San Fernando Valley's Casa Vega restaurant honored with "Vega Square" intersection naming

A 70-year-old Mexican restaurant in the San Fernando Valley is in the spotlight on Cinco de Mayo, as Los Angeles city leaders unveiled the Vega Square intersection, honoring the legacy of Casa Vega.

The restaurant has been around since 1956 and has made its way into the fabric of Hollywood, with celebrity visits, a role in Quentin Tarantino's movie "Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood," and even high foodie honors from the James Beard Foundation's "America's Classic" award.

It's still family-run, as Christy Vega continues the dream. "My grandparents and father came to Los Angeles from Tijuana with a dream. And like so many immigrant families, what he built was not just for us, but it was for this city," Vega said.

Ray Vega opened Casa Vega in 1956, when he was just 22 years old. He was an insurance salesman by day, and at night, he worked alongside his parents in the restaurant – the first sit-down Mexican restaurant on Ventura Boulevard.

Two years later, Casa Vega moved to its current location, and today the intersection at Ventura Boulevard  and Fulton Avenue is renamed "Vega Square." During Tuesday's ceremony, Vega called it "surreal," as it represents more than an intersection sign. 

"And to have this corner now carry our family name means more to us than we could possibly put into words," Vega said. "This is about Latino families, small businesses, and the people who have built LA quietly, day by day, into the city that it has become."

Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said she has been working this year to "establish and memorialize the contributions that Latinos have made throughout the city of Los Angeles."

On Thursday, the restaurant continues its 70th anniversary celebration with a new Ray Vega Patio, a conversion of two former parking lots. The addition features indoor and outdoor dining with 100 more seats, a bar, and a central fountain surrounded by seating for 24.