Small Bites: Weeklong Mexican Independence Day at Rosa Mexicano; Monday night football at Riva

By Betty HallockDeputy Food Editor

Sept. 14, 2009 8 AM PT

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Viva Mexico: To celebrate Mexican Independence Day (Wednesday) Rosa Mexicano at L.A. Live is offering $37 three-course prix-fixe dinner menus all week long (Monday to Sunday). The menu will feature traditional dishes such as chiles en nogada, which are poblano chiles stuffed with pork picadillo and topped with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds (a dish that’s red, white and green, like the colors of the Mexican flag). See the full menu after the jump. Part of the proceeds will benefit Feeding America, a hunger-relief charity. L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 746-0001, www.rosamexicano.com.

‘Football for Foodies’: Riva kicks off football season by offering happy hour all night long on Mondays. Watch the game, eat and drink from the bar menu, which instead of Buffalo wings features lamb ribs, a trio of crudo, squash blossoms with feta, and warm cerignola and gaeta olives marinated with orange zest and garlic. Cocktails are $4 and draft beers (Scrimshaw, Allagash, Stone Smoked Porter and Paulaner) are $3. 312 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 451-7482, www.rivarestaurantla.com.

Rosa Mexicano’s Mexican Independence Day prix fixe menu

Entradas/appetizers, choice of one:

Guacamole en molcajete for two or more (*$6 supplement if prepared for one)

Ravioli poblanos, chicken ravioli with poblano cream sauce

Ceviches de bandera, red snapper with guajillo and red pepper, mahi-mahi with coconut-habanero, and halibut with cilantro, serrano and lime marinade

Platos principales/main dishes, choice of one:

Camarones de agua dulce, sweetwater prawns sautéed with garlic and parsley served over black rice

Chiles en nogada, two poblano chiles stuffed with pork picadillo topped with a traditional walnut sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds

Filete cascabel/filet mignon with cascabel chile sauce

Grilled filed mignon smothered in fire-roasted Cascabel chile salsa topped with melted Chihuahua cheese

Postres/desserts, choice of one:

Crepas de cajeta, caramel crepes

Pay de guayaba y manzana, guava-apple crisp with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce

--Betty Hallock

Daily Dish

Betty Hallock

Betty Hallock is deputy Food editor at the Los Angeles Times. She has co-written four cookbooks, including “Bäco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles,” “Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen” and “Baking at République.” She started her journalism career at the Wall Street Journal and Scientific American in New York, worked on the L.A. Times’ Business desk, and was interim food editor at Los Angeles Magazine. Hallock also helped launch a food and nutrition vertical for wellness app RoundGlass. She’s a graduate of UCLA and New York University.