Oh it is ON tonight for the very first Eat+Drink Gang of 12 Dinner at Mercado Santa Monica. The menu is out of control! I’m so looking forward to spending some time with my fellow Eat+Drink-ers tonight. Keep an eye out for our posts all over social media. :)
Small Plates: Dos Gringas, Fish Tacos & Dip Duo (Guacamole and Choriqueso)
Vegetables: Grilled Corn & Santa Monica Vegetables
Large Plates: Chef Jose’s Carnitas, Shrimp Skewers & Skirt Steak
Dessert: Flan
Mercado co-owner, Jesse Gomez, has quite literally grown up in the restaurant business. The first in his collection of Mexican cuisine restaurants, El Arco Iris, was introduced in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1964, by his grandparents Gustavo and Irene Montes, and today still serves as the cornerstone of his brand.
In 2006, Gomez redesigned and reintroduced El Arco Iris, fusing a progressive new look with signature classic dishes passed down for generations, to create a restaurant that is both a neighborhood staple and a culinary destination.
In 2009, Gomez introduced Yxta Cocina Mexicana, in the emerging Industrial District of Downtown Los Angeles and quickly earned acclaim for its inventive menu, artisan cocktails, design and impressive art collection. “The food at Yxta is contemplative, with each dish turned out with an eye toward presentation.” Los Angeles Times April 28, 2011. Mercado serves as his third installation, which he co-created with long-time friend and revered chef, Jose Acevedo.
Mercado co-owner and executive chef, Jose Acevedo, began his extensive career training in the kitchens of Wolfgang Puck and the Hillstone Restaurant Group, before taking the helm at Irvine’s Taleo Grill in 2004. Hailing from Guanajuato, Mexico, Chef Jose’s early years were spent learning and perfecting the art of his native culture’s cuisine, which over the years, he has transformed into culinary creations that are as much artisan and contemporary as they are a classic homage to his roots.
In 2010, Chef Acevedo began working with longtime friend, Jesse Gomez, at Yxta Cocina Mexicana, where he oversaw the creation of signature dishes and specials that would become the inspiration for Mercado’s menu.
The OC Weekly’s Gustavo Arellano named Chef Acevedo’s signature dessert the “Best Flan in the Universe” in 2007, echoing the starry praise of