Redondo Beach has a new restaurant in VIDA Modern Taqueria, a fun inclusion in the Los Angeles South Bay region and the regional taco landscape. It is a restaurant that specializes in tacos, which are among the best-known Mexican dishes.
The restaurant from hospitality veterans Justin Essman and Mickey Mance is inspired by Baja-style food and serves modern interpretations of conventional Mexican dishes. Mance is the owner of Mickey’s Deli, whereas Essman was a Baja Sharkeez group partner.
The restaurant menu includes conventional Mexican-style street food items, which feature 16 forms of tacos created with hand-pressed and homemade tortillas. The standout food items include vegan-friendly tacos such as the so-called tempura cactus tacos, which is among the finest nopales interpretations that you can find in LA. Fried tender cactus strips are available in a taco with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and avocado. The crispy taco is topped off with a spicy and bright fig glaze.
Outside of the tacos, some of the appetizers in the restaurant are nachos por Vida and queso fundido. On the other hand, the ceviche dishes in the location include octopus, Peruvian scallops, and spicy shrimp. It also has larger entrées such as ribeye steak, red snapper roasted in the pan, and al mojo de ajo.
The low ABV craft cocktail line has twists on conventional margaritas such as the Tulum 75, Poquito Mas and El Pistolero, plus two fruit-infused and small-batched sangrias, like the red Mas Malo and white Pecadora. The list of beers in the restaurant includes a collection of Redondo favorites such as Redondo Special from King Harbor and Mango Cart from Golden Road.
VANROOY Design from Santa Ana is the creative team behind the restaurant’s Baja-inspired indoor and outdoor space. The space has not only turquoise wooden chairs, upholstered booth seating and distressed wood tables for diners but also pendant lighting. It opens up to a patio cum parklet space that overlooks the rolling hills and the bluffs in California.
