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Xotchil Gomez with Los Angeles buildings.
(Photo illustration by Diana Ramirez / De Los; photos by Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Xochitl Gomez’s 5 favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A.

For Xochitl Gomez, there’s no better place than Los Angeles.

“My work has taken me to a lot of different places, but I always come back to L.A. with this feeling of how lucky I am to live in a city with so much diversity,” said the 17-year-old actor best known for portraying America Chavez, the first queer Latina superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

Most recently, Gomez won Season 32 of “Dancing With the Stars,” where she paid homage to her Mexican American heritage through her song choices, costuming and stage design.

Though she was born in Hollywood, Gomez was raised and still resides in Echo Park. She considers the diverse neighborhood her Angeleno anchor.

“Latino-owned businesses are a big part of what makes L.A. special and one of the best ways of taking in culture is through food and art,” she says. “Echo Park is right in the center of all that and I’m lucky to live here.”

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As part of our “Mi Los Angeles” series, we’ve asked Gomez to share her favorite Latino-owned businesses in the city. These are her picks.

For more from De Los, follow us on Instagram.

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Mi Los Angeles

In ‘Mi Los Angeles’ we ask influential L.A. Latinos to share their favorite Latino-owned businesses. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go and what to eat all while supporting local businesses and organizations.

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A taco sampler and sides of salsas at the original Guisados in Boyle Heights
(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)

Guisados

Echo Park Mexican
It’s my go-to meet-up for breakfast tacos with my friends. I can bring my dog and hang out for hours at the tables outside in the back. The playlist is fire, and they always change it up. My typical order is a dirty horchata with one tocino and one weenie breakfast taco, Can’t beat those handmade tortillas. So good!
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Bread on display at K Bakery
(Sarahi Apaez / Los Angeles Times)

K Bakery

Echo Park Bakery
This is a traditional Mexican bakery at the edge of Echo Park and Historic Filipinotown. Everything about it feels like Mexico — the little cups of bright colored gelatina, pan de muertos in the fall, rosca de reyes for Navidad. The conchas are insane! I have great memories of coming to this bakery with my dad. We’d always order my birthday cakes and the ladies there would make me feel so special.
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One cold and one hot pumpkin spice coffee drink from Tierra Mia, with a pumpkin muffin, on a table.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Tierra Mia Coffee

Echo Park Coffee
This place is another spot that’s a part of my weekend rituals, and a perfect meet-up place before heading to the Silverlake Flea. My cheat-day treat is an iced oat milk horchata latte paired with the tres leches muffin. I’ve been coming here with my mom since they opened in Echo Park 11 years ago and apparently there’s now over 20 locations. I’m glad Tierra Mia has had so much success — they deserve it!
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Exterior of Casa Victoria Vintage Furniture store in Echo Park
(Sarahi Apaez / Los Angeles Times)

Casa Victoria

Echo Park Furniture Store
This vintage thrift and antiques shop on Sunset across from Guisados may have a humble storefront, but the owner Mateo has every inch of this place covered with hand-picked interesting finds. This is not your grandpa’s junk store — it’s got cool retro furniture and unusual decor that you don’t see anywhere else. I go in just to breathe in the funkiness and be grateful that places like this exist.
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Exterior of House of Intuition in Echo Park
(Sarahi Apaez / Los Angeles Times)

House of Intuition

Echo Park Shop
This is my source for palo santo, scented oils and hand-poured candles. I like climbing up all those steps on the weekend with my friends to browse the shelves stocked with crystals and handmade jewelry. HOI, as we call it, was started by two Latinas at this little house in Echo Park and recently I’ve seen their candles at chain retailers. Such an awesome success story. Bravo!
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