Los Angeles Tacos »   Los Angeles: Skip the Tacos and Grab
Dinner at La Serenata de Garibaldi   Asada taco plate.
[Photographs: Noam Bleiweiss]  It's hard to make a name for
yourself by slinging Mexican food in Boyle Heights. In a
neighborhood that already boasts Guisados, Mariscos Jalisco and
El Tepayec (with their five-pound Manuel's Special burrito),
standing tall amongst the competition is no small feat. Even
neighborhood favorites like Antojitos Carmen have shuttered over
the years, a testament to what it takes to thrive in such a
food-rich part of town.  La Serenata de Garibaldi hasn't had
those sorts of issues. As a slightly upscale alternative to the
late night cafes, trucks, and tables that run along Cesar Chavez
Avenue, this airy eatery has been pushing plates of fresh
seafood, simple tacos, and stiff margaritas for more than 25
years. And people are still leaving with smiles on their faces.
The heavy wooden doors of La Serenata ("the serenade") open out
onto First Street in the heart of Boyle Hei