Casa Vega is a restaurant in Sherman Oaks, California. In 2022 it was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation.
| Casa Vega | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1956 |
| Food type | Mexican cuisine |
| Street address | 13301 Ventura Blvd. |
| City | Sherman Oaks |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 91423 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
History
editThe restaurant was opened by Rafael Vega, whose mother crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into National City in 1934 to give birth to him, in 1956 when he was 22.[1][2][3] It is located at the corner of Ventura Blvd. and Fulton Avenue.[3] At the time it was one of the few restaurants serving Mexican cuisine located outside the Olvera Street area;[4] Vega's parents, who had immigrated from Tijuana, had operated a restaurant in Olvera Street.[5]
Many employees have worked there for decades.[2] According to the Los Angeles Daily News and the Hollywood Reporter, actors such as Jane Fonda, Marlon Brando, Cary Grant, Dean Martin and Desi Arnaz were regulars from time of the restaurant's beginnings and the restaurant continued to attract high-profile Hollywood people, such as Dakota Fanning, Charlize Theron and Sandra Bullock, over the subsequent decades.[3][4]
Portions of the 2019 Movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood were shot at the restaurant.[6]
Menu
editThe menu focuses on staples of Mexican cuisine such as flautas, tostadas, tamales, enchiladas, and albondigas.[1][3]
Recognition
editIn 2022 the restaurant was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation, which credited it for popularizing Mexican cuisine in the area.[1] The Infatuation called it "easily one of LA’s most recognizable Mexican restaurants".[7] According to Eater LA it is "one of Los Angeles’s most beloved restaurants".[8] CBS News called it "iconic".[6] People Magazine called it "a fixture in LA".[5]
Ownership
editThe restaurant was taken over by Vega's daughter, Christina Vega, in 2012.[1] Rafael Vega died in 2021 of COVID.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Announcing the 2022 America's Classics Winners | James Beard Foundation". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ a b Trinh, Jean (2018-05-01). "62-Year-Old Classic Casa Vega Keeps Its Employees Happy". Eater LA. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ a b c d "Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks wins James Beard Foundation's America's Classics Award". Daily News. 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ a b Brown, Evan Nicole (2021-11-10). "Casa Vega Celebrates 65th Anniversary by Rolling Back Menu Prices to 1956". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ a b "Ray Vega, Founder of Celebrity-Loved Mexican Restaurant Casa Vega, Dies". People. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ a b "Iconic Casa Vega Restaurant Closes Its Doors Indefinitely Following Coronavirus Shutdown". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ "Casa Vega - Sherman Oaks - Los Angeles". The Infatuation. 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ Holmes, Mona (2022-02-17). "Historic Sherman Oaks Mexican Restaurant Casa Vega Gets James Beard Recognition". Eater LA. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
Further reading
edit- Stougaard, Jo (2016-12-01). "How Casa Vega is making it, 60 years after opening in the San Fernando Valley". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-02-28.