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Amiga Amore Mexitalian Eatery

@amigaamorela

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Amiga 🇲🇽 Amore🇮🇹
Our cultural love story.
Mexitalian Cuisine
@beardfoundation nominated 2024& 2025
Founded by Husband & Wife @chefddz @alenik81_la

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Before Amiga Amore found our home in Highland Park, we were just an idea. A dream. A vision. A renegade pop up moving through borrowed kitchens.
Honestly, a lot of that dream started in my own home kitchen.

It felt like working two jobs. Building the restaurant during the day. Cooking events at night. Hustling toward the vision of opening our little casita.

And what we’ve learned through it all?
Every single day is a commitment to show up. Even when life throws the day to day challenges. Even when you’re tired. Even when it feels uncertain.

The dream started as one vision.
Over the years it evolved. Shifted. Deepened.

But one thing has stayed constant.
Our dedication and desire to let our hospitality and our food be a source of love and nourishment wherever we cook, wherever we show up.

If you have a dream, stay true to what you want people to feel.

Because the aesthetic. The hype. The “empire.”
None of that matters as much as how someone feels when they sit at your table.

Food is not just plated.
It is love and dedication served

And when you cook for people, you are cooking for their souls. 🍷❤️ taken in Highland Park by @amigaamorela

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5 months ago

So overwhelmed with the love and outpouring our little casita has gotten the past week thank you @eater @eater_la .

We couldn’t of had a better welcome or opening week 🙏🏽. Our passion project is finally off the ground and we are so excited to have you dine with us .

As @chefthomaskeller put it so well , “Food is a meaningful connector. A connector of who we are, a link to our past and our favorite memories.” This menu is just that , my past memories of eating with Abuela , of having Abuelo make me things for my snacks , my traveles with my parents , my travels to Italy with my husband , it is us and me on a plate . We hope you enjoy 🙏🏽❤️

We have officially opened up the books for June , as we are booked for may already 🥹🙏🏽. And don’t forget to byob your favorite beer and wine for now 💃🏽🕺🏽

Repost from @eater
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Highland Park's tiny new Amiga Amore (@amigaamorela) may act small in its presentation and its charm, but the restaurant's thoughtful Mexican Italian menu is thinking very large. The colorful space is the creation of chef Danielle Duran-Zecca (@chefddz), who has cooked all over the city. She’s really come into her own in recent years, though, working in partnership with Alessandro Zecca to hone a pop-up menu of truly cross-cultural food that suits them both.

Here the flash is mostly found on the plate, particularly the signature elote agnolotti, a stuffed and creamy corn pasta that sets off lightbulbs in the head. That pasta is a doorway to a new dimension, a world of chorizo-crusted cod, confit chicken with mole blanco, and cavatelli with chile de arbol and a guajillo-braised beef shank. Everything is fun and illuminating, a mix of personal and inventive that feels unique to Amiga Amore. That’s precisely the point.

Click the link in bio to read more about this new Mexican Italian hotspot from Eater LA Senior Editor Farley Elliott (overoverunder).

📸: @wonhophoto taken in Highland Park by @amigaamorela

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3 years ago

I woke up this morning feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion.
I’ve worked in kitchens since I was 17, pouring my heart and soul into every dish. To see the hours, love, and dedication I’ve given to so many kitchens lead to finding my unique cooking style is a dream come true. Amiga Amore is my love letter to Los Angeles—a city that raised me inspired me, and taught me the beauty of cultural diversity and community. ❤️
Opening our doors was no easy feat, and keeping them open has been a labor of love, but through it all, the food and creativity have been my driving forces. Sharing my life’s story through the flavors of Mexitalian cuisine—a celebration of my love story with my husband—has been my greatest joy.
Being nominated for 2025 Best Chef California by the @beardfoundation is an honor. As a female chef, this recognition means everything. I owe it all to my incredible staff, our supporters, and the Amiga Amore family, who have stood by us every step.
This is for Los Angeles, the city that shaped me, and for everyone who believes in the power of food to tell stories and bring people together. 🏆✨
#JamesBeardNominee2025 #AmigaAmore #MexitalianCuisine #LosAngelesLove #FemaleChef #DreamComeTrue #CommunityAndCulture

