Downtown El Segundo is slowly starting to become a favorite place of mine to hang out and dine. From the hip and happening Rock and Brews to the healthy and organic Farmstand, I have come to love all the good eats that downtown El Segundo has to offer.

Last year during my birthday, downtown El Segundo opened up Sausal, a restaurant featuring nuevo rancho cuisine with Mexican and Spanish influences. Their inspiration is the wood-fire, smoke and slow roasting technique popularized by the rancheros who once were housed in the land there. Sausal is named after Rancho Sausal Redondo (Round Willow Ranch), which is the farmstead that once was in South Bay and in El Segundo. This restaurant is also the brain child of Chef Anne Conness, of Tin Roof Bistro and Simmzy’s fame.

I’ve had my eye on Sausal since it opened last Fall. It seemed like a sign for me to dine here especially since they opened the same day as my birthday. I finally got the chance to dine here during dineLA! I am always such a big fan of dineLA because they always have some amazing deals where one can try out some of the most delicious eats around town. When I saw Sausal was participating in dineLA, there was no question that I had to come here.

My dineLA experience started with an appetizer of my choice. I chose to get their oxtail picadillo empanada.

Three empanadas were presented to me with an accompanying sauce of tomatillo verde salsa. At first bite, I was quite impressed with the buttery, flaky crust. Divulging deeper, my palate was pleased with the tender oxtail that was inside the empanadas. Sausal does oxtail right. The oxtail inside the empanadas was so meaty and rich. Perfection.

My main entree of choice is one of Sausal’s specialty’s their duck tamale with black mole.

The plating alone made me fall in love with the duck tamale right away. The duck tamales are encased in corn husk, topped with crumbled cotija and surrounded by mole rich sauce and squares of butternut squash. The tamale itself is filled with tender shreds of duck confit. The duck is amazing and flavorful and the mole sauce enhances the taste even more. I loved the cotija cheese and the butternut squash that added a soft texture and taste to this dish.

Overall Sausal just impressed me with their unique menu and offerings. Both the empanadas and tamale were superb. Who would of thought of oxtail empanadas and duck confit inside a tamale? It’s different and just pleasing overall. I am loving this new spot in El Segundo and it is a definite place, that I hope to visit in the future. There are plenty of smiles to be had at Sausal.

 For more smiles, please see my recent Yelp review on Sausal.