Corteza at Sendero
DTLA has a lot of two things: breath-taking, panoramic views and fabulous steakhouses. So when you combine the two of them — we take notice and there are few doing it better than Sendero. Perched atop the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Sendero takes visitors on a culinary journey along the coastline of South America from Los Angeles down to Argentina. It is composed of several different restaurant concepts including Leña, a traditional steakhouse, and Corteza, their more seafood-focused restaurant, although you can get a little bit of both at each spot. We were lucky enough to try their seafood-forward Corteza recently and we haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Our first bit of advice is do not skip the cocktails. One of our favorites was the Golden Hour, it features cocoa-infused reposado tequila, Codigo 1530 mezcal, passionfruit syrup, fresh lemon, and chocolate Aztec bitters. Another was the Agave Goddess Mayahuel, a refreshing, bright-orange carrot mezcal cocktail that arrives at the table nestled in a vase and garnished with a long-stemmed baby carrot. But do not let the panache fool you, these drinks back up their style with taste and could stand alone in a plain Collins glass if need be.
Another incredibly impressive offering is their ceviche bar. Their popular ceviche nikkei is inspired by Ecuador and features buttery ora king salmon, bight cara cara kosho, and bathes in a silky carrot escabeche. Their Mexican-inspired tuna tostada was also a hit with fresh tuna that is given a rich note with uni and avocado, a bit of nuttiness from house-made salsa macha, and a punch in the form of a pickled pearl onion. An unexpected favorite was the incredible market salad. Crunchy salanova lettuce was dressed with a lemon parmesan dressing, fennel pollen, and of course mountains of cheese. This was served alongside duck confit arepas with chipotle black bean cotija and a preserved lemon crema as well as a few of their empanadas. The Verduras empeanada was filled with a creamy spinach, mozzarella, and ricotta filling and the Hongos featured hen of the woods mushroom, bell pepper, and garlic, each elevated with a punchy chimichurri. We finished with their barbacoa, a huge plate served family style with warm tortillas, glazed root veggies, and a variety of salsas and cremas.
Despite being nearly too full to walk, we were committed to the whole experience so dessert was a non-negotiable. We sampled the creamy Dia de los Muertos dessert, similar to a white chocolate mousse and the calabaza chocoflan. A chocolate sponge with pumpkin custard, cinnamon ganache, and pepitas topped with what can only be described as an architectural piece of chocolate. As if it needs to be said, Corteza is a truly special meal. Perfect for everything from an elegant date night, a swanky post-work drink, or the your-parents-are-in-town splurge. Make your reservation now!
