In the new movie, “Chef,” Jon Favreau plays Carl Casper. This Los Angeles chef agrees with his restaurant’s owner to “play the hits” for an influential critic. Playing it safe results in a horrible review, a very public shame spiral, and (temporary) unemployment. For leading chefs like Carl Casper, it would be easy to play the hits. Customers would probably continue to fill seats, at least for awhile. However, truly innovative chefs are never satisfied and continue to push. In L.A., John Sedlar one such chef.

Chef Sedlar became synonymous with Modern Southwest Cuisine in the ’80s in L.A. He resurfaced, preaching “New Latin Cuisine,” casting a far wider culinary net than his native New Mexico. Rivera became a hit when Sedlar opened an eponymous restaurant with restaurateur Bill Chait near Staples Center in 2009. Yes, Rivera became popular with businessmen, politicians, sports fans and critics thanks to dishes like tortillas florales, duck enfrijolada and Julian Cox’s cocktails. Since Sedlar is a man who is always tinkering, he changed the format and menu entirely this year. Yes, you can still find an abbreviated printed menu at Rivera, but much of the experience now revolves around Loncheras. This “procession of mobile service carts and hand-carried trays that deliver directly to guests an array of small plates infused with the pulsing spirit of New Latin Cuisine.”

A visit to State Bird Provisions in San Francisco inspired the restaurant’s service format, though the food is quite different. Rivera’s carts are decidedly more modern, with screens that play video. Soon enough, they’ll even speak. During my recent dinner at Rivera, carts delivered dishes like steamed artichoke “bowl” with shrimp and lobster salad, served with romesco. A purple-spined sea urchin served as a pedestal, holding red cabbage slaw and plump mussels. Sedlar also filled a roasted squash with goat cheese and ground pork.

I should probably single out a particular dish from the Loncheras carts. The most praiseworthy dish to hit my table showcased Sedlar’s whole Loup de Mer A La Plancha ($55). He seasoned this crisp-skinned, beautifully seared Mediterranean sea bass with rosemary, salt and olive oil. A lemon squeeze, a red chimichurri spoonful, and I couldn’t wait to lift my fork to the flaky white fish again and again. Sedlar also served the fish with four other sauces in case red chimichurri wasn’t enough: romesco, salsa verde, aji panca, and aji amarillo.

It’s exciting to see Chef Sedlar push his high-tech, New Latin vision forward (on wheels). I was also happy to see that he still casts his fishing line in a classic sea.