Mamá Fina in Bellflower is the place for Dominican cuisine in the L.A. area. Manuela Rodriguez, left, dishes up an order for Francisco De Jesus, right. Also behind the counter are the restaurant’s manager, Liez Soto-Staley, and her father, Hector. (Christina House / For The Times)
Menu items include camarones a la ajillo, garlic-sauteed shrimp, served with a mixture of pigeon peas and rice. (Christina House / For The Times)
Carne de res guisada, beef in a red sauce, comes with arroz con gandules, rice with pigeon peas. To complete the meal, add a side of tostones, fried green plantains. (Christina House / For The Times)
Josefina Soto fixes a plate at her restaurant. Her cooking is full of home-kitchen deliciousness based on recipes she’s been honing for years. (Christina House / For The Times)
Mamá Fina’s bistec encebollado, steak with grilled onions, which is served over rice topped with pinto beans. (Christina House / For The Times)
Pechuga de pollo guisada, a savory stew of chicken breast chunks, is served with a bean and rice combination. On the side is an order of fried green plantains, left. (Christina House / For The Times)
A full dinner: bacalao, cod fish in a red sauce, with beans and rice. (Christina House / For The Times)
Liez Soto-Staley, second from right, greets diners at her family’s restaurant. The menu items are a potent lure for local Dominicans with a nostalgia for a taste of their Caribbean home. (Christina House / For The Times)
