ANDERSONVILLE — When Andersonville residents walk into the long awaited Cantina 1910 they'll hardly feel like they're in the former T's bar, which closed in 2013.
But if they look closely the former dive bar is all around them in the new upscale Mexican restaurant: From the countertops to the light fixtures, parts of the "old building have been repurposed for a better use," co-founder Mark Robertson said.
"It was a 'dive-y' bar here, but we also own the SoFo Tap down the street. We know the neighborhood, we know the community and we live in this neighborhood so we actually think this is something that this neighborhood really wants," said Robertson. "They want a different level of food production, a different level of cocktail, a different kind of environment in this neighborhood. And we really think this compliments Hopleaf very well and the upcoming Pastoral opening up the street. We think it’s really bringing together a foodie culture."
The walk-up window will open at 7 a.m. Wednesday and offer the full menu, Counter Culture Coffee (as opposed to the sample coffees available at City Made Fest) and pastries. During the launch, the dinner and late night menu will be available. That menu will be expanded by mid-October, when the weekend brunch menu will be introduced. The cafe's menu will also be expanded to include hot breakfast and lunch, Robertson said.
But the grand opening is all about showing off the restaurant.
"I just want to showcase the space, the food and the cocktails to as many people as we can get through here. It’s really all about showcasing what we’ve been doing for the last two years," Robertson said.
"Everyone in the neighborhood is looking at this as ‘This project took forever. What took so long?’ and we want to get them in here. We want them to see the space, see what we did, see the concentration we had on local artisans, see the amount of work that went into the physical space, but then also see the amount of work that went into the food and beverage program."
For more details on the new restaurant click here.
Take a virtual walk through Cantina 1910:
First floor, front room. Main cantina area and the major live component of the bar. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
Back room, first floor. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
2nd Floor, dining area. Built to handle overflow dining traffic and private parties. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
2nd Floor, bar. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
Light fixture hanging above the First Floor lobby. [DNAinfo/ Josh McGhee]
First floor, front room. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
Take a sneak peek at the menu with these selections from Chef Diana Dávila:
Nachos with moronga chill, chiles en vinagre and fennel. $13. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
Cemita (a beast of a sandwich): with black beans, chicken milanesa, al pastor, head cheese, avocado, onion, oaxacan cheese, smoked pasilla and papalo on a sesame bun. $16 [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
Chips and salsa: house made chips, two salsa and encurtidos $8. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
Taco al pastor, featuring spit roasted pork, wheat grass and tomatillo. $8.50. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
Esquites: nixtamolized corn, brown butter, espazote and morita. $8. [DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
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