Long Beach locals and food lovers can celebrate the opening of a new Mexican vegan restaurant, dubbed Plantitas Kitchen, located on the Westside at 1950 W. Willow St. The restaurant represents exploration into vegan Mexican cuisine by owner and first-time restaurateur Aileen Orozco Castaneda. The grand unveiling event happened on October 20, following a soft open earlier in the month as reported by Longbeachize and published on the official Plantitas Kitchen Instagram page.
The burgeoning establishment's story is rooted deeply in Castaneda's personal health journey and passion for reimagining Mexican cuisine to fit a vegan diet. As a bulimia survivor, Castaneda adopted the vegan lifestyle in 2017, as reported by What Now Los Angeles. She perfected vegan versions of her grandmother's recipes, leading to the inception of the Plantitas Kitchen.
As a first-time restaurant owner, Castaneda began building a strong reputation for her vegan dishes. Starting from the humble beginnings of selling her plant-based meals at her sister’s law firm, she gained a loyal following eager to witness the development of Plantitas Kitchen, according to What Now Los Angeles.
Guests can expect a menu brimming with traditional plates including tacos, burritos, sopes, and pozole, served alongside a variety of beers and wines, as cited by What Now Los Angeles. Additionally, Castaneda has ambitions to introduce a cocktail selection. The warm ambiance, enhanced by soft lighting and soothing music, is set to attract the Long Beach community, turning Plantitas Kitchen into a social hub.
