Mercadito Midtown Continues To Spice Up Miami
3252 NE First Avenue
Midtown Miami
Hip, Contemporary Mexican Restaurant Debuts 3 Exciting New Programs
With a creative, exciting concept that’s tailor made for Miami’s trendy, multicultural mix, Mercadito Midtown located at 3252 NE First Avenue in Midtown Miami is debuting three new programs: a new Happy Hour, Taco Tuesday & an All You Can Drink Wednesday Revolicion.
Happy Hour
Every Monday through Thursday from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM, the bar and lounge area at Mercadito Midtown will be the place to be for Happy Hour. For only $5.00 per cocktail guests will be able to enjoy a Margarita Tradicional, Auntie Ox (Green Tea infused vodka, passion fruit, agrave, orange & guajillo) or an El Tucan Mojito (served with a daily selection of fresh fruit). Also for just $5.00 a glass, a selection of red & white wines will be available. All beers will available for $3.00 (Corona, Corona Light, Dos Equis, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Tecate, etc).
Taco Tuesday
Every Tuesday, Mercadito Midtown will debut its weekly Taco Tuesday menu. Beginning at 5:00 PM, guests will be able to order any taco on the menu for $2.50 per taco (minimum order of 2 tacos with no maximum). Tacos that diners can choose from include but are not limited to: Pastor (chile ancho rubbed pork, grilled pineapple, chile de árbol salsa), Camarón (shrimp, roasted garlic, chipotle mojo, avocado), Carne (rosemary marinated skirt steak, potato-rajas fundido, avocado), Estilo Baja (beer battered mahi mahi, mexican style coleslaw, chipotle aioli), Carnitas (michoacán style braised pork, chile de árbol coleslaw, toasted peanuts), Pollo (grilled chicken, cactus salad, tomatillo salsa, avocado) and Pescado (tilapia, chile poblano, tomatillo-garlic mojo), among many others.
All You Can Drink Wednesday
Every Wednesday, Mercadito Midtown will hold a weekly “All You Can Drink Revolucion.†For just $25.00 and 6 very important rules, guests can enjoy an all inclusive beverage menu including a selection of beers, house white and red wines & cocktails such as the Margarita Tradicional (el jimador blanco, grand marnier, lime juice, organic agave nectar), Little Market (tequila reposado, fresh pineapple, chile guajillo, pico piquin), Pepino el Pyu (herradura blanco, cucumber, lemon, hoja santa, cumin salt), Smokey Pablo (regional reposado, mango, chile morita, blueberry float) and Los Hermanos (mescal, averna, grapefruit, lemon, ginger beer, cayenne). The 6 “All You Can Drink†rules are: 1.) To conquer it – must show up on Wednesday as early as 5:00 PM. 2.) Participants only have 2 hours to destroy the enemy. 3.) Everyone at the table must be a soldier but one who must be the designated revolutionary driver. 4.) One drink at a time. 5.) no shots are allowed. 6.) No extra loaded drinks.
Mercadito Hospitality has grown from their first New York City location in 2004 to become a renowned restaurant group specializing in Latin American cuisine. The popularity of these restaurants can be attributed to the innovative interpretations of traditional Mexican cooking created by Chef Patricio Sandoval, and their partnership with renowned beverage consultants Tippling Bros., who add creativity to their beverage programs by merging complex flavors, drinkability and the unexpected. The group currently owns and operates four acclaimed restaurants: Mercadito and Mercadito Grove in New York City, Mercadito in Chicago, and Mercadito in Miami. They also own and operate Double A, an intimate, exclusive cocktail lounge located beneath Mercadito in Chicago. Tavernita will also open in Miami this fall. For additional information, please visit www.mercaditohospitality.com and www.tavernita.com.
Featuring authentic and innovative signature tacos made with homemade corn tortillas, delicious guacamoles and salsas, plus a full bar and lounge with hand-crafted cocktails; the sleek and stylish Mexican eatery, with critically acclaimed locations in New York City and Chicago, Mercadito Midtown embraces the seductive flavors of traditional Southern Mexican regional cuisine with one-of-a-kind interpretations by chef/partner Patricio Sandoval. “We’ve been successful in bringing the best of our Mexican culture to the nation’s top metropolitan cities and Miami has been a perfect fit thus far,†says managing partner Alfredo Sandoval, one of three brothers who owns and operates the Mercadito family restaurant group. “For Midtown we’ve created a hip ambiance with an exciting, yet affordable, menu.â€
Modeled after Mexico’s version of farmer’s markets, Mercadito, Spanish for “little market,†is designed to appeal to the fashionable, savvy gourmet. The Midtown restaurant, which seats 95 in the dining room, encompasses striking 3-D style art murals by urban graffiti artist Erni Vales. A lively lounge area, with an additional 24 seats, boasts a convivial bar and an outdoor patio. Mercadito Midtown also features a beautifully appointed semi-private dining room “El Mural†that will accommodate up to 50 guests for parties and events. A perfect alternative for those on-the-go, the taqueria, located adjacent to the restaurant, offers casual service, take-out, or delivery.
