the el caserio ambiance upgrade

El Caserio has opened a finer dining branch of their ecuadorian-italian cuisine. Just a block away from their original restaurant at Virgil and Beverly, this more upscale version is right off the Silverlake Blvd 101 freeway exit. The cost of the dishes are comparable to the original, if not a buck higher. Old favorites like the llapingachos con fritadas that I have raved about in a previous posting are just as delicious here. But the rest of the menu won't include the typical south american greasy plates like lomo saltado and bistec a la pobre. You'll find more seafood dishes at higher prices here. But as my friend and dining buddy discovered, the kitchen would more than accommodate your needs if you just *must* have lomo saltado for lunch if you order off-the-menu in a white linen/dark wood setting. The attractive patio out back looks perfect for an office party and the expansive and well-appointed indoor bar was inviting us to imagine future happy hour mingling. I'm not quite sure if the location and deceptive residential bungalow appearance of the restaurant will help or hinder the success of this relatively new venture. I'm excited to have this new dining option.