I remember a time, only a few short years ago, when the only restaurants along this scrubby strip on Figueroa were very local Mexican joints (and a guera ordering champurrado at Las Cazuelas would get a raised eyebrow). But times have changed and Fig has become a hipster Mecca where reservations are now required and blue jeans w/cowboy boots are painfully uncool (My concerned face about being seen as uncool: 😶) Still Otoño in Highland Park absolutely shines with its creative take on modern tapas. If you can tolerate the occasional shrieky clientele chattering about their “Insta’ following”, Otoño is well-worth a visit. Dinner last week (10/3): croquetas de setas y maiz (fritters of wild mushroom, sweet corn, & goat milk); pan con tomate (sour dough, grated tomato, garlic, olive oil, sea salt); crudo (striped bass, finger lime, algae, trout roe, tomato); calçots (charred spring onion, romesco, garrotxa, onion ash oil); churros de patatas bravas (potato churro, salsa brava, garlic aioli); and beets & berries (sweet almond cream, berries, strawberry gel, beet meringue) with Wanderlust (gin, yuzu liqueur, lemon, house-made melon-tarragon soda, jamon (Yes, that’s ham.)) and Rioja Sour (bourbon, lemon, oregano, bay leaf, tomato, egg white, Tempranillo float) cocktails and Los Bermejos Malvasía Dulce from the Canary Islands. Very impressive.