The Madera Group launched in 2013 by Amrou Manaseer and Tosh Berman. Pooling their collective nightlife histories, the two embarked on a fruitful transition into restaurants. Here, Berman discusses the firm’s design language, crafting a localized and organic concept, and its Eastward expansion.
Think of Tocaya Organica as the low-maintenance sibling of its fancier sister restaurant in West Hollywood, Toca Madera. This rapidly expanding chain, which has several stunning-yet-unique outposts across LA, lets you customize your own bowls, wraps, burritos, or tacos with locally sourced, organic produce and fresh proteins.
This lounge-like West Hollywood hotspot is brimming with atmosphere, from the in-house DJ spinning tunes to the stunning quartz bar glowing in the center of the room. You can’t go wrong with the margarita selection, or with the Street Taco Box, a tasty selection of chicken, beef, and tofu tacos that mirror what you find at your favorite food truck But make sure you save room for dessert: The churro ice cream sandwich, a large scoop of dulce de leche ice cream nestled between two swirled churro “cookies,” is out of this world.
Kelly Wearstler’s renovation of the Westfield Century City mall set the design bar high. The one billion dollar renovation reimagined the shopping center as a modern marketplace and public gathering spot with intimate lounges defined by comfortable seating, plants and colorful tiles. The walkways are punctuated by art exhibits and installations; elegant bathrooms and lounge areas; upscale shopping and innovative restaurants and cafes.
Tocaya Organica uses wild-caught, chipotle-rubbed seared sea bass in their fish tacos, which come with a choice of cheese and taco style. The Cali Green features sliced onion, avocado and vinaigrette, while the Baja Chipotle comes with the more traditional combo of shaved cabbage, cilantro, vegan chipotle crema and a sweet chipotle sauce.
If you’ve recently driven by this Third Street staple, who just celebrated three years in business, you might mistake it for a nightclub with a velvet rope, especially on popular nights that offer specialty food and drink themes. Here are a few of our favorites not to be missed on your next neighborhood crawl.
The local organic Mexican power chain Tocaya Organica looks ready to open a fifth location in Westfield Century City this Friday. Just last week, Eater wrote about Madera Group’s forthcoming location in the revamped Beverly Center. But these openings are minimal in comparison to the company’s overall plans for this year, which include 16 additional locations by the end of 2018.
An upscale Mexican restaurant is opening next year at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Toca Madera is a concept based out of West Hollywood that showcases local ingredients and bold flavors. The Scottsdale restaurant is scheduled to open in February or March 2019. Another location is planned to open in Dubai.
Shoppers hungry for exciting new dining experiences at Scottsdale Fashion Square can soon go where LA chefs and celebrities head for their upscale Mexican food fix: Toca Madera. This will be the attention-getting restaurant’s third location beyond its West Hollywood flagship and international outpost in Dubai.
From sports bars, to dive bars, to full-fledged restaurants, the Westside is filled with locations offering specials for happy hour. Whether you are grazing with friends or colleagues, or grabbing a cocktail and a quick appetizer solo before heading home, here are the best places for a happy hour bite and drink.
Every once in a while, the time comes to let loose with the main girls. Luckily for the ladies of Los Angeles, the city has a plethora of options to imbibe and entertain. Whether one’s looking for a night of gossip over a glass of wine, a hip lounge for a delicious libation, or to be surrounded by bottles and models at Hollywood's hottest clubs, there's a little something for everyone.
