Calavera is a restaurant that Chop Bar/Lungomare owner Chris Pastena is getting ready to open with Jessica Sackler and Michael Iglesias. The Executive Chef is Christian Irabien, who grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico and was most recently Executive Sous Chef at Le Diplomate in Washington, DC. He also worked with Sackler and Iglesias at Oyamel Cocina Mexicana by Jose Andres and plans to “explore many aspects of Mexican culinary tradition, from pre-Columbian cuisine to the modern gastronomic movement of Mexico’s major cities.”
The team celebrated cinco de mayo with a pop-up at Lungomare and it was a good opportunity to get an idea of the direction the chef is taking. I was invited to check it out and brought Shawn of Tart! Bakery with me. We ended up trying almost everything on the menu and were impressed, especially after learning more about the chef.
photo: Christina Mitchell
We started with the unique Blood Orange Salt Air Margarita (Siembra Valles blanco, Luxardo triplum, blood orange, lime, salt air, $10). Imagine a light and refreshing margarita, but instead of salt on the rim of the glass, it was in a cloud floating on top. So instead of too much salt with one sip, and then not enough, it gently accented the entire drink. Pretty awesome, right?
photo: Christina Mitchell
The Queso Flameado (Queso menorita, sotol, manzana de Delicias, wild mushrooms, salsa verde, $12) was all kinds of ooey, gooey deliciousness. I mean, just LOOK at it! And somehow it wasn’t too heavy or greasy either.
photo: Christina Mitchell
We agreed that the Coctel de Camarón (Mexican Paradise shrimp, salsita coctelera, ensaladilla Yucateca, $11) would be really accessible for less adventurous eaters because it was familiar, but with a twist. This version was inspired by a dish they had during a recent trip to Oaxaca and it was surprisingly light. The avocado added plenty of fatty creaminess so we didn’t really need the mayo.
photo: Christina Mitchell
We heard that the pineapple in the Wood Fired Margarita (Del Maguey mezcal Vida, juice, lime, sal de gusano, $11) was roasted, then pureed for the cocktail. This one started out super smoky (in a good way), and finished with tart-sweet notes.
photo: Christina Mitchell
This was the highlight of the night for me: Tacos de Pollo en Mole Poblano (Rocky Junior chicken a la parilla, mole poblano, platanos maduros, crispy rice, $8 for two). The tender chicken was enrobed in a silky smooth mole and topped with a sprinkle of crispy rice, which added texture. And the housemade tortilla had the essence of sweet, summer corn. It wasn’t just a vehicle for the chicken – it was a foundation that brought everything together. I was excited to hear that they plan to grind their own corn in the new restaurant, so the tortillas could somehow get even better!
photo: Christina Mitchell
It was obvious that the chef had a lot of respect for the protein in the next dish (Bistec Asado, Grilled hanger steak, nopal hash, blistered shishitos, $19). He allowed the beef to speak for itself and everything else on the plate played a supporting role, adding texture and acidity, but never overpowering.
photo: Christina Mitchell
Everything was absolutely beautiful….except the dessert (Tamal colado de chocolate – Oaxacan chocolate, maiz batido, mezcal strawberries, $8). It might just have been me, but it didn’t look very appetizing. And while the tamal had the texture of gritty pudding, the corn foam didn’t add much flavor. It seemed like this was ambitious, which I respect, but I would’ve kept it simple until they had time to hire a pastry chef.
Still it was very impressive that they pulled off a successful pop-up, especially with a chef that had just moved from Washington DC five days before. And he was working out of Lungomare’s kitchen, which was simultaneously putting out its own food.
Chef Christian Irabien is really talented and I personally can’t wait to taste what he comes up with next. For real, you guys…get ready for Calavera to open sometime this summer!
Christina Mitchell
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Oh, I love all the photos you took in this post. The food looks bomb!
Thanks lady. And the food tasted as good as it looked!