Why My Dinner At A Mexican Restaurant In West Hollywood Gave Me Hope For Deus Ex Machina

I just had a really nice dinner with Brent at Zarape’ , our favorite Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood. I didn’t know that this dinner was actually going to give me hope for the future but here we are. It’s been raining. The vibe is lugubrious. As I articulated in my previous post, I’m not really feeling it. The last time I went to Zarape’, a very kind waitress told me that the restaurant was closing for a few weeks because they were going to be featured on a Hulu makeover show about redoing the interiors of food establishments. This didn’t seem like one of those Gordon Ramsay Conflict Is Definitely Abuse shows in which a whole restaurant has to get a makeover due to rat infestations and rude service and a gaggle of angry Yelpers ready to guillotine the hostess. No, Zarape’ is very delicious (I recommend the ceviche, chicken mole burrito, and get funky and order a charcoal marg… life’s short!), but to be fair, it was what I like to call aesthetically challenging. I don’t have that many photos of Zarape’ prior to the makeover, but this is the one I could summon from my iCloud:

Yes, that is a mural of Fame Monster era Lady Gaga belting away, holding a tray with a Michelada; a Pride rainbow in the back, reminding you that you’re in West Hollywood, a place that is gay. The walls were adorned with a hodgepodge of other gay stuff and kitschy renderings of menu items. This restaurant needed an interior that reflected the high quality of the food and actually created a cozy atmosphere.

After walking a block in the pouring rain, I opened the doors and there I saw it — Zarape’ 2.0; a visually consistent restaurant that conspicuously lacked the overbearing presence of Lady Gaga. The lesson? Never give up hope. There’s always a chance a Hulu makeover show will come to the rescue and unlock your full potential.

Here are some freakin’ photos: