Beef hearts sizzlin’ like fajitas at Lonzo’s Bakery
Tucked into a Culver City strip mall, just blocks from Sony Studios, you’ll find Lonzo’s Bakery — a Peruvian cafe and neighborhood favorite. (For the record, it used to be called Bakery and they have now changed to Restaurant, which is much less confusing). For a large crowd this tiny eatery is not, but Lonzo’s has been a longtime go-to for a casual lunch, dinner with the girls, or an out of town guest.
she’s a maneater heart eater
What makes Lonzo’s stand out? Good Peruvian food is hard to come by in LA, and as two girls who have spent considerable time in South America, a neighborhood ceviche spot is kind of a big deal. Better yet - Lonzo’s has the one restaurant feature that will make any cheap girl swoon: the establishment is BYOB. The service is a little slow, so don’t go if you’re in a rush. Rather, grab a bottle of wine (or two) from the Ralph’s across the street and savor.
we want to bathe naked in this sauce. together.
Our Lonzo’s faves:
Ceviche Mixto: You can’t go wrong with any of Lonzo’s ceviche varietals, but if you like a little bit of everything, the mixto is for you. Packed with tender calamari, delicate fish, a scallop, shrimp, and two kinds of corn - roasted and crunchy, and succulent Peruvian kernels - the mixto has a real mixto of flavors. Better yet? It’s topped with two, large whole-fried shrimp so each of us got a delicious shrimp head to suck.
Sizzlin’ Beef Hearts: Do not - I repeat - DO NOT let this dish scare you. We fully realize the masses aren’t as prone to eating organs as we are, but as far as offal goes, the heart is a pretty low bar of entry. It’s not livery like liver, it’s not tough or gamey, cooked correctly you wouldn’t know beef heart from just beef. And Lonzo’s cooks it oh so correctly. Served sizzling like steak fajitas, the beef hearts are a must try. Full disclosure - this dish is definitely called something else on the menu, but they’ll get the jist.
Passionfruit Tart: Lonzo’s is, afterall, a bakery. Check out the treats in the case for something sweet to end your meal. Our favorite is the teeny tiny passionfruit tart. Filled with sweet and acidic passionfruit filling - with the crunchy seeds, and nestled into the most perfect, buttery, crisp tart shell you’ve ever seen.
“The” Green sauce: Okay, I’ll admit we don’t order this per se, it comes included with your bread, but we would be remiss not to mention the stellar Aji Verde Lonzo’s doles out with every meal. A green, cilantro-based sauce with the acidity and complexity of a great salsa, with the creaminess of an aioli, try to keep yourself from licking the cup clean (we didn’t.)
dessert was so worth it, even for two girls who prefer savory over sweet
Cost: $48/person w/ tip for two dishes & 2 desserts
#FunLunchFriday
