What do you get when you partner a chef whose resume includes Bouley, Union Square Café and Ofrenda with a bartender who has professionally conquered whiskey bars (Flatiron Room), gin dens (Bathtub Gin), Latin favorites (Yerba Buena) and more? One awesomely obscure Mexican joint.
Chef/Owner Luis Arce Mota has partnered with Alex Valencia to bring you La Contenta. Though you’ll spot traditional favorites like tostadas and tacos, Chef Mota’s creativity shines through (Le Cordon Bleu graduate… ahem) with fresh and spicy innovative twists on classics.
Simultaneously, head bartender Alex Valencia is showcasing spirits that are hard to come by not only in New York, but in the US. Though a large focus remains on tequila and mezcal, lesser-known agave spirits like pulque, bacanora, raicilla, and sotol make an appearance on the cocktail list. Taste some of Valencia’s original Sangrita recipes and flavored Micheladas or opt for an original, like El Easy Rider, a nod to the movie as the venue gets its name from the bar visited in the opening scene.
With just 14 seats in the dining room, 10 at the bar, and a sprawling Aztec-inspired mural surrounding the space, a trip to La Contenta feels like a trip to a Jalisco neighborhood gem.
(Photos From Left: Oaxaca Express; Blackberry Micheladal; El Easy Rider)