The Dining Experience, Elevated
Photography By Kendra Aronson
At Mestiza – Bar y Cocina
After just six months, the Mestiza bar y cocina has made quite an impact on the Downtown San Luis Obispo scene. Every aspect of this top-notch eatery blends classic with modern, to create an authentic, reimagined experience of Mexican food and hospitality.
Located upstairs above Williams-Sonoma at 858 Monterey St., Mestiza is co-owned by Chef Ricardo Ortega and Compass Health’s restaurant division Custom House.
Self-taught, Ricardo has a passion for cooking.
“Everyone in my family — my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins — we all like to cook, and we were always trying to outcook each other,” Ricardo says. “So I just picked it up at a very young age.”
After working at various restaurants during his teen years, he helped open and continues to manage several Central Coast restaurants including Custom House, Ventana Grill, Wooly’s, Oyster Loft and Flagship.
At Mestiza, Chef Armando Melendez and General Manager Luis Barragan handle the day-to-day operations.
“Armando is an excellent chef, and he’s been with the company for a long time,” Ricardo says. “Because his cuisine is also Mexican, we like to collaborate in the kitchen. Luis focuses on attention to detail and keeps the staff motivated and cohesive. Many nights, he’ll bring out someone from the kitchen to do a quick salsa dance or sing a guest ‘Happy Birthday!’”
Early reviews attempt to describe the cuisine, but Ricardo sums it up perfectly.
“Mestiza actually comes from a word which means a blend of three different cultures, and it encompasses more of what the Mexico of today is,” Ricardo continues. “What we are trying to do here is create an elevated experience of Mexican food.”
All Mestiza tortillas are handmade, hand pressed and cared for, according to Ricardo. The stone-ground corn is purchased directly from Mexico in hues of blue, white and red. Ricardo and Armando invited their moms and a few other ladies to teach them the authentic nixtamalization process of grinding the corn.
“Yes, we are chefs, but we didn’t have their experiences,” Ricardo explains. “The moms, they’ve got it! Some reviews say our cooking reminds them of their mom’s, and we know why.”
And the staff members — they’re the kind it takes to launch a new establishment. Upon entering the restaurant, it is the staff that catches the eye, with their hustle and bustle around the restaurant and friendly ease that makes you want to stay a while. Staff favorites include the Enchiladas Suizas featuring shredded chicken, wild mushrooms, roasted poblanos, pea shoots, tomatillo cream sauce, Chihuahua and Cotija cheeses, green onions, habanero-pickled onions and avocado. Try the Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza, squash blossoms, epazote and Oaxaca cheese, topped with guacamole and served with house salsa.
Many people comment that these enchiladas are what home cooking should taste like,” Mitch Woolpert of Compass Health says. “And this classic quesadilla is simple, but everyone loves it, and our house salsa is unbelievable.”
The tasty Molcajete, served with homemade corn tortillas, has everything: grilled skirt steak, wild Mexican white shrimp, chorizo, grilled nopalitos, grilled spring onions, queso blanco, charred red jalapeños, molcajete salsa, mayocoba beans and Mexican rice.[/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”7086″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%” margin_top=”10″ margin_bottom=”30″][vc_column_text]The Mestiza bar is tequila and mezcal based, offering tasting flights, standard cocktails and an amazing “off the charts” margarita. Find local and Spanish wines, bottled Mexican beers and on tap, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Central Coast Brewing and Modelo brews. A convenient opportunity to try an assortment of the food and drink without lightening the wallet too much is through the daily happy hour.
Don’t leave, though, without tasting the Guacamole Nacionalista. This chunky blend of hass avocado, cilantro, onion and lime is served with homemade corn tortilla chips and garnished with pomegranates and queso fresco, as a nod to the colors of the Mexican flag.
