I love Old Town. But were fraternity-prank-sized, premixed margaritas ever really a tradition, let alone one worth preserving? Tahona, a candlelit ode to mezcal and Oaxacan cuisine, brings some modern dinecraft to these old streets.
Chef Adrian Villareal Mora (ex–Corazón de Tierra) is fresh-pressing masa tortillas (try the Camarones a la Diabla taco) and slow-cooking moles—the “Mole Flight” is a flauta with herbed potatoes served with green, rojo, and negro for dipping.
Start in the rustic-elegant tasting room with over 100 mezcals, then to the bar for cocktails like the Whaley House Punch, a mix of tequila, salted watermelon, Campari, lime, Pernod, and absinthe.
Coming soon: a speakeasy called Occulto 477 (lit by 477 candles, one for each soul buried outside their window at the Cemetery of El Campo Santo).
2414 San Diego Avenue, Old Town tahonamezcal