Bar Amá
In my eyes, Chef Jose Centeno can do no wrong. I’ve posted before about his incredible fine-dining tasting menu at Orsa & Winston, have indulged in his Spanish-fusion flatbread bäcos at Bäco Mercat, and have devoured delicious brunch at Ledlow (I’m eager to head back for dinner, to enjoy the menu’s full range!). A James Beard award nominee with incredible kitchens under his belt (Daniel and La Côte Basque in New York, Manresa in Los Gatos), Centeno’s food is inventive, inspired, and – bottom line – absolutely amazing. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, it seems only fitting to give praise today to Centeno’s delectable Tex-Mex restaurant, Bar Amá. A celebration, as Centeno says, of “the food I was nurtured with by the women who raised me,” Bar Amá offers both traditional Tex-Mex fare -- like queso garnished with chorizo; meat-filled burritos, and chile relleno with beef picadillo -- as well as elegant, Californian interpretations of this regional cuisine. Branzino crudo with blood orange and habanero; spring enchiladas with peas, pesto, and burrata – Centeno makes ideal use of this beautiful, local produce in his execution of these refined dishes, which pair equally well with the slow roasted beef belly with pomegranate, cotija, and tomatillo as they do with a plate of cheddar, jack, and poblano taquitos. With a mescal, pineapple, lime, and cilantro-serrano simple syrup-based La Piña cocktail (or several) in hand, spending hours of gluttonous pleasure enjoying Centeno’s food is, in my estimation, the best way to toast Cinco de Mayo.
Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing Deadly Dames Dragstrip Girl Dress
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW® Pomade in Soft Brown
Glasses: Bonlook Bonnie & Clyde frames
Purse: Kate Spade New York
Belt: vintage
La Piña- mezcal, pineapple, lime, cilantro-serrano simple.
Made To Order Guacamole - cilantro, serrano, celery.
Mole Lengua Enchiladas with monterey jack, cheddar, and onion.
Jicama Salad with radish, pomegranate, cucumber, and p.g. spice.
Tex-Mex Queso with chorizo.
Branzino crudo with blood orange, endive, and habanero.
