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A contemporary conversion of a bungalow into a rustic inner city hacienda, Mitra is a two-level Southwestern restaurant swathed in sunset hues. Above skewed wrought-iron furnishings in caliente colour a jaunty chandelier hangs like a constellation in the night. The Latin American/Mediterranean-influenced flavouring will wake your senses, however. Skirt steak with cayenne maple sweet potatoes, herb-roasted mahi mahi with vegetable enchiladas, 'pull-apart pig’ and coffee flan (more like custard) spark conversation amid neighbourhood yuppies. The wraparound patio begs for a summer spent sipping the signature sangria.
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Too fancy to be a corner cantina, Fifth Group’s Sala still offers many of the comforts of a neighborhood restaurant. Basked in a honeycomb hue underneath a bevy of beehive-shaped lanterns or on the heated patio, servers circulate with plates of earthy mole slathered chicken breast, adobo pork tenderloin, garlic broth-bathed mussels and simpler street fare such as tacos and tostados. Perhaps the most compelling enticement for the upwardly mobile area residents is the revolving selection of salt-dusted citrus margaritas shaken and strained at your table.
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Wind your way to the stainless steel counter, pick from the handful of chicken, catfish, BBQ, pork and brisket soft tacos stuffed with assorted toppers such as lime-jalapeno mayonnaise, charros beans and turnip greens and savour the accomplished simplicity. A plastic- enclosed post-industrial structure, Taqueria del Sol may not look like it could fit in Mexico City, but the breezy atmosphere and vigorous street fare flavors sure make you feel like you’re anywhere but in Atlanta’s Westside. To complete the journey, a basket of chips and tres salsas and a margarita are a must.
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Whether in the mood for $80-a-shot tequila to more pocket book-friendly margaritas, Zocalo is, as the [name]’s translation ('town square’) suggests, an open-air meeting place for those with a taste for top-shelf south-of-the-border. Wicker baskets swinging overhead, pressed tin designs strewn about, meals delivered on wooden panels, Zocalo is a popular cantina, especially in warmer months, making a table hot as a tamale. Peppers pepper the variety of dishes served with handmade tortillas and devoured by the casually cool only feeling the heat to pick from 150 tequilas.
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