Stop me if you’ve heard this one.
Man walks into a bar — actually, walks into several bars — and starts a pop-up street food series called Tango & Stache. His MO: pairing haute cuisine with the bar’s cocktails.
Then the pop-ups become wildly popular. So he starts his own dinner series and invites the bar talent to join him.
Introducing El Viaje en Mexico, a dinner series at The Naked Kitchen, now taking reservations.
Run by Joshua Oakley (né Gary Danko and Michael Mina), Viaje is a once-monthly exploration of regional Mexican cuisine launching October 15th.
Up first: the southern coastal state of Oaxaca. Ancestral home of the Mixtecs and liver-stoking mezcals, and inspiration for Oakley’s menu, which features mezcal ceviche of Monterrey Squid, handmade tortillas filled with tequila-braised rabbit and roasted heirloom pumpkin, and more.
Cocktails for the inaugural journey come courtesy of Brian Felley and Mo Hodges, the men behind recently shuttered Big, T&S’s Love Boat pop-up at Muka, and a soon-to-open spot in Oakland.
Vaya con compañera, gringo.
Nota bene: Naked Kitchen isn’t your typical venue. It’s the main level of the purple Victorian at the ‘Deepistan parklet on Valencia, and it’s about as underground as fine dining can get. If you think you’ve got the wrong address, you’re there.
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