"Ivan Vasquez took his Palms restaurant and planted a massive flagship in Old Torrance, serving his mother’s favorite mole and other Oaxacan dishes with a huge list of mezcales. The locals have figured it out, turning Madre into one of the most reliable Mexican restaurants in the city. Start with the queso fundido, alambres (a stir-fry of sliced marinated pork and vegetables), or memelas (fried masa cakes with beans, cheese, and salsa) before venturing to the shareable tlayuda (a wide, thin corn tortilla grilled over wood-fire and topped with lard, beans, cabbage, cheese, and either tasajo, chorizo, or cecina. As one would expect from a Oaxacan restaurant, the moles are also fantastic, like mole negro spread over grilled chicken or a pork chop." - Matthew Kang
