SAN GABRIEL. This Nuevo Latino hotspot earns tops marks for innovative twists on traditional Mexican dishes. The menu, far from the usual litany of combination plates, offers extravagant entrees like epazote-crusted snapper with mango-lime relish, chiles en nogada (a pepper stuffed with minced meat, fruit, and nuts), and lamb shank mixote (marinated dry in ground chiles and then steamed in beer). For dessert, treats like a wine-poached pear atop ice cream and rice pudding brûlée are on offer.