Amiga Amore is a culinary love story—between two friends who became lovers, and between two rich, vibrant cultures brought together on a single plate.

Founded by Chef Danielle Duran Zecca, a proud first-generation Chicana from Northeast Los Angeles, and her husband Alessandro Zecca, a native of Verona, Italy, Amiga Amore is the delicious result of a decade-long romance—both in life and in the kitchen. After 12 years working in some of New York City’s top fine-dining restaurants, Danielle and Alessandro returned to her hometown with a mission: to create a space that felt like home, where her Mexican roots and his Northern Italian heritage could cook, dance, and flourish together.

For six years, the duo hosted a series of beloved pop-ups and supper clubs across Los Angeles, cooking from the heart and honing the bold, soulful flavors that would become Amiga Amore. These intimate, community-centered dinners laid the foundation for a Mexitalian concept that honors tradition while joyfully reimagining the beautiful intersections between their two cultures.

Their hole-in-the-wall restaurant—tucked into the heart of Highland Park, one of LA’s oldest and most beloved neighborhoods—feels like stepping into Nonna and Abuelita’s kitchen at once. It's a space where Chef Danielle infuses every dish with love, nostalgia, and magic that tastes like a warm hug. Amiga Amore is more than a restaurant—it’s an open invitation to enter their home, sit at their table, and create lasting memories over food made with heart. A living reminder of what love, familia, and real food are truly all about.

In 2022, they opened their first brick-and-mortar location just blocks from where Danielle grew up. Since then, Amiga Amore has been featured in Eater LA, crowned Best Restaurant of 2023 by Infatuation LA, and praised by Los Angeles Times food writer Stephanie Breijo for its genre-blurring menu and intimate, community-forward approach to hospitality.

The signature dish that first captured the hearts of LA foodies was the Elote Agnolotti—a Mexitalian masterpiece inspired by street corn, filled with cotija, finger limes, and house-made Tajín. It became an instant cult favorite, setting the tone for a menu that’s as playful as it is profound. From there, Amiga Amore continued to wow diners with standout creations like the Huitlacoche Cacio e Pepe, blending earthy Mexican corn truffle with Szechuan spice and a silky 63° egg, and the Nopresse Salad—their take on a Caprese made with nopales (cactus), homemade stracciatella cheese, cherry tomatoes, gooseberries, and hibiscus salt, served with chile de árbol bread. 

In 2024, Amiga Amore was nominated for a James Beard Award for Best Emerging Restaurant, and in 2025, Chef Danielle Duran Zecca was named a semifinalist for Best Chef: California—a powerful acknowledgment of her creative vision, cultural storytelling, and unwavering dedication to reimagining heritage through food.