10 10DTLA APPETITE: DALIA COCINA By KERI FREEMAN
S
VOL 16. NO. 11 - MAY 19TH - JUN 2ND 2022 WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM COM
Tacos in Historic Places
Taco Tuesdays at Dalia Cocina Mexicana
ituated at the base of the Higgins Building, connecting the Old Bank and Civic Districts, is one of Downtown’s most treasured Mexican food restaurants, Dalia Cocina Mexicana. For some, Dalia has become that go-to spot ranked high on local delivery apps for consistency and overall quality. For others, every day is a new opportunity to dine at this neighborhood favorite that serves breakfast all day and becomes more and more festive by night. Dalia feeds all who have discovered their fresh, made-to-order menu during lunch rush, providing midday meals to familiar city officials and front-line workers from nearby civic office buildings. From the courthouse to the jailhouse, our city officials love ordering from Dalia. By nightfall, Dalia provides a warm festive atmosphere for business meetings, sports fans, and families alike. The aromas of Chilaquiles, Empanadas, plates of Carne Ranchero, and Salmon on Carrot Purée easily find their way to the second-floor area, perfect for hosting special or private events.
Copper mogul turned property manager in his heyday, “Tycoon Thomas” amassed a fortune. In 1910 he turned the keys to his brand new lobby doors and let in waves of employees to man the offices within the massive 10-story, state of the art building that he claimed: “To be absolutely fire-and earthquake-proof.”
Higgins would not only provide his workers with a natural air cooling Get the day started or cap out the system but a first-of-its-kind steam night; the beverage menu serves signature turbine heating system hidden deep in iced and hot coffees or foreign and the basement below. As Higgin’s empire domestic beers, individually or by the and the town grew stronger, jazz echoed bucket. through the halls of the Higgins Building from the famous Harlem Alley below. Family-owned and operated, Dalia dishes are inspired by Grandmother Over time, Higgins Building inhabitants Dalia. She would have been alive around would witness a decline of the area, the the same time Irish-born Thomas Higgins fading sounds of jazz as it drifted swiftly commissioned Architects Haley and Martin away from Downtown to South Central to design and build this historic location.
Ave, and the fading voice of Higgins, who died in 1920. In 2007, time-traveling developer Andrew Meirien began restoring the basement at the Higgins Building, accentuating its historic fixtures and bringing in a few of his own. He brought back live jazz, swing, and burlesque inside his steampunk retro nightclub and named his club The Edison, after lightbulbs in the roaring 20s that would never, ever fade. Want to know what else never fades? The long-lasting memory of Dalia's signature taco flight. Each Taco Tuesday, Dalia offers their signature ala carte tacos with fish, carne asada, carnitas, and shrimp varieties for $3 each. The pork belly taco could possibly be the best tasting taco in history, with Dalia grilled shrimp taco with mango salsa coming in a close second. @daliacocinamexicana
