Mercado

LA Weekly says: All his life, Jesse Gomez wanted to be a lawyer, until one semester in law school cured that. Now he's into restaurants, not courtrooms. By the end of this year, he'll own six, which is not bad for a dropout. They all serve Mexican food, because that's his heritage. Tall, good-looking and single - he's too busy to change that - Gomez turns 40 at the end of May. The restaurant business is tough, maybe tougher than lawyering, but he thrives on it. "There are headaches, but I can't imagine doing anything else," he says. In partnership with corporate chef Jose Acevedo, Gomez owns two Mercados one in Santa Monica and one just west of the Grove in Los Angeles. They're upscale places, not hangouts with greasy enchilada plates. He also has Yxta Cocina Mexicana in downtown's Industrial District, and, with his mother, El Arco Iris in Highland Park, where the food is more traditional. Coming soon are another Mercado and a Mexican seafood restaurant in Eagle Rock.".