After spending a lot of time in Baja California with her family, restaurateur Jenny Rush wanted to bring a bit of the region’s flavors back home with her. But she also wanted to go a step further and bring back some of the atmosphere too, and she’s done both with a breezy, lush patio and the Baja-inspired menu at her new restaurant, Tacolina in Silver Lake.

“It’s kind of a beautiful oasis in the middle of Silver Lake. You walk in and the first thing that happens is people’s jaws drop because the garden is so beautiful and unexpected, very lush and open air. And the food is meant to reflect that ambience, as if you’ve gone away on a mini-vacation to Baja,” said Rush, who’s also behind Santa Monica hot spots Blue Plate Taco and Blue Plate Oysterette.

Tacolina opened about a month ago at 2815 Sunset Blvd. The entirely outdoor space is made up of a 3,000-square-foot, 100-seat patio decorated with bright colors and custom furniture crafted by Mexican artisans in Michoacan and Jalisco. It’s all set amid green plants, palm trees, fire pits and a greenhouse used for private dining. While the patio is aimed at providing the feel of being on a vacation in Baja, the modern menu isn’t meant to make you feel guilty about indulging a bit.

“It’s kind of take-me-away vacation food, but it’s food you can eat every day. It’s not piled-on food. Everything is much cleaner and ingredient-focused,” she said.

So for those who want to go on a culinary getaway not far from home, here are five dishes to try at the new Tacolina.

Taquitos: These are, of course, a staple at just about every Mexican restaurant, but at Tacolina they could become addictive, Rush said. The dish is also served at one of her other restaurants. “These are a staple at Blue Plate Taco and definitely one of our most popular dishes. Some people call them the crack taquitos,” she said. The taquitos are stuffed with pulled chicken, lightly fried and topped with guacamole, shredded lettuce, chipotle and pico de gallo.

Cochinita pork tacos: The pork is stewed and braised, then cooked a la plancha style, which means it’s thrown on a griddle until the outside becomes crisp but the interior remains tender. It’s served in a housemade tortilla with a spicy pineapple tropical salsa and pickled onion. “I will say the tropical salsa makes it. It’s the combination of that spicy, sweet and crispy that really makes it a crowd favorite,” Rush said.

Shrimp a la Diabla: Rush was driving to Baja on one of her many trips when she stopped at an inn for dinner and the chef made them this dish. She loved it and the chef showed her how to make it on the spot. The Tacolina version uses large shrimp sauteed in a house-made mojo de ajo, a garlic sauce served with seafood. Her sauce has chile and orange juice to sweeten it up. “When it comes to the table you are looking at a cast iron pot with big shrimp in broth and you can take your spoon and drink the broth and the shrimp are going to be just grilled and plump,” she said.

Skirt steak: This steak is served sliced with house-made chimichurri, potatoes, cipollini and a tomatillo salsa. The steak is served sliced because this is a make-your-own taco plate. “It’s got a great vinegar from the chimichurri and the acid from the tomatillo and it just a really well-balanced, mouth-watering taco,” Rush said.

Nine-grain pancakes: This is a brunch item with a variety of grains from Anson Mills, plus cinnamon butter. “It’s just wonderful and served with a molasses syrup,” Rush said.