With Mexico City’s abundance of top-notch restaurants and bar programs alongside its vibrant culture, it’s no wonder that skilled chefs and beverage directors are turning their eyes toward its capital city for inspiration. And more specifically, the neighborhood of Roma Norte.
Now, San Diegans can taste what Mexico City has to offer without hopping on a plane. This summer, the group behind Puesto is opening Roma Norte, a high-end cocktail bar inspired by the capital city next to their space at The Headquarters.
Behind the project will be Beau du Bois, current vice president of bar & spirits at Puesto and Marisi, who has been racking up accolades like one of America’s Top 25 Bartenders by The Daily Meal, Zagat’s 30 Under 30 in Los Angeles, Eater LA’s Bartender of the Year 2014 for the past 20 years. He was also responsible for the cocktail program at the three Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood.
At Roma Norte, he’ll have creative control to develop a program using his decades of experience traveling, bartending, and creating. By focusing on “Central and South American spices, aromatics and botanicals to capture the essence of the eclectic cocktail bars in Roma Norte,” du Bois’ menu will feature around 20 different cocktails, split between two categories: immersive and signature.
The first will be “cocktails that we put a lot of work into,” and the second will be “beautiful cocktails that represent our brand, represent what we’re inspired by that are anchored by ingredients from Central and South America.”
He says to expect ingredients like coconut, spirits like pisco and garnishes like eucalyptus for a dazzling array of aromas, flavors, and mouthfeels, but not to assume the menu will be strictly tequila and mezcal. “When you visit these bars in Mexico City, it’s a very balanced menu,” he says, with a wide variety of spirits incorporated throughout. He wants to provide a welcoming space—snobbery “just isn’t vogue anymore,” he laughs—bolstered by what he thinks could be the best cocktail program in the city.
Everything will be pairable with chef Erik Aronow’s menu of small plates centered around seafood, but the cocktails themselves will be used as a jumping-off point rather than vice versa. The bar sprawls across 3,000-square-feet, including the patio, seating nearly 100 people.
Roma Norte will be open five days a week from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Du Bois says he saw late-night service as a massive void in the San Diego hospitality industry. “Even some of the most notable cocktail bars in San Diego are still shuttering at 10 p.m.,” he says. “Where do the people who work at those bars go for a drink?”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
The San Diego Vegan Festival Returns to Waterfront Park April 13
On Saturday, April 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the second annual San Diego Vegan Festival will celebrate everything vegan, from food to art. Over 60 food and drink vendors, speakers, and retailers will be on hand; no tickets or RSVPs are necessary. This free event is open to everyone, including carnivores, vegetarians, pescetarians, vegans, and the vegan-curious.
Celebrate The Craft Food Festival, April 14
One of the best food festivals in San Diego returns on Sunday, April 14. Celebrate the Craft by The Lodge at Torrey Pines kicks off at 11:30 a.m. through 3 p.m., featuring chefs like Drew Deckman (Deckman’s), Shihomi Borillo (Kinme), Jojo Ruiz (Clique Hospitality), Travis Swikard (Callie), and many, many more. A portion of the proceeds go to The Ecology Center, so snag a ticket to rub elbows with San Diego’s culinary elite and do good at the same time.
Beth’s Bites
Every Tuesday through Sunday at La Villa del Valle in the Guadalupe Valley, guests can choose between three menus by chefs César Vázquez and Elsa Olmos. There are only six rooms, and dinners are only available to overnight guests, so why not grab a few friends for a weekend in the Valle?
Natty wine with Lao and Thai food? When Mekong Lao & Thai Cuisine offers brunch, sign me up for a permanent table.
This Earth Day, the Earth to Beer campaign is helping to guide breweries toward sustainability through packaging, partnerships, and charitable donations. Locally, Coronado Brewing Company has partnered with San Diego Coastkeeper, so keep an eye out for the beer release in April.
