Instead of stepping into the snare of a restaurant offering a limited menu at a poor value for Valentine’s Day, I took my Valentine to Bell to experience colorful Mexican cuisine from La Casita Mexicana chef-owners Jaime Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu. The personable Jalisco natives have a knack for timing. They worked until 4 a.m. to bridge the gap between the original restaurant space at La Tiendita Mexicana, a store specializing in the artwork, ingredients and candies of Mexico.

The expanded La Casita Mexicana was bustling for Valentine’s Day, with Valle de Guadalupe wines flowing into goblets, and diners gobbling up several dishes. No dish was more impressive than Chamorros de Res Adobados. Guajillo soaked beef shank arrived on the bone with a heart-shaped mound of carrot-studded rice. A piquant salsa featured chile de arbol, lime and onion. Our server said the rich beans melded mashed red beans and chorizo. At first, it seemed like our shank was missing its marrow. As we soon found out, the fatty jelly-like substance already blanketed the tender meat. Since guajillo paste coated and infused the marrow, the flavor was astounding.