The Next Generation of Alta California Has Arrived

A new generation of Latino chefs in Los Angeles is building the future of Alta California cuisine amid ongoing ICE raids and hostility toward immigrants. The Alta California movement began in the late aughts when Mexican American chefs who learned in California cuisine restaurants opened distinct dining destinations. Restaurants such as Cacao Mexicatessen, Cook’s Tortas, and Ortega 120 reworked Mexican American standards like tacos, tortas, chilaquiles, burritos, and antojitos using modern techniques and local California ingredients. The movement also includes established chefs such as Carlos Salgado, Ray Garcia, and Wes Ávila. Today, Los Angeles chefs continue to innovate with new formats, including expanded tasting menus and planned grill concepts.

"A new generation of Latino chefs has emerged amid ongoing ICE raids and an increasingly hostile environment toward immigrants in the U.S. In Los Angeles, these chefs have worked to further Alta California cuisine in the city in exciting ways that have also shown echoes around the country."

"The Alta California movement began to materialize in the late aughts as Mexican American chefs who cut their teeth in California cuisine restaurants began to open their own distinct dining destinations. Trailblazing restaurants such as Cacao Mexicatessen, Cook's Tortas, and Ortega 120 riffed on Mexican American restaurant standards: tacos, tortas, chilaquiles, burritos, and a diverse array of antojitos. Employing modern techniques and local California ingredients, Alta California cuisine not only served as a catalyst for the next generation of Latino chefs, but also broadened the scope of California cooking."

"The old guard of Alta California includes chef Carlos Salgado, of Taco Maria fame, who returned to the kitchen at La Sirena in July 2025, more than 2000 miles away from Southern California in Wisconsin. In Los Angeles, chef Ray Garcia opened Broken Spanish Comedor in October 2025, and will open Broken Spanish in 2026, while chef Wes Ávila has stayed the course at Ka'teen, among other projects."

"Today, one doesn't have to venture far to find modern Mexican American restaurants led by equally intrepid Los Angeles chefs. In response to the ongoing crisis in Los Angeles, chef Andrew Ponce added a months-long tasting menu to his popular A Tí in Echo Park; in the near future, he plans to launch A Tí Afuera, a grill menu for lunch that will be an ongoing collaborat"

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