A Happy Revisit to a Silverlake Classic: Casita del Campo

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Happy memories flood back of wonderful times at Casita Del Campo so it was no surprise that a party from a long-time neighborhood resident took center stage the day we spontaneously popped in for lunch this summer (and I was in an instagram of the party!).   The ambiance, the food, the service all added to the celebration, making this recent visit to the historic Silverlake landmark into a new, lasting memory.

But first, the food, with a mezcal to begin. Soup or a light garden salad come with each entree. Today’s soup was Albondigas, vegetable soup with meatballs.  My all-time standard, Machaca con Huevos (shredded beef and eggs), arrives balanced and beautiful with Spanish rice and refried beans.  Luscious sweet corn tamales, a Casita del Campo signature dish Sweet corn tamales with raisins are moist and perfectly seasoned.

The Casita del Campo original recipes and cooking practices have stayed the same since the day the restaurant opened 57 years ago. You can actually take a peek into the kitchen where fresh vegetables are chopped for the tasty salsa and the guacamole each morning.  Chips are all made fresh daily as is evident in the enormous amount of food carried out from the kitchen. New vegan menu items, like the popular tacos and fajitas, reflect the current health-conscious times and the neighborhood’s gentrification, along with the all-gender restroom – adjacent to a little private dining room that was probably there from the beginning.

The eatery was conceived as a second home for diners, late owner Nina Martin Del Campo would tell everyone, not just a restaurant to come and eat. It is a family gathering venue, a welcoming and artistic melting pot hosting a theater downstairs, and is an oasis that transports guests to the more leisurely lifestyle of Mexico.

Rudy Martin Del Campo, a dancer from West Side Story, opened sunny, welcoming  Casita Del Campo as a gathering place for his industry friends as a gathering place, much like the Marilyn and Harry Lewis created their Hamburger Hamlet for their actor pals.  The warm, show biz feeling was always there whether you knew about the reason to not.  No,this Machaca is  it is not a gourmet version such as in Tucson’s French-Mexican El Charro Café where it is air-dried outdoors.  But it does not matter.

Rudy’s legacy  lives on in the warm hospitality of everyone who served us.   My guest need to have every side dish separated from her main one, and the gracious servers made it seem as though it was an easy everyday request.   Rudy is also remembered in the West Side Story pictures throughout the restaurant and in the original art pieces, and the family carries on the hospitality that is so appreciated by loyal customers.

Casita Del Campo hours: Monday-Thursday from 11am to 11pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 12am.  Sunday hours:  11am -11pm.  Special week-day lunch menus and a week-end brunch menu that includes a cocktail are offered.  Rooms are available for parties and celebrations. For more information please visit www.CasitaDelCampo.net or call 323.662.4255, 1920 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027.