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Posts from the ‘Bars and Restaurants’ Category

May 8

New York after action report

I was in New York City last weekend for a wedding so I took the opportunity to sample the local mezcal scene. The big event was dinner at Empellon Cocina followed by drinks at Mayahuel but I also had lunch at Rosarito and chatted up bar tenders wherever we were. If you follow us on Twitter you already know my main observation: NY sees a different mezcal line up because of different distributors or distribution strategies. I noticed Buho in many bars as the sole member of the mezcal club, sadly but cutely stationed next to the Fortaleza and Partida, aka club agave. Del Maguey, Illegal and Fidencio were also frequent members but once we got to Empellon and Mayahuel things changed dramatically.

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As you walk into Empellon you’re confronted with a cone of mezcals rising behind the bar capped with some fantastic rarities like a bottle of Real Minero. The menu is full of finds like that, there is a Mijes Joven, a Union, and a Yuu Baal. Then there are the full lines of the mezcals that we see in California like Del Maguey, Fidencio and Illegal.

Empellon is justly known for its food so be prepared for a special culinary experience, the squid with mole is a revelation but there are so many fun things that marry perfect technique with the world of Mexican ingredients that it’s hard to get bored. I thought the asparagus tacos would be the dud on the menu but it ended up being one of the best things there: Two fat stalks of asparagus in the middle of a tortilla topped by a mixture of parmesan and peppers and a bit of salsa off to the side. Simple and yet incredibly dynamic. Everything there paired perfectly with the long list of mezcals. 

Mayahuel is just around the corner and, while also a restaurant, it’s much more of a classic East Village scene. Their mezcal menu is a bit more limited but contains many of the same things at Empellon. As with most places that feature mezcal (including Empellon) the mezcal cocktails are the crowd pleasers. The space is bright, fun and loud spread out over two floords in something resembling an old Moroccan restaurant.

Later in the weekend we stopped for a quick lunch at Rosarito in Williamsburg and were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a robust mezcal menu. It seems like that’s the general trend but I’m looking forward to a more extensive research trip soon to make sure.

IMG_4060-1Obviously I missed plenty of places. I really wanted to visit Casa Mezcal which is a few short blocks from Empellon and Mayahuel but just couldn’t make it. Suffice to say that I’ll definitely visit on my next trip so if anyone has great ideas on where else to visit on that, as yet, unscheduled trip give us a buzz.

Dec 19

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An impromptu chat at Zandunga

There are so many reasons to appreciate Bricia Lopez  – knowledge of mezcal being reason number one. Number two is her generosity in connecting me with her friends in Oaxaca – in this case photographer and incredibly fun Omar Alonso. We met for lunch at Biznaga and got to know one another. After food, beers and a mezcal or two, he took me next door to Zandunga to check out their mezcal collection and to meet one of the owners, Marcos Toledo. Zandunga is an interesting restaurant that specializes in Istmo style cuisine that incorporates dried shrimp, fish and vinegar in many dishes. The flavors are distinctly different from the food generally found in the centro.

And what a mezcal selection! I focused on tasting mezcals from the brand Espirituoso, two of which came from Michoacan (a pechuga made from deer and agave azul and a cenizo maguey), the third from Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz (an espadin, madrecuishe and bicuishe blend). They were all delicious but I have to say, the pechuga blew my socks off. Its flavor was completely different than anything I have ever tasted – so meaty and savory.

But it was the conversation with Marcos that was the highlight. We talked about the changing market of mezcal and the transition of restaurants gravitating toward pouring brands and away from house mezcals. It seems a crackdown on regulations and certifications is driving this change – with mezcalerias in Mexico City being closed for serving unregistered mezcals (mezcals that are not officially registered as a business.) He thinks it is only a matter of time before this starts happening in Oaxaca and plans on shifting to official mezcals in 2013. Next year is also when the new law comes into effect requiring all of these producers to have registered businesses in order to sell their product in the market.

Marcos and Susan Coss

A lot of it comes down to taxes, and making sure that everyone is paying – which in the case of mezcal can be 60+ percent on each bottle. Not only do costs go up for restaurants, bars, stores, etc, but also for the patrons. It also means potentially limiting the market for small producers who usually do not go through the long, laborious and expensive process of creating an official business, and who sell direct (house mezcals).

