Our readers show an adventurous streak this year, selecting the most modern Mexican restaurant in the South Bay. The menu and decor here are like nothing else in the area. You dine in an Aztec fantasyland by the light of candles and overhead lanterns, next to a bar that looks like a shrine to tequila. The seafood on the menu includes wild-caught Mexican shrimp and fresh Dungeness crab, and the beef includes wood-grilled, aged filet mignon and New York steaks. Traditional items are offered; you can get a standard burrito or taco, but they also can be filled with braised short rib, grilled achiote chicken or fresh mahi mahi. The experience is dazzling, making this a special-occasion Mexican restaurant worth a special trip. — RF
39 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach. 310-374-4440
Runner-up: Coyote Cantina,531 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach. (310) 376-1066
