A Guide to Restaurants and Markets

* Aqui es Oaxaca--A market that sells meats including tasajo and cecina, queso and quesillo, mole pastes, asiento, chapulines, fresh chiles de agua and Oaxacan ice creams. Also herbs such as poleo, hierba de conejo and chepil.

11614 Venice Blvd. (corner McLaughlin Avenue), Los Angeles. (310) 313-4813.

* Artesanias Oaxaquenas--A gallery specializing in Oaxacan folk art and crafts.

1634 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 396-6131.

* Carniceria La Yalalteca--A market that sells chorizo, beef tasajo, beef cecina and pork cecina, either plain or with chile.

2596 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 382-1811.

* Cristy’s Restaurant--Mateo Gilberto Ramirez and Claudia Siguensa from Oaxaca City, new owners of this restaurant, are adding Oaxacan dishes.

10953 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 558-0225.

* El Danzante--A restaurant that serves excellent mole negro and agua de chilacayota. Barbacoa available on the weekends.

3071 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 735-4688.

* El Sason Oaxaqueno--This restaurant and bakery sells tasajo and also breads such as pan de yema, margaritas and pan amarillo.

12131 Washington Place, Mar Vista. (310) 391-4721.

* El Texate--A restaurant that mixes Oaxacan dishes and more general Mexican food. Interesting specialties such as chicken in a mezcal-flavored sauce.

316 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 399-1115.

* Expresion Oaxaquena--A shop that sells quesillo, chiles, avocado leaves, chocolate, mole pastes, clayuda bases and other items such as rebozos and recordings of Oaxacan music.

3078 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 766-0575.

* Guelaguetza restaurants--The pioneer restaurants in Los Angeles, they sell costeno and pasilla de Oaxaca dried chiles, fresh chiles de agua, Oaxacan chocolate, red and black mole pastes, avocado leaves, chapulines, cecina, tasajo, asiento, queso and quesillo.

3014 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 427-0608. Also 3337 1/2 W. 8th St., Los Angeles. (213) 427-0601.

* Guelaguetza (Palms)--Different management and cooking from the two central city Guelaguetzas. Products for sale include mole pastes, chilacayota, clayudas, pan de yema, quesillo, tasajo, chorizo, cecina and asiento.

11127 Palms Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 837-1153.

* Juquila--The menu includes four types of mole, lamb barbacoa, clayudas and other typical dishes. For something different, try nachos with black mole sauce.

11619 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 312-1079.

* Las 7 Regiones de Oaxaca--Oaxacans like this restaurant for the empanadas--large, handmade corn tortillas folded around fillings such as squash flowers and quesillo, huitlacoche or chicken in mole amarillo.

2648 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 385-7458.

* Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruity Bars--Ice cream, paletas (fruit ices on a stick), fruit drinks. Flavors include cactus fruit, cajeta, nance, mamey and guanabana. Call to inquire if leche quemada (burnt milk) ice cream is on hand.

4222 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-5500.

* Monte Alban-- Try carnes Monte Alban, a combination plate with nopales (cactus) salad, cecina, tasajo, rice and black beans, accompanied by handmade tortillas. Mole negro, which is very sweet here, comes with either grilled salmon or chicken. Goat barbacoa is available daily.

11927 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles. (310) 444-7736.

* Panaderia Antequera--A Oaxacan bakery with pan de yema, pan de cazuela, marquesote (a light cake) and azucena (a sweet round loaf).

1704 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 450-4468.

* Panaderia Las 7 Regiones de Oaxaca-- Breads include pan de yema, pan amarillo and molletes.

2628 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 387-3256.

* Tlapazola--This restaurant specializes in upscale Mexican cooking with Oaxacan touches such as amarillo, black mole and pumpkin seed (pipian) sauces, Oaxacan-style white beans and chicken-stuffed chiles rellenos.

11676 Gateway Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 477-1577.

* Tortilleria y Antojitos Expresion Oaxaquena--This shop packs food to go, including clayudas, mole tamales, tacos and tortas (sandwiches) that contain Oaxacan meats and cheeses, and sells ingredients such as asiento, cheese, mole pastes and breads.

3301 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 766-0575.

* El Valle Oaxaqueno bakery--A bakery and deli that sells breads, quesillo and queso, tamales, chapulines, asiento, roasted maguey hearts and other products.

1601 S. Vermont Ave., No. 106, Los Angeles. (323) 734-0042.

* Valle de Oaxaca restaurant--This Westside restaurant prepares daily Oaxacan specialties. Monday is the day for amarillo mole. Black mole day is Thursday.

3809 Grand View Blvd., Mar Vista. (310) 390-4427.

* Zapoteca Restaurant--A small cafe with moles and other dishes, located next door to Mateo’s ice cream shop in a corner mall.

4220 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 938-4444.