Nov 12

Ulisses Torrentera’s new joint

We just updated our map of places to drink mezcal in Oaxacawith Ulisses Torrentera’s new place, In Situ.  Susan’s going to visit as soon as she gets to Oaxaca later this month so we’ll have more notes then.  If you’re visiting before then definitely go check it out.  His old spot had a great tasting list and the man is a walking encyclopedia of mezcal.  It’s in central Oaxaca at José María Morelos (Av. Morelos) 511 Centro, 68000 Oaxaca, OAX, Mexico just across the street from the Rufino Tamayo museum.


View Where to drink mezcal in Oaxaca in a larger map

Sep 28

It’s not a weed, it’s an agave

We can deal with the frequent conflation of agave and cactus, that seems like an innocuous enough thing given that most people seem to think that anything vaguely succulent that grows in arid climes is a cactus but to conflate agave with a weed demonstrates a fundamental lack of knowledge and borderline disrespect.

Smoke Weed is an appropriate cocktail name for this city. Describe it a bit.

Mezcal is a smoky, earthy spirit from Oaxaca [Mexico]. And it’s made from a weed, more or less. The flavor … progresses from the smokiness of mezcal to lime to the warmth of cayenne. There’s only enough simple syrup in it to cut the tartness without making it sweet. The drink is kind of like a campfire in a lime orchard.

The Mezcalistas information squad will soon pay a visit to Hi-Lo and conduct a short seminar on agave spirits.

Sep 18

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SF Cocktail Week – Jumpstarting with mezcal

I definitely see the possibilities of a regular mezcal Monday.  Last night it was at Rio Grande on Market Street—a kickoff of sorts for SF Cocktail Week and hosted by Ryan Fitzgerald, former Beretta star bartender/mixologist, driving force for the Tequila Interchange Project (TIP), and now western sales rep for Del Maguey.

The $20 entry fee (all proceeds going to TIP) got you an evening of mezcals, mezcal cocktails, beer ,and tamales. Pierde Almas, Alipus, and Del Maguey were being poured. I am still trying to embrace cocktail culture – I’ve always liked my drinks neat, or as minimally embellished as possible but, in the spirit of cocktail week, I asked for a mezcal variation on an Old Fashioned.

Crushing ice from block by hand 

It was still early, the crowd small, the bartender carefully scraped ice from an ice block on the bar, then lovingly measured, poured, and stirred my drink as I replayed Mr. Mixologist over and over in my head.

Del Maguey’s Vida is the bartenders’ choice for mezcal cocktails. It’s versatile and works with just about anything as we’ve previously written. I think in the coming year or so, Puritita Verda (Pierde Almas’ lower price point mezcal) will give Vida a run for the money.

The variation on the Old Fashioned was good – I prefer cocktails that have a more savory flavor. To go the opposite extreme, I asked the bartender to mix a mezcal variation of a lemon drop. I was hoping it could come close to that sublime lemongrass infused mezcal I had in Oaxaca last spring. Sadly the cocktail was far too sweet for my palette and the mezcal was completely overpowered by the citrus.

I tracked down Ryan to get an update from him on NOM-186, which is still making its way through the channels in Mexico. TIP has been at the forefront making recommendations and counter proposals to help ensure that some of the more draconian parts of it (the branding of the word agave for one) are modified and that small producers aren’t completely SOL. We’ll have a more in-depth piece about this next week.

A sweet surprise to the night – a chance to try Tosba, a mezcal produced in the Sierra Norte in Oaxaca (a mountainous and heavily wooded area east of Oaxaca city) and not yet available in the US (though they are working on it). Mezcals from the Sierra Norte are not commonly found outside of the area. They are rumored to be made with the purest and sweetest water in Oaxaca. Tosba is a family operation, and Elisandro Gonzalez-Molina is the US face for the brand. He was pouring an espadin and a pechuga – both were delicious. The espadin was smooth, balanced, and earthy with an underlying finish of sweetness that hung on my lips. The pechuga was divine – with a complex layering of savory, subtle roasted maguey, and fruit.  I definitely put it in the top 3 of pechugas I’ve had. It was a great way to end the night.

As a heads up, I will be pouring mezcals at the Third I Filmmakers/VIP party this Saturday night at the Castro. On the table will be Pierde Almas, Del Maguey, Alipus, Metl, and the Tosba Espadin.  Of course we’ll also have a private reserve surprise. Tickets are still available!

Sep 13

All tequila is mezcal but not all mezcal is tequila

A Taste of LA with mezcal

It was a whirlwind Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles at the Taste of LA held in Paramount Studios’ sprawling old New York back lot. It felt very much like a street festival with potholes and cracked sidewalks which ensured that the high heeled crowd had to tread carefully.

I missed the first session, a Field to Fork extravaganza, but hit the Cocktail Confidential program full force. The plan was to talk tequila and mezcal along with Bricia Lopez at the Taste of Mexico’s Hoy Café spot but on occasion the best laid plans are pushed aside when the drinks are flowing and conversation is bubbling along non-stop.

LA is a mezcal town, people get it, there is no question in their eyes when you say the word. The experimentation in restaurant kitchens and bars is a normal expectation.  Father’s Office showcased a to-die-for Bloody Maria made with mezcal and kimchee while Crème Caramel LA debuted its Kalamansi (a Philippine lemon) Mezcal bread pudding Creme Caramel.  But most of all there is excitement about agave distillates. When Bricia cracked open a bottle of the Pierde Almas Tequilina Weber we had to hold back the crowd. It is bold, delightfully smooth, and incredibly delicious.  It’s fascinating to see a mezcal like this made from the agave that’s used in tequila.  Del Maguey also has one on the market, the San Luis Del Rio Azul, as part of its Vino de Mezcal Series so this may be part of a larger trend.   In any case, we are planning our second Pop-up Mezcaleria to delve into the tequila vs. mezcal conversation so we’ll be tasting tequilas and mezcals made from the same agave.   Stay tuned for more information.

There was not nearly enough food on cocktail night to offset the generous pours, so it was amusing that there weren’t nearly enough alcoholic parings for the next day’s Flavors of LA session.  As always,  Jonathan Gold‘s carefully curated restaurant list was fresh and exciting and I can’t wait to return and dig even deeper into LA’s constantly evolving culinary variety show. Fantastic treats like Wurstkuche‘s rabbit sausage, Bulgarini‘s olive oil and salt ice cream, Mo-Chica‘s unagi wrapped by mashed potato goodness, Border Grill‘s taco extraordinaire, and Street‘s sweet potato bhel puri kept the taste buds well stimulated.

Later I listened to the panel discussion of local food trends with Evan Kleiman, Jonathan Gold, Gustavo Arellano, and Sang Yoon.  Who knew chefs and critics of their caliber could make Doritos and Del Taco such interesting conversation topics? I also caught the Mexican food talk that featured the Taste of Mexico chefs covering issues like “authenticity”, the perception that Mexican food needs to be cheap, bringing ingredients across the border (no fresh chiles for one), and regional variations in food influences.

A true highlight of the weekend was meeting Javier Cabral, perhaps the only other person who has equal love for mezcal and punk rock. Oh yeah, and pulque.

And of course there was being able to swim, in an unheated pool, at night, without thought of hypothermia.

Aug 28

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A primer on visiting Oaxaca

I’ve been getting a lot of requests recently about what to do when visiting Oaxaca. I love being able to share my experiences because I want people to love Oaxaca as much as I do. Please note that this is by no means a comprehensive list – I barely scratch the surface.

Food

I first went to Oaxaca in 2003 because I’d heard it was beautiful and that the food was amazing. It did not disappoint and I was completely blown away by the street and market food stalls.  Because I am an adventurous eater, and have no desire to suffer consequences from my food choices, I have developed a set of informal dietary rules when traveling in Mexico:

  • Plain yogurt with banana and honey in the morning.
  • Plenty of lime and chili through out the day.  They are common condiments, use them because they make things taste better and there’s some evidence that they may help stave off digestive distress.
  • At least one mezcal every night.
  • If it smells bad (as in rotten) don’t eat it.
  • If it has a peel on it, or is fruit on the street, squeeze lime over it.
  • If you can’t see a water source, don’t eat or drink it.
  • And of course, keep some Pepto Bismol on hand, or, charcoal tablets. It is more for psychological purposes than actual need.

If I could spend my days just perusing the markets in Oaxaca I would. They are chaotic and colorful and odiferous and gorgeous.

Abastos is the main market in the city of Oaxaca.  Go on Tuesdays since there is lots of local produce on the perimeter. In general, buy from the ladies on the floor or the ones without permanent stalls – this will be the most local, seasonal and fresh stuff. Abastos is huge and sprawling and totally overwhelming, and even more so on Saturday, the main market day. Eat at the market stalls – the food is good and it is a chance to try things you never would (like chapulines, the roasted grasshoppers.) Be aware of pick-pockets. It is in a semi crappy part of town so don’t go after dark.

Benito Juarez/20 de Noviembre is the downtown market. Any day is a good day there, and a visit to the carniceria is a must do experience. It’s smoky and the women behind the counters will vie for your attention.  Just pick one and go with it.  First, pick your meat: There is generally the local small chorizo sausages which are no where near as spicy as those found in a standard taqueria in the United Space, a spiced carne asada and a few other things.  Second, pick your sides.  You can choose from salsas, onions, peppers, avocado, radishes, cucumber and nopales to name just a few. Then you grab a table and wait for your food. Did I mention, it is a must do. This exists in every market so just DO IT.

Other favorite markets include the town of Tlacolula on Sunday (see this article for more info) and Ocotlan on Friday. These markets are very local and indigenous and you will have a chance to hear the melodic language of Zapotec.

I am going to go out on a limb and actually name a favorite tlayuda stand  - the equivalent of naming your favorite burrito place in San Francisco. It is located on the corner of Bustamante and Arteaga, just southeast of the Zocolo. La Señora sets up at about 6 every night and goes till midnight. Her lard is divine, her beans are transporting, the hot chocolate amazing and her Chile de Agua salsa is a flavor explosion.

Restaurants are everywhere in Oaxaca. All serve a comida corrida in the afternoon – usually 2-5pm. They are 3-4 courses and cost anywhere from 25-100 pesos depending on the restaurant.

Good restaurants on the higher end – La Biznaga (they also have a great mezcal selection – go for the house mezcals! Stay for the food), Los Danzantes (great for a drink cause it is really expensive, but really really beautiful), La Olla, El Origen and Zandunga (Isthmus style food – good and different.) These are in all the guidebooks. Biznaga is great for micheladas and appetizers. Other good places for comida include La Jicara, Maria Bonita, Gio, Comala. A really interesting place that focuses on heirloom varieties of maiz is Itanoni – it is in Colonia Reforma, a neighborhood just north of the centro. Fridays at El Llano park (also known as Benito Juarez) feature lots of good tacos, et all.

And for you coffee people that cannot live without your espressos and drips there is Lobo Azul. They roast in house with fantastic results. They also have pretty good breakfast stuff and awesome political poster art on the walls.

Night Life

Fun nightlife stuff – Cafe Central (Bar Central) has music, movies, art, dancing and a very mixed crowd. It is my top choice of a nightclub. FYI – Candela, the salsa club, is oft mentioned in the guide books and is total gringoland. Another place is El Olivo. They have a restaurant downstairs, and a bar/terrace upstairs.  Gozobi has a bar with a great roof terrace.  It is on the corner of Garcia Virgil and Allende.  I do not recommend eating there as the food is so-so and a little on the pricier side. The Zocolo is a great place to drink and watch the people go by. Any of the places are fine. Another good bigger bar is Txalaparta. My favorite dive bar is Cafe Mundial.

Mezcal

Now for mezcal. Casa de Mezcal can be fun, but know that they don’t have a big mezcal selection – in fact they only have four. If you want to do mezcal tastings here are three mezcalerias: Los Amantes, Mezcalateca, Cuish. They actually educate about mezcal in addition to doing the tastings. We have a list of the other mezcalerias here, with addresses and hours.  Just know that you’ll need a reservation at Mezcalateca and if you really get interested in the process ask to see if they will take you to the palenque, the place where they distill the mezcal.

Art

For you art people, here are my favorite museums – Museo de Textiles, Museo Alvaro Brava (photos), Cultural Center at Santo Domingo, CASA in San Agustin, and the stamp museum. There is so much good art to be had both inside museums and on the street.

Here are a couple of other links for info about the beaches of Oaxaca, art, and what to do if you only have 36 hours (the horror, the horror!) in Oaxaca. And feel free to email me if you have more questions.

Aug 8

Shrimp and Squid cocktail from Nopalito

SF Chefs goes Mexican

I’ll get this out of the way right now – this post is not about mezcal, but it should be.

It’s SF Chefs week in San Francisco, the big celebration by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. I was late to the game, not bothering to check out the schedule till two days before it began on August 1. And I have to confess, I only checked out the schedule because I heard there was a night devoted to Mexican food. And it was of course through Mexican food that I found my way to mezcal…

Mijita, Traci des Jardins‘ Mexican restaurant at the Ferry Building was the setting for a night that featured seven of the Bay Area’s acclaimed Mexican restaurants – Mijita, Nopalito, Tacubaya, El Huarache Loco, Tacolicious, Tres and Copita. It was also a fundraiser for La Cocina, an incubator kitchen that primarily helps immigrant women launch their food businesses.

I have been challenged by the Mexican food scene in San Francisco that has long been dominated by the burrito and taco culture in the Mission. In recent years a smattering of more diverse Mexican restaurants serving innovative dishes have opened.  But the truth is, we have lagged behind cities like Los Angeles, Austin and New York when it comes to showcasing the array of complexity, flavors and artistry in Mexican food.

And it is hard when I can’t help but compare what I eat here to what I have tasted in Mexico – dishes prepared to order and using the freshest and most local ingredients available. And of course, the masa, so richly tasting of corn and infusing every tortilla and tamal with an earthiness and complexity. It’s not a fair comparison, but I do find it ironic that in San Francisco, where there is such a militant focus on seasonality, local, and quality ingredients that it has taken so long for it to embrace Mexican cuisine. This is not to say that good or even great Mexican food was not to be found, there just hasn’t been the variety of styles and influences in comparison to other places. Or, the respect and kudos for what we do have.

But that is changing.

It was a casual night, with each of the restaurants serving a featured small plate from tables arranged along the sides of Mijita, and people milling about from table to table. There was a mariachi band, and three featured tequila cocktails. So what were these restaurants serving up?

Mijita served up a grilled octopus mini tostada that was delicious – the taste of the fire enhanced the sweet flavor of the tender octopus and the tostada was perfectly crunchy and thick.

Nopalito had a seafood cocktail with shrimp and calamari that tasted of the sea. The tomato-based broth was so sweet and light and balanced the delicate flavors perfectly.

El Huarache Loco (a La Cocina graduate) served up Veronica Solis’ signature huaraches – a sandal shaped thick tortilla – in mini size.  The masa was perfectly cooked, crunchy outside, soft inside and the meat topping was rich in flavor and so very tender. They came with either a green salsa (tomatillo/Serrano chile) or red (tomato/chile de arbol.) I admit a bias with Veronica’s food – I have chowed down on her Mexico City style enchiladas and huaraches for several years and can’t wait to eat at her brick and mortar restaurant at Marin Country Mart.

Tacolicious served up a very refreshing and subtle cold cream of avocado soup with roasted corn.

Copita, who has another La Cocina alum Dilsa Lugo on staff, served up an incredibly light mini-tamale stuffed with sweet corn and roasted poblano chiles, and had my friend Tina Ramos, whose family owns La Borinqueña Restaurant in Oakland and who has been making tamales for her whole life, saying that she’d buy those.

Tacubaya had sopes with a layer of incredibly earthy pureed black beans topped with al pastor, grilled pineapple and a light avocado sauce.

Tres served up its signature carnitas, juicy and tender, in a small tortilla topped with pico de gallo and thick guacamole.

Kudos to SF Chefs for devoting a night to Mexican food. I hope this is just the beginning of celebrating and elevating Mexican food in our food lexicon. And of course, let’s be sure to add mezcal to the mix next time.

Jul 9

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The mezcal cocktail primer

There has been a mini-mezcal bubble in cocktails lately because bartenders have awoken to its potential and because it’s a good introduction to the distillate.  It’s a great backbone or compliment to a cocktail because of its body and complexity of flavor.  We’re almost absolutely sure that the majority of mezcal consumption in the United States goes into cocktails not only because that is how we drink the majority of spirits in the US but also because that’s the way mezcal is being promoted.  But the secret is that mezcal mixes well with almost everything, it really just depends on which mezcal you’re using and how much you want to foreground the mezcal taste.

Exhibit A is the classic margarita.  Instead of:

  • 1.5 0z tequila
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • .5 oz Cointreau

You can replace the tequila with a mezcal like Fidencio Sin Humo to get a smokeless flavor or Del Maguey Vida to get more of a full bodied agave flavor.  Even better, you can mix half your favorite margarita tequila with half mezcal for something truly distinctive.

The margarita is just the tip of the iceberg.  Mezcal mixes extremely well with any fruit based cocktail whether that be a fruit smash or the simplicity of a daquiri.  The agave flavor that mixes extremely well with sweet fruit and sour citrus.  But that’s just the beginning.

Over the past few months we’ve run through many experiments and have discovered that mezcal works exceedingly well in the full gamut of cocktails.  As a general rule if you’re making anything with a whiskey, scotch or tequila as its base, mezcal slots in as a perfect base.  The classic manahattan works with something like Fidencio Joven, Vida or Wahaka depending on the desired viscosity and flavor. If you find that a mezcal manhattan is overwhelmed by that agave flavor then try switching out the absinthe in a sazerac with a mezcal and see what happens.  In our experience it lends the drink a distinct and fascinating new life.  Not that the old one wasn’t worth living but since we live in an expanding universe you might as well grow with it.

If you’re making something gin or vodka based it really depends on whether and how much you like the flavor of mezcal showing through.  We’ve made mezcal martinis, mezcal and tonics, mezcal greyhounds and many more.  We’ve always found a way to make it work while acknowledging that this is the one instance where you may run into a wall.  Drinkers may prefer a rather flavorless alcohol base for these drinks, dislike the flavor of mezcal placed in such a primary role or simply love their gin or vodka.  If that’s the case the one gin cocktail we really recommend trying with mezcal is the negroni because the bitter campari and sweet vermouth are perfect mezcal partners.

But that’s just scratching the surface.  If you want to start innovating try the simple involution of tradition by taking the same proportions of the margarita, replacing the tequila with mezcal and lime juice with orange juice.  Instead of salting the glass rim use sal de gusano, Oaxaca’s classic mixture of ground up worms, chile and salt. This one glass combines the traditional serving of mezcal – you have a sip of mezcal, dip an orange slice in the sal de gusano and eat the flesh then continue your sipping and chatting.  This recipe relies on spice as a contrast to the flavor of mezcal and citrus.  That sort of foil whether it be salty, bitter, acidic or astringent provides critical balance to mezcal in cocktails.

Which mezcals to use in cocktails?

  • Del Maguey Vida – Somewhat smoky, heavy body and strong fruit
  • Fidencio Joven – Slightly smoky, lean body
  • Fidencio Sin Humo – Non smoky, lean body, slight fruit
  • Metl Joven – Mid-range alcohol and smoke.
  • Sombra – Strong alcohol, mid range smoke.
  • Wahaka Joven – Light and lean.  Not smoky.

There are many others but these tend to be the most widely distributed in the US marketplace and most reasonably priced for a cocktail bar.

Other mezcal cocktail recipes for your drinking pleasure:

 

Jun 21

Mexican food alert

If you’re in Mexico City make sure to check out the Cumbre Gastronomica de Mexico coming up this July 25-28th. They have a fantastic line up that is bound to expand including Alex Stupak from Empellon and Enrique Olvera from Pujol.  Here’s the full flyer.

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