mezcal cocktails Archives - Local Food Eater

(Gerry Furth-Sides, content and Michael Brown photos courtesy of El Granjero Cantina) El Granjero Cantina invites everyone to celebrate the historic holida of Cinco de Mayo with special dishes and cocktails Thursday, May 5^th, 2022, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

A Strawberry Margarita at **El Granjero Cantina**‘

Executive Chef Jenni Sklar will also be featuring three festive specials including her FRY-CHOS made of fries, guajillo cheese sauce, black olives, pickled onions, salsa verde, pico de gallo and sour cream, Lobster Tacos with luscious crispy lobster, cabbage slaw, and spicy aioli, and Steak Taco comprised of asada-style skirt steak, guacamole, corn salsa, Cotija cheese, and cilantro served with herb rice and beans.

What would a Mexican party be without delicious chips and guac?

The cantina’s new location at the historic Original Farmers Market adds to the holiday features an inviting indoor-outdoor seating and great patio for people watching,

El Granjero offers a daily selection of Tacos, Dorados,Vegan Tacos, Salads, Bowls, Burritos, Quesadillas, Tequila, Mezcal, Top Shelf Margaritas, Sangria, Specialty Cocktails and Cerveza, Mocktails.

A contemporary spread of dishes at **El Granjero Cantina**‘

Executive Sklar‘s menu features regional Mexican flavors. She takes care to use seasonal and fresh ingredients. On the list is a selection of Antojitos (Snacks) including Guacamole, Fiesta Nachos, Papas Fritas and Pork Belly, and Ensaladas (Salad).

Chef Sklar’s signature Caesar Salad prepared with classic romaine lettuce, adds cured egg yolk, sunflower seeds, and breadcrumbs. A more trendy dish of greens is the Kale Salad made with avocado, griddled cheese, house pickles, corn, and black bean salsa.

El Granjero Cantina house favorites include The HIBISCUS featuring sauteed hibiscus flowers, onion, and cheese. The Queso is prepared with cheese, black bean puree, salsa negra, and escabeche relish served with lettuce.

**El Granjero Cantina**‘s contemporary Quest

Chef Sklar’sTacos include Avocado, Beef, Carnitas, Chicken or Crispy Fish. The Dorados (Golden Tacos) are lightly fried to perfection with options of Chili Braised Beef & Cheese, Tomatillo Chicken & Cheese, and Soyrizo & Vegan Cheese.

The Los Tazones (Bowls) include the California-inspired Crispy Avocado Bowl prepared with chipotle aioli, marinated kale, corn, black bean salsa, and pickled red onions. Other choices are the Chicken Bowl, Beef Bowl, Carnitas Bowl,Seared Fish Bowl, or Keto Bowl with a diner’s choice of protein with cauliflower rice, griddled cheese, cabbage slaw, marinated kale, and crema.

Chef Sklar also includes family favorites and sides for a full Mexican meal. This translates to Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas; Carnitas and Chili Beef Burritos. Acompanantes (Sides) include Avocado, Blistered Jalapeno, Cauliflower Rice, Corn Tortillas, Flour Tortillas, Guacamole, Black Beans, Black Bean Puree, and Herb Rice.

“We make everything in-house from our pickles to our salsas, carnitas, and our tortillas,” states Sklar. El Granjero Cantina’s tortillas are extremely special. Sklar spent months looking for the perfect blend of fresh corn masa and maseca (dry corn flour) to create a unique texture that resembles a flour tortilla. Says Sklar, “Our Tortillas are soft, pliable, full of moisture and fantastic flavor. The density reminds me of a tamale and every tortilla is handmade to order every time.”

El Granjero Cantina’s bar program, created by Cocktail Consultant Tobin Shea, honors traditional agave-based spirits from Mexico with a specially curated list of Tequilas y Mezcal showcasing a special selection of Blanco Tequila, Reposado Tequila, Anejo Tequila, andMezcal.

They describe their fun and frothy Frozen Margaritas, Cocktails on Tap, and collection of Classic Margaritas

**Specialty Cocktails** at El Granjero Cantana

Specialty Cocktails such as the EGC Old Fashioned comprised if reposado tequila, mezcal, Meletti Amaro, and orange, Lifesaver made with mezcal, Fiero, lime and pineapple syrup, and Rasp-Hib Cocktail prepared with guests choice of tequila, Italicus, hibiscus tea, lime and soda.

