A new Mexico City reality at Taco Rosa

Greer Wylder

Childhood memories of cascading chocolate fountains, sweet agave

nectar, homemade churros and flavorful bocadillos fueled the

inspiration for a new Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach called Taco

Rosa. Its owners, brothers Ivan and Marco Calderon, along with

partner Rene Fuentes, grew up in Mexico City.

“We wanted a place that reminded us of the places my mom and dad

used to take us,” Marco Calderon said.

To recreate the past, they first took over the former What’s

Cooking? location at Newport Hills Shopping Center. Then they

transformed the Italian bistro into a cantina-style restaurant. The

new design features authentic Mexican clay tiles, exposed beam

ceilings, rough plaster-finished walls, rustic pine furniture and

perforated tin sombrero lights. Upbeat Latin pop music adds to the

lively ambience.

To complete their reality, they installed an oval-shaped bar that

features freshly-made margaritas, an exhibition kitchen, a tortilla

station and enough seating for 140 guests. The restaurant also has a

large front patio seating area and a common area outside Pavilions,

where families gather and bring their dogs on the weekends.

“Customers who come here feel like they’re somewhere besides

Newport Beach,” Calderon said.

The trio of owners has a wealth of restaurant experience. After

working for Larry Cano -- founder of El Torito Restaurants, Inc. --

for more than 20 years, Ivan and Marco Calderon opened Taco Mesa in

1992, a chain of casual Mexican restaurants in Orange County. Taco

Mesa was top-rated by Zagat’s guide for value and location in Costa

Mesa. It offers gourmet cuisine at a low cost, specializing in

authentic, spicy and healthy food. Rene Fuentes opened Laguna’s most

popular Mexican seafood restaurant, Las Brisas, in 1978 and has 30

years’ experience working for El Torito restaurants.

A Mexican-theme restaurant isn’t unique to Newport Beach, yet Taco

Rosa presents a different dining style and has original touches other

restaurants don’t offer. Taco Rosa is both a quick-casual and a

fine-dining restaurant.

“No one else is doing this,” Calderon said. “At the door, we ask,

‘What would you like to do?’”

Guests have a choice. They can come in and order an a la carte

lunch or dinner for $5 or spend $30 to $40 on a memorable meal.

Orders can be placed at a counter, or guests can be attended to by a

waiter. Taco Rosa, like its casual sister restaurant Taco Mesa,

concentrates on creative dishes that use only fresh, authentic

ingredients. And Taco Rosa borrows 30% to 40% of Taco Mesa’ most

popular specials.

Its exceptional specials include the pescado para dos (for two or

more) -- a fresh whole tilapia fish that’s been marinated and

charbroiled, served with fresh guacamole, arroz del dia, refried

apazote black beans, pico de gallo, escabeche and fresh chile ancho

corn tortillas ($30). The enchiladas de cangrejo are crab enchiladas,

topped with tequila lime cheese sauce and avocado and served with

apazote refried black beans, arroz del dia and a sweet corn tamalito

($15). The tamale de langosta is a green corn tamale, gently steamed

in banana leaves and topped with lobster and zucchini sauteed in

garlic butter and tequila lime cream sauce, also served with arroz

del dia and epazote refried black beans ($16).

Other innovations at Taco Rosa include homemade sweet and sour mix

for its outstanding margaritas.

“We make margaritas from scratch,” Calderon said. “Nothing’s

frozen. It’s all fresh. We only use hand-squeezed juices.”

For the drink’s sweetness, they weren’t content using sugar. They

chose aguamiel, a precious honey-like liquid that’s excreted from the

inside of an agave plant. It’s organic, kosher and doesn’t have the

same lingering aftertaste as sugar. Seven margaritas are blended with

aguamiel, including the bar’s favorite tamarindo margarita, which is

flavored with fresh tamarind pods, and its house SenoRita margarita

with blue agave margarita and orange liquor. Other refreshing

specialty drinks include seven Caribbean cocktails, five Zona Rosa

“martinis” (tequila-based cocktails), plus classic martinis and

chocolate drinks. Taco Rosa also offers an exclusive Latin wine list.

“This is a wine oriented community,” Calderon said. “A whole room

was devoted to wines at What’s Cooking? Our wine sales are doing a

lot better than expected.”

Their wine list excludes California; it’s a collection of Chilean,

Argentinean, Italian, Spanish and Mexican wines. Instead of setting a

standard basket of chips and salsa at each table, Taco Rosa serves a

complimentary revolving mix of handmade bocadillos. The 10 appetizer

selections change daily.

Taco Rosa appeals to all ages. Kids are fascinated by the churro

machine, a station where freshly-ground masa is formed into tortillas

and the multi-level chocolate fountain. The fountain isn’t just for

display. Taco Rosa installed it as a tribute to chocolate’s Latin

America roots -- the cacao tree is indigenous to an area between

southern Mexico and north of the Amazon. The warm chocolate is served

with postre (each $6); churros colonieles, a fritter dusted with

cinnamon and piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar); traditional

sopapillas, puffed pastries served with agave nectar and vanilla-bean

ice cream; and chocolate-covered strawberries served with vanilla

bean ice cream.

Taco Rosa also employs kid-friendly la loteria cards (based on a

national pastime in Mexico) as order tickets. The loteria cards, with

symbols and bilingual words, are placed on placemats. They’re

collectible for prizes, free meals and gift cards.

“And it’s fun, they can learn Spanish words from the pictures,”

Calderon said.

Taco Rosa offers take-out and catering. Breakfast will be

available soon on Saturdays and Sundays.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday.