Introducing: El Catrin, the Distillery District’s new Mexican restaurant
Name: El Catrin Destileria
Neighbourhood: Distillery District
Contact info: 18 Tank House Ln., 416-203-2121, elcatrin.ca, @elcatrinca
Owners: John Berman, Mathew Rosenblatt and partners
Chef: Olivier Le Calvez, who moved to Toronto from Mexico City a month ago
The Place: The former Boiler House space has been given a mod-goth makeover with heavy black chandelier-style light fixtures, wall-mounted glow-in-the-dark skulls and a kaleidoscopic floor-to-ceiling mural by Mexican street artist Oscar Flores. Tables on the 190-seat enclosed patio are arranged around a fire pit.
The Food: Tacos, burritos and tostadas, served tapas-style, plus starters like Serrano-spiced guacamole and watermelon-tuna ceviche. Heavier dishes include 24 hour–braised pork brisket and mole-braised short ribs.
The Drinks: Spanish, Portuguese and South American wines, sipping tequilas and cocktails like the Pepino Diablo, a mix of tequila, muddled cucumber and Serrano peppers and agave nectar.
The Numbers: • $200 for a shot of Clase Azul Ultra Extra Anejo, a premium tequila that’s cellared for five years in sherry oak barrels • 6 weeks for Mexican artist Oscar Flores to complete the skull-covered mural on the restaurant’s back wall • 4 different margaritas on the cocktail list, each available by the glass and pitcher • 1 candle-festooned, Baja-style altar by the bathrooms • 1 spirit available: tequila