And, to make sure this is the ultimate Cinco de Mayo celebration El Granjero Cantina will be serving up a SHOT & BEER featuring a shot of Cazadores tequila and Modello ($12), Patron Margarita ($16) prepared with Patron silver, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and agave, fresh Frozen Strawberry Margarita ($14) made with Cazadores tequila, Fiero, strawberries, lime, and sugar.

Cazadores and Patrón will add to the party by serving samples from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm to guests 21 and over. In addition, El Granjero Cantina will also be offering select Beer, Wine, house-made Sangria, and non-alcoholic beverages such as El Granjero Cantina’s handmade Horchata and freshly carbonated Agua Frescas.

A party would not be complete without music. Live Mariachis will be performing from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, so come sip, savor, and celebrate at El Granjero Cantina atThe Original Farmers Market this Cinco de Mayo!

El Granjero Cantina will be open on Cinco de Mayo, Thursday, May 5^th, 2022, from 10:00 am to 8:00pm. For more information about El Granjero Cantina at The Original Farmers Market or to make reservations,please call 323.879.9324 directly or visit www.CantinaLA.com.

Want more stats to impress your friends on on Margarita preferences state-by-state? Head over to Shane Co.’s The Loupe Blog for the full post — including sweet and salty insights like just how much Americans spend on average per year, $331!

The most popular combination is classic lime margarita with Patrón tequila, on the rocks, with a sea salt rim, voted a favorite by 20 states.
Wisconsin, Florida, and Oklahoma have the highest margarita tolerance – reporting it takes more than 3 to get tipsy compared to the national average of 2.5.
On average, the most Americans are willing to pay for a margarita at a bar or restaurant is $10.97
The average American drinks 30.18 margaritas per year! With 83% of respondents saying they prefer regular to skinny margs.
31% of Americans said they would choose margaritas over coffee if they could only have one of either for the rest of their lives.

Taibo at the statue of Juarez in Mexico City (Netflix documentary above and below)

The Battle of Puebla is important in Mexican history as an inspiration for freedom and overcoming the odds for it. This is true despite a second battle that ended differently with the French overtaking Mexico City and Napoleon the III eventually establishing his second Mexican empire outpost that lasted a few years. The reason was to replace the land his uncle sold to Thomas Jefferson in the Louisiana Purchase.

What we remember, though is that although considerably outnumbered in this last stand to take over Mexico City, the ragtag assortment of 4000 Mexican soldiers defeated a much better-equipped, over-confident French army twice the size that had not been defeated for almost 50 years. Credit goes to a young General Zaragoza who inspired them, calling them, “the best children of Mexico.”

Paco Ignacio Taibo II’s book traces Mexico’s revolutionary history from 1854-1867, a period he considers foundational to the country. Watch the Netflix documentary of it, showing Taibo tracing the route with other historians while narrating the captivating story.

Even the flatware announces how special Culina will be.

The bread is so fresh, crispy and interesting it could make an entire meal with wine. The butters match.

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Culina Vinoteca and Chef de Cuisine Luca Moriconi’s Modern Tuscan Cuisine transform the corner of the lush Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills into the inviting, sleek Culina & Vinoteca. As refined and engaging as he is talented, Chef de Cuisine Moriconi leads leads a family here. Proof of this is that his mom will again arrive to cook for mother’s day this spring.

A series of intimate, hushed bar areas with low tables and booths hold court here where at one time the maze of room after room displayed mountains of different foods for Sunday brunch – seafood! beef! performance stations! desserts! — that captivated diners till late afternoon, us included. At that time the staff was friendly and there when you needed them. This new staff is enthusiastic about the food and offers a warm, warm welcome, as happy to serve you as they are happy to be at Culina Vinoteca.

The lush, intimate feeling of Culina-Vinoteca (Photo by Alen Lin)

The Cocktail Program begins with a trifecta of clear spirit-based drinks and we were delighted to see the (southern) fruit shrubs in a mezcal drink among the cocktails with so manyfascinating ingredients. Here, though, the sugar combined with unlisted spiky habanero pepper in the Pezca Mezca drink take on a whole new meaning.

