The Verdict
BROKEN SPANISH is Ray Garcia's Downtown modern Mexican restaurant whose specific identity is built on the heirloom corn masa programme - the specific tortilla and masa preparation that communicates Garcia's conviction that the quality of the corn is the foundation of everything the Mexican culinary tradition can achieve. The specifically sourced heirloom corn varieties, the masa preparation that communicates daily attention to what the specific grain requires, and the modern Mexican menu that applies Garcia's culinary training to the Mexican-American ingredients and techniques of his specific cultural heritage communicate a kitchen that treats the Mexican culinary tradition as a subject of serious intellectual and technical engagement.
The modern Mexican menu at Broken Spanish reflects Garcia's specific culinary approach: the masa programme whose heirloom corn sourcing communicates direct relationships with the specific farmers and seed preservationists whose work maintains the genetic diversity that industrial corn production has eliminated; the braise and slow-cooking preparations whose specific Mexican regional influences communicate genuine knowledge of the culinary geography beyond the taco and enchilada formats; and the cocktail programme whose mezcal and tequila selection communicates genuine engagement with the Mexican spirits tradition.
The Downtown Flower Street location provides the urban context: the financial district workers whose proximity makes Broken Spanish a natural power lunch destination, the proximity to the Staples Center that creates the pre-event dining culture, and the specific Downtown energy that communicates that the Mexican fine dining experience does not require a specific neighbourhood's validation.
Why It Works for Closing a Deal
Broken Spanish's Downtown address and Garcia's heirloom corn Mexican programme - the specific intellectual seriousness about the tradition's foundations, the fine dining execution, the Flower Street location convenient for the financial district - creates the deal-closing dinner that communicates genuine knowledge of where Los Angeles's most intellectually engaged available modern Mexican cooking is being practised.
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