Eat Out. Lares.

Lares in Santa Monica is my new favorite Mexican restaurant. My parents read about it in the Los Angeles Times 'My Favorite Weekend' feature, as being a favorite of Brad Paisley. While this wasn't quite enough to sell me on the place, I thought it was worth a try, and I'm so glad I did.

It's dark inside with lots of wood, and white tablecloths. The upstairs is nice, it has a large window as the wall on the side that looks out to Pico. While they do serve gourmet dishes, the food feels very authentic. Potatoes accompany a lot of the menu items, including my favorite, the Rancheros Tacos, which are made of beef and potato.

Everything--including the salsa--has just the right amount of spice. The warm tortilla chips are addictive, and they're quick to refill the basket as it gets low (dangerous!). The margaritas are very good, blended or on-the-rocks. If you're in the mood for a fruit margarita, their peach is fantastic. Carnitas and steak fajitas are also recommended.

Lares is located at 2909 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: latimes.com