Traditional, Trendy Mex to the Max

These restaurants have little in common--they range from the traditional Mexican to the very trendy. One thing they do share, however, is a Mexican accent. Buen provecho! Antonio’s (1323 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (213) 395-2815). This Montana branch of the famous Antonio’s on Melrose reproduces the original down to the strolling serenaders, which may or may not be welcome. Chicken mole is refreshingly bittersweet. And the chorizo is meaty and spicy, which makes every dish it’s made with very good. The same goes for all the usual enchilada/taquito-type snacks with shredded beef--it’s delicious, fried quite brown. The fish Veracruzana (served on Fridays) is a cut above the usual found in local marisco joints. For dessert try the mud pie (muddnana ). Original location: 7472 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 655-0480. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun., MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Full bar. Valet parking. Dinner for two, food only, $25-$50. El Porton (1105 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello, (213) 888-8879). Mariachi music blares from loudspeakers, and dining here is a lot like being in a Tijuana shopping mall. El Porton makes its own tortillas, and they are delightfully fresh--no wonder the tacos are so good. Chicken soup is hearty. If you crave a variety of grilled meats, have the parrillada , a combination plate served with papas con rajas and homemade chorizo. Chiles rellenos --stuffed with tiny, diced potatoes, crackly pork and just the right amount of white cheese--are exquisite. Breakfast is also great: fresh juices, sliced fruits, sweet rolls, even eggs with chiles. Cafe de olla , fresh-ground Mexican coffee with cinnamon, has a powerful kick. Kids will love hot chocolate with churros (deep-fried, sugar-coated squiggly pastries). Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. Beer and wine. Parking lot. Dinner for two, food only, $10-$15. Horny Toad (11835 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 473-1696). Horny Toad is a cavernous dining room and bar adorned by paintings of horned toads, and a mural of Pancho Villa. The Mexican side of the Tex-Mex menu is largely tacos, by far the best being a tart one filled with shrimp mixed with radish. The steak soft taco with charred peppers and the chicken taco in a tart tomatillo sauce are not bad either. There is also a vegetarian plate consisting of potato flauta in tomatillo sauce thinned with cream, a quesadilla with mild peppers and a soft taco of mild peppers, mushrooms and fried onions. Chili here is meaty, richly flavored with chiles, and neither bland nor poisonously hot. Skip dessert; its awful. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Fri., dinner only Sat. and Sun. MasterCard and Visa. Full bar. Valet parking. Dinner for two, food only, $25-$40. Kaktus (400 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, (213) 271-1856). Kaktus is lively. Everybody seems to know everybody else, and the place is always packed. Enchiladas suizas are light and fresh-tasting, and shredded beef flautas are crisp, not at all oily. Vuelve a la vida , the seafood cocktail full of scallops, squid and shrimp, has a tomato, pepper and lime sauce that is very flavorful. There’s a nice rice pudding for dessert, cold and crunchy, heavy on the cinnamon and cloves. The crepes with toasted almonds are good too. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., dinner only Sun. All major credit cards. Full bar. Valet parking. Dinner for two, food only, $35-$65. La Paz (21040 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills, (818) 883-4761). In a Warner Center mini-mall, La Paz is a roomy, efficient, slightly institutional-looking family Mexican restaurant. There are the standard chile relleno /taco/enchilada combinations, but there are also frog legs, conch, tongue, barbecue goat and octopus. “Appetizers, Oscar-style” is a huge plate of good chopped seafood dressed with olive oil, onions, tomatoes and cilantro. In fact, the kitchen cooks all the seafood lightly and deftly--freshness and texture are never issues. The simple seafood tacos are so juicy and full of shrimp, octopus or fish, they fall apart after a few bites. Lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Beer and wine. Dinner for two, food only, $25-$60.