains is normal quality in quarantine. You can either get them using take-out, or you can order them in using apps like DoorDash. This makes it incredibly straightforward , and incredibly safe, to order top-quality food right to your door. The best part is that the food stays warm and does not become soggy, like many orders in restaurants. Just make sure to order with sauce on the side, which they will happily do.
Finally, it is worth noting that Nina’s is a small, family run restaurant. They make truly excellent food, but they have been struggling with Covid, as all businesses have. It would be a shame to see such an excellent restaurant close.
For Nina’s Mexican restaurant, I would rate it very highly. It is simply one of the best Mexican spots on the Westside, and that’s all I can really say. So next time you want some excellent Mexican cuisine, make sure you try out Nina’s.