Chef Moriconi offers a separate Vinoteca Menu featuring uniquely curated seasonal shareable plates with savory dishes including Crudo, Insalate, Cotto, Panini, and Taglieri (Tuscan meats and cheeses). We watched Christian put a Formaggi or cheese board with four cheeses ($22 ) being put together (see below) that included gorgonzola caciocavallo, agrumato, formaggio de capra. Star of the board is the Piave Vecchio (or Piave Stravecchio) is an Italian cow’s milk cheese named after a river by the same name. It is DOP protected and the only authentic Piave Vecchio is produced in the Dolomites area of Belluno province of Veneto.

Christian, who happily prepares each individual GAGLIERI, delighted to answer all questions.

As we were tasting a lovely prosciutto same, we were encouraged to try the HANGING OUT IN TUSCANY ($24) that included a few of the choicest morsels, all hanging on a little clothesline, because it was photogenic.

A cheese board at Vinoteca

Wines by the glass are friendly, a very small part of a very ambitious wine program. . Vinoteca by definition is in reference to the knowledge bank and library of wines, and to complement the new modern Tuscan cuisine, the Wine List offers an extensive collection of curated imported wines and local varietals, including . Italian Sparkling Wines and Champagne, Italian, French, and California Rosés, New World, European and French Whites, a vast selection of Italian Reds categorized by region throughout Italy, New World Reds, European Reds, and a boutique selection ofIcon Wines.

Chef Moriconi’s mission to update classics at Culina & Vinoteca is perfecttly carried out in the Antipasti section with the exquisite Sformatino di Bietole, featuring a Swiss chard flan, Pecorino Toscano fondue, seasonal black truffle, and quail egg.

Chef Moriconi offers an array of proteins from the land and sea in the Secondi section. The Baccala Ripassato begins with the Christmas holiday fish classic. Here the chef fries and braises the salted cod filets and folds it into a rustic escarole and leek stew with San Marzano, shallots, and garlic.

Baccala Ripassato at Culina

A regional specially not to be missed is the Cinghiale in Umido con Polenta, braised wild boar, polenta Gialla, black olives, Piave Vecchio, and Taggiasca olives. Here the Piave Vecchio cheese is highlighted spectacularly within a dish. It is also part of a vegetarian dish, the Risotto Piave e Zucca made with butternut squash, Piave Vecchio Cheese, rosemary, and Villa Manodori balsamic vinegar. Below the hospitable chef adds French truffle to the Risotto Biancoroddonero ($50) with mushrooms, sottonere cheese, truffle caviar and carabineros crude.

(photo courtesy Fried Chicken Sandwich Studios)

The highly prized French truffle turns a pasta dish into a $50 pasta dish

Pastry Chef Federico Fernandez’s Dessert both traditional and contemporary California always include his own visual, artistic touch. Italian Tiramisu, adds espresso to the meringue and chocolate crisp. Millefoglie, feature vanilla cream, honey gelato, and black truffle. We can’t wait to try the Mango Vanilla Baked Alaska and the Brown Butter Cake. An array of Vegan Ice Cream, Sorbetti, and Gelati are also offered.

(photo courtesy Fried Chicken Sandwich Studios)

Gelati made in-house with our favorite espresso, mocha, and a dark chocolate

Grappa is a specialty, we were thrilled to learn. There is even a semi-private room dedicated to it, offering off-the-menu items. The Grappa Room accommodates parties up to twelve, complete with a table made from a 200-year-old fallen Magnolia tree and service dedicated exclusively to the room. In the evening, vintage Italian films are projected onto an adorning water wall feature, reflecting onto a 25-foot light fixture comprised of 3,000 hand-blown Czechoslovakian glass bubbles and a floating fire fountain.

Located inside a hotel, Culina & Vinoteca’s offers diner-friend hours most of the day and evening. Culina & Vinoteca’s Sunday Brunch Buffet from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. For more information or to make reservations, please visit www.CulinaRestaurant.com or call Culina & Vinoteca directly at 310.860.4000.

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