Located in the cozy Riviera Village in Redondo Beach, Vida Modern Taqueria is a Baja-inspired modern taqueria with Mexican fan favorites, combined with some creative twists on East LA comfort food.
Partners Micky Mance and Justin Essman own Vida Modern Taqueria. The pair have extensive experience in the industry. Mance was formerly vice president of Mickey’s Deli in Hermosa Beach and helped double the business’s size. Essman was a former partner of Baja Sharkeez Group and, more recently, general manager of Tower 12 in Hermosa Beach.
The interior is airy, bright, and coastal. The previous restaurant lacked a bar and built one to fulfill their vision for the restaurant. The beverage menu features several Mexican lagers on tap and assorted bottled beers. They feature many Mexican specialty cocktails, micheladas, and sangrias.
The Octopus Ceviche ($18) was fresh, slightly crunchy, and bathed in a light citrus sauce. It was a great beginning to our meal. The Esquite ($12) corn salad is similar to elote, but the roasted corn is removed and tossed with lime crema, cotija cheese, and topped with fresh avocado. The esquite arrived piping hot, and that maximized the experience.
The tacos are creative and reflect the tastes of the South Bay. The Crispy Tempura Cauliflower Taco ($5.50) is coated with tempura flakes and batter fried. I also tried the Lobster Tail taco. The addition of arugula, fennel, truffle lime creme gave this a fantastic flavor boost.
I am surprised to see the number of vegetarian options. In addition to the cauliflower taco, they have a mushroom quesadilla filled with Oaxaca cheese and drizzled with lime crema, a taco filled with crispy tempura nopales, and a taco filled with a blend of roasted mushrooms, lettuce, salsa, and avocado.
The craft cocktails are beautifully presented and tasty. My wife had the Poquitas Mas ($11), and I selected the Nuts and Bolts ($13). In addition to the cocktails, they have quite a few beers available. Many of the tap beers have a focus on Mexican lager. They also have a selected number of hand-selected wines.
Beware that parking in Riviera Village can be challenging. The pandemic parklets removed many parking spaces. As a result, you may have to take a short hike after parking your car.
Vida Modern Taqueria, 1723 S Catalina Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; 310.430.7787; eatdrinkvida.com