Empanadas, arepas, mole, lomo saltado, agua chiles, churros, and pan dulce were just some of the mouth-watering dishes showcased at the Latino Restaurant Association’s (LRA) Dine Latino Restaurant Week kick-off this Tuesday at Don Chente’s Bar and Grill in Pico Rivera. Dine Latino Restaurant Week is May 15-21, 2022, with over 150 participating restaurants showcasing Latino cuisine through special and prix fixe menus.

Lilly Rocha, Executive Director and CEO of the LRA, said “We are so happy to kickoff of Dine Latino restaurant week, showcasing the depth, diversity, and resilience of Latino restaurants in the capital of Latino cuisine in the US - Los Angeles. Latino restaurants have been disproportionately devastated because of the pandemic and one of the programs that the LRA came up with during the pandemic was Dine Latino Restaurant Week, encouraging the public to visit their favorite Latino restaurant.”

Andy Carrasco, SoCalGas Vice President of Communications, Local Government and Community Affairs, was on hand, not only as a board member of the LRA, but also because SoCalGas is a sponsor. “Dine Latino Week, presented by the Latino Restaurant Association, is about encouraging the participation and dining experiences of Latino culture through restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area. We at SoCalGas understand that investing in small, diverse restaurants is not only an investment in our economy, but also in our region’s rich, local culture.”

SoCalGas representatives from the Energy Resource Center in Downey were there to provide restauranteurs with information on programs to make kitchens more energy efficient. For more information, visit https://www.socalgas.com/for-your-business/education-and-training/food-service-equipment-center

For a list of participating restaurants serving food from Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, and more visit https://latinorestaurantassociation.org/

Pictured on top: Staff from El Pescador at Dine Latino Restaurant Week event. Below: L-R, SoCalGas Vice President Andy Carrasco, Pico Rivera Councilmember Gustavo Camacho, David Lizarraga, Vice Chair of the Latino Food Industry Association, and Lilly Rocha, Executive Director and CEO of the Latino Restaurant Association.