📸: @craftmedia_nick taken in Highland Park by @amigaamorela

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2 years ago

Just added to this Sunday’s pastry collaboration: an incredible lineup of specialty coffee and seasonal drinks by @cafecafemobilecoffee, featuring a fresh summer menu:

• Passionfruit Lemonade
• Strawberry Matcha
• Oaxacan Chocolate Latte
• Chai Spice Latte

Pair your favorite drink with our exclusive pastry collaboration from @larg.wa and spend the morning with great food, coffee, and even better company. ❤️☕🥐

Stop by Sunday 10am-2pm

📸: @craftmedia_nick by @amigaamorela

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6 hours ago

Brunch plans? ☕️✨

Join us this Sunday, July 26 from 10 AM–2 PM at Amiga Amore in Highland Park, Los Angeles for specialty coffee, matcha, and our signature drinks.

Whether you’re grabbing brunch with friends or just stopping by for your weekend coffee, we’d love to see you.

📍 Amiga Amore
🗓 Sunday, July 26
⏰ 10:00 AM–2:00 PM

See you there! ☕️

#CafeCafe #HighlandParkLA #LosAngelesCoffee #SpecialtyCoffee #BrunchLA taken in Highland Park by @amigaamorela

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10 hours ago

Summer is here, which means some of our favorite seasonal classics are back. ☀️🍅

✨ Carne Asada
Served with avocado aguachile sauce, nopales, charred cucumber salad, and grilled Jimmy Nardello peppers.

🌽 Corn Crème Brûlée
A sweet and savory summer favorite that’s back for the season.

And that’s just the beginning. We have even more fresh MexItalian summer dishes on the way. Stay tuned as we unveil the rest of our seasonal menu. 🌿🍝

📸: @craftmedia_nick by @amigaamorela

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a day ago

inspiration and magic always exist, you have to be the one noticing it for it to be real to you!!

@kbabezz loves a cinny roll so had to have one on the months menu at Amiga Amore ✨😤

Long ago @johnnybakecake hired me to help open a bakery, we made lime and cinnamon morning buns that were giving fr00ty pebbles.

Fast forward to now Drew and I were eating these @tostitos chips and I thought about that moment when adding a hint of lime to a classic cinnamon roll. Mexican Creama instead of cream cheese for the glaze.. it just happened like that and it was BOMB ✨🍋‍🟩😘

catch these baddies on sunday @amigaamorela ❤️‍🔥 by @amigaamorela

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2 days ago

Back by popular demand! 🥐✨

We’re teaming up with @larg.wa for another delicious pastry collaboration. Stop by this Sunday for coffee, fresh pastries, and a sweet treat you won’t want to miss.

See you this weekend! ☕💛 taken in Highland Park by @amigaamorela

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3 days ago

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a chef, it’s that actions speak louder than words.

Let your craft be your voice. Let your food tell the story. The people who are meant to understand will taste the intention behind every dish and feel your heart in every bite.

Cook with love. Create with purpose. Feed people with presence.

Because in the end, love is the greatest ingredient, and sometimes, the most powerful form of healing. by @amigaamorela

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5 days ago

The best thing you can do this summer? Stay local and soak it all in. ☀️

Highland Park is buzzing with energy, perfect for more socializing, dining, and shopping. From cozy cafés and unique boutiques to vibrant restaurants and community events, there’s so much to explore right in your neighborhood.

Support local, discover hidden gems, and make this summer one to remember in Highland Park. 🛍️🍽️✨ by @amigaamorela

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8 days ago

Who’s ready for a sweet treat? 🍰✨

Join us this Sunday for a special pastry collaboration with @amigaamorela x @larg.wa! Indulge in an exclusive pastry and brunch menu available for one day only.

Trust us… you won’t want to miss this one. 💛

📍 Sunday, 7/19
⏰ 10 AM–2 PM by @amigaamorela

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9 days ago

their elote agnolotti ratatouille’d me back to baldwin park runnin to the elote man as a kid 😭 such a phenomenal dish and such a beautiful restaurant

#losangeles #pasta #mexican #italian #highlandpark taken in Highland Park by @amigaamorela

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