Mercadito’s menus, using the freshest ingredients available and served in small sharing portions, embrace the sociable approach that has been a Mercadito seal. One of the main attractions at Mercadito Midtown is the “guacamole, salsa and ceviche bar,†where a variety of savory guacamoles ($8.50 – $12.50), mouth-watering ceviches ($10.50), and spicy salsas ($2.50 – $4.50), are made in-house while guests watch. Signature guacamoles include avocados expertly blended with interesting ingredients such as: mango – jicama, chipotle, pico de gallo; mole poblano – plantain, mole poblano, chile Serrano, pico de gallo; and manzana – apple, tomatillo, almonds, habanero. Crispy chips accompany every order. Salsas, served with delicious corn bites, range from chipotle to cacahuate (peanuts).
Mercadito’s selection of mouth-watering tacos ($13.50) that come four to an order. These tasty delights include Chef Sandoval’s pescado tacos, made with pan seared tilapia, a bold chile poblano and tomatillo-garlic mojo, named “Best Fish Taco in New York City†by New York Magazine. Also designed to please palates, Mercadito’s signature estilo baja – beer battered mahi mahi, with coleslaw, drizzled with chipotle aioli; and pastor – succulent, chile-ancho rubbed pork, grilled pineapple, and chile de arbol salsa; one of the 11 different salsa varieties available.
Side dishes, para acompañar ($4.50 – $6.50), include arroz verde – green rice casserole with Oaxaca and manchego cheeses, a favorite among diners at Mercadito restaurants in New York and Chicago; elote Mexicano – Mexican style corn on the cob with lime mayonnaise and chile piquin, and rajas – mild roasted strips of poblano pepper and onion with hominy corn and crema fresca.
Here, seafood lovers can enjoy a variety of refreshing ceviches ($11.50 – $24.50). Stand-outs include camaron – shrimp, tangerine, roasted jalapeños, in a citrus-guajillo broth; callo de hacha – bay scallops, red apple, tomatillo pico de gallo, key lime-morita broth and mint; and, dorado – lime marinated mahi mahi, avocado and tomato, in a tangy orange-chile de arbol broth.
Botanas ($10.50) are a sumptuous collection of Mexican style appetizers such as tostadas de hongos – crispy corn tortillas, topped with wild mushrooms, pinto bean hash, manchego cheese, tomatillo salsa, and flavorful epazote crema fresca, and flautas – crispy tortillas filled with chicken barbacoa, served with black bean purée, tomatillo salsa and crema fresca. Meant to be shared with dining companions, and a perfect way to kick start any meal, is the queso fundido – baked Oaxaca and manchego cheeses served with a choice of wild mushrooms, rajas (roasted poblano strips), or chorizo.
A visit to Mercadito Midtown isn’t complete without a handcrafted margarita. Mercadito’s beverage program, created by Tippling Bros., (industry veterans and leading beverage experts, Paul Tanguay and Tad Carducci), features a dizzying array of Mexican tequilas and creative takes on traditional Mexican cocktails, along with an assortment of beers. Diners can wash down bites with individually muddled fresh fruit margaritas made with 100% blue agave tequila such as the Little Market (tequila reposado, fresh pineapple, chile guajillo, cilantro), or the Smokey Pablo (cien años reposado, mango, chile morita, blueberry float), among others.
For this distinctly urban location, the Sandoval brothers tapped New York City based Seed Design Studio to create a chic, welcoming restaurant boasting sleek banquets, handmade pyramid-shaped copper lights, and white quartz table tops accented with pale wood floors. Here, contemporary urban artist Erni Vales draws his own interpretation of Mexican history, cultural diversity, and ethnic multiplicity, showcasing stunning wall-to-wall 3-D graffiti style art murals.
Mercadito Midtown, located in Midtown Miami at 3252 NE First Avenue, is open seven days a week, serving daily lunch and dinner nightly. The taqueria, adjacent to the restaurant, offers casual service, take-out and delivery service from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. All major credit cards accepted; ample municipal parking is available. Reservations are recommended: (786) 369-0430 www.mercaditorestaurants.com
TYPOE: Purgatory (false ceiling)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Networking Event sponsored by:
Carnival of the Animals
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2nd Sunday Jazz Concert
