In the rapidly reviving Los Angeles downtown, Bäco has become a culinary destination. Named for a flatbread sandwich of Chef Josef Centeno’s invention that has been on the menu since the restaurant opened, Bäco showcases an energetic mix of flavors that draws on the Mediterranean, Texas, and the panoply of culinary influences that drive LA cooking.

Here you’ll find chermou-lata sauce, born from the marriage of chermoula and gremolata; a few pages away is a Tuscan melon and Persian cucumber salad; and beyond that rutabaga and pancetta with lemon, anchovy, and capers. Vegetarians will find a remarkable number of zippy dishes in Bäco and we think almost everyone will appreciate the book’s simple design and easy-to-read pages.

Handsome color photographs throughout. Hardcover.