OF THE THREE Madre restaurants that Ivan Vasquez operates across the L.A. metro area, I will point you first to his palatial 7,000-square-foot space housed in an Old Town Torrance shopping complex. Bypass the two main rooms, which are vast to the point of impersonal, and settle into the bar area where most everyone else lands too. We’re all flattered by the amber glow of the backlit bar lined with over 500 bottles of agave spirits. Vasquez, a native of Oaxaca, is one of the nation’s greatest scholars of mezcal — and a steward of traditions. If you’re game, bartenders will line up a few bottles of mezcal on the bar and detail regional styles while you start sipping.

You’ll need food soon. Start with memelas, satisfying in their thick crunch and filling of black beans and queso fresco. Among moles, home in on the distinctive estofado, with its sharp turns of tomatillo, raisin, almond and green olive. Vasquez’s mother, after whom the restaurant is named and whose recipes serve as inspiration, made it twice a week for her family.

• 1261 Cabrillo Ave., #100, Torrance, (310) 974-8005; 10426 National Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 559-4732; 801 N. Fairfax Ave., #101, Los Angeles, (323) 850-8518; madrerestaurants.com