Jonathan Gold’s favorite downtown restaurants

Tanya Mueller and Wes Avila run and operate Guerrilla’s Tacos just outside Handsome Coffee on Mateo Avenue.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Beef tongue with chili de arbol and radish, left, and sweet potato with Oaxacan cheese and almond chile.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Wes Avila grills potatoes to go on a taco with Oaxacan cheese, almonds and chiles.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Lots of delicious toppings go into Guerrilla Tacos.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Nguyen Tran and his wife, Thi Tran, with their sought-after dish of Singapore-style chili crab.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Chego specialties include, clockwise from top: Chubby Pork Bell rice bowls, sour cream hen house rice bowls, Squish & Destroy pork sandwiches and Ooey Gooey fries.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Outdoor dining at Chego.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Chego’s Chubby Pork Belly is a rice bowl made of barbecued por, pickled radishes, water spinach, Chinese broccoli, cotija, peanuts and a fried egg.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Manager and sous chef Micko Ortiz prepares a wok for cooking.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)