This story was written in collaboration with L.A. TACO’s Media Lab class at USC, an incubator for emerging journalists aimed at forging a new path for the future of journalism. Keep a look out for our ongoing series of stories from L.A. TACO Media Lab students.
In a city that is famous for its endless tacos and a handful of Caribbean food gems, Belizean cuisine often gets overlooked.
Belize, which sits in Central America, yet is part of the Caribbean, embodies a dual identity that runs through its food, where Afro-Caribbean spices meet Mestizo corn, Garifuna tradition, and Creole comfort. From the parking lot, The Blue Hole glows a bold, tropical blue, edged with yellow trim that cuts through the muted tones of Gardena’s strip malls. Inside, the brightness continues: the Belizean flag hangs above a room filled with laughter, the scent of coconut rice and fried plantains waft through the air, and soca classics, like “Tiney Winey” by Jamaican legend Byron Lee, spill from the speakers.
At the center of it all is Leslie Gillett, the restaurant’s food and service manager, partial owner, and resident multi-tasker. He greets customers with the kind of smile that feels personal, not practiced. Every few minutes during our interview, he’s up again, greeting someone or checking on a table. He knows nearly everyone who comes in by name.
Hispanic Heritage Month may have ended, but for Belizeans in Los Angeles, home to the largest Belizean community outside Belize, the celebration continues every day.
For Gillett, Blue Hole is both memory and mission. He grew up in the Corozal District of northern Belize before moving to Los Angeles as a child when his parents sought better opportunities after the country’s sugar industry collapsed.