LA Culinary Heritage: Mexico and France | Free with RSVP

Name: LA Culinary Heritage: Mexico and France | Free with RSVP
Start: 2025-10-08T19:00:00-07:00
End: 2025-10-08T21:00:00-07:00
Location: 501 N Main St., Los Angeles, CA, United States, California 90012

Schedule

Wed Oct 08 2025 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

501 N Main St., Los Angeles, CA, United States, California 90012 | Los Angeles, CA

Join LA County Department of Arts and Culture and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in the heart of one of L.A.’s cultural hubs for a conversation on LA’s rich culinary heritage through the lens of Mexican, French, and Indigenous fusion. The program—highlighting food as culture in Los Angeles—will feature culinary stars Chef Gilberto Cetina of Holbox, Chef Fátima Juárez of Komal, Chef Chuy Cervantes of Damian and Ditroit Taqueria, and baker Arturo Enciso of Gusto. The chefs will discuss Indigenous ingredients, the Columbian Exchange, French techniques, and their impact on kitchens across Los Angeles County. The conversation will be moderated by Evan Kleiman, author, L.A. chef, and host of KCRW’s Good Food. Light refreshments will be served.
In this conversation, the chefs will explore the history of Mexican cuisine and Indigenous ingredients — a story of contact, transformation, and change. Xocolatl, chilli, ahuacatl, and elotl (chocolate, chile, avocado, and corn) are among Mesoamerica’s many contributions to the world. Following the Spanish conquest, Mesoamerican recipes encountered a culture clash with the introduction of imported ingredients, including Middle Eastern wheat, Asian citrus fruits, African spices, and livestock.
Later in the 19th century, the French intervention in Mexico introduced new cooking methods, techniques, and flavors. French influences can be seen in stewing (guisados), braising (carnitas), and baking (pan dulce). The blending (mestizaje) of ancestral and global ingredients with French techniques helped shape the unique a unique and rich Mexican cuisine.
The program is part of a series of Cultural Olympiad artistic collaboration projects passing the torch from Paris 2024 to Los Angeles 2028 and uplifting the role of arts and culture in the legacy of the Games. In 2024, the LA County Department of Arts and Culture partnered with the City of Paris, Le Carreau du Temple, and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes to present Michelin award-winning chef Gilberto Cetina as Los Angeles’ representative at the international Food Temple culinary festival in Paris, held at the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Cultural Olympiad for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 2025 LA Culinary Heritage: Mexico and France event at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes carries the series forward. It is part of a new legacy of Cultural Olympiad artistic collaborations highlighting the role of culture in the Olympic and Paralympic Games that were initiated by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Paris Department of Cultural Affairs and Department of International Relations, and other partners during the 2024 Paris Cultural Olympiad with a view to Los Angeles 2028.
REFRESHMENTS
Attendees will be treated to special refreshments curated by Chef Gilberto Cetina of Holbox and Chef Fátima Juárez of Komal, including:
Sope de Mejillón – Heirloom blue corn masa, ayacote bean purée, and escabeche of local Hope Ranch mussels.
Guests will also enjoy pan dulce from Gusto Bread, wine by Vinos Los Angeles, coffee by Casa Barrera de Veracruz and tequila.
ENTERTAINMENT
Mariachi Las Colibrí
Las Colibrí is an award-winning, all-female mariachi ensemble that specializes in educational programming designed to promote and empower women while showcasing the richness of traditional Mexican music.
Chef Gilberto Cetina, Holbox
One-Star Michelin 2024, Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019, 2021, and 2022, LA Times Restaurant of the Year 2023, and ranked #5 on the 2024 LA Times 101 Best Restaurant list. Chef Cetina was a 2023 James Beard Finalist for Best Chef California and was a James Beard 2025 Restaurant and Chef Semifinalist. Holbox was named number one on Yelp's top 100 US restaurants 2025 list.
Chef Fátima Juárez, Komal
Fátima Juárez founder of Komal, the first mill in Los Angeles dedicated exclusively to Mexican native corn. She works with diverse corn varietals that come directly from rural
communities in Mexico. She is deeply interested in not only cooking with this corn, but also sharing its history, its biodiversity and what it represents culturally. Fatima was mentored under Chef Cetina of Chichen Itza and Holbox and was a sous chef at Damian with Chef Cervantes. In June 2025, Komal received a Bib Gourmand distinction from the Michelin Guide.
Chef Chuy Cervantes, Damian, and Ditroit Taqueria
Fascinated by the role that food plays throughout every culture, Chef Chuy’s work is inspired by what he craves, by the diversity of ingredients and techniques, but also the multiple ways of sharing and embracing the many cultures that surround food. Being head chef for one of Enrique Olvera’s Michelin star restaurants, Chuy and Enrique both share culinary principles rooted in sustainability, respect for the seasons, and locally available produce.
Baker Arturo Enciso of Gusto
Arturo Enciso is a self-taught baker and the visionary behind Gusto Bread, a celebrated
sourdough panadería in Long Beach, California. A champion of ancient techniques and the highest-quality ingredients, Arturo has earned widespread acclaim—including the 2021 Rising Star Baker Award—and has been featured in King Arthur Baking, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. In 2024, he shared his expertise as a keynote speaker at the Kneading Conference, further solidifying his role as a leader in the craft baking movement.
This program is presented by LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes and the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. In collaboration with the LA Rising Initiative, Latino Restaurant Association, and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA).