La Paz Restaurant Review: When Oscar Iturralde, a native of Yucatan, Mexico, found that he could do rather well cooking in hotel kitchens while working his way through Harvard, he quit school and became a full-time chef. Iturralde has owned three restaurants in Southern California over the years, but this Calabasas perch is where he hopes to stay. We're happy to know where to go for Yucatan specialties like banana leaf-wrapped pork; octopus ceviche; abalone cocktail; lobster tails in butter and garlic with melted cheese; and whole fresh rock cod sautéed in an annatto seed mixture and served with pickled onions, black beans and rice. The menu may seem endless, but the house specialty involves tender goat baked with ginger, beer, chocolate, cinnamon and red chilies. We shouldn't forget to mention that the bar lists over 140 tequilas, with Iturralde as resident connoisseur, leading to terrific margaritas---as long as you skip the Cuervo Gold and go for the real stuff. The place rocks with mariachi music during the Sunday buffet brunch.
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Splurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area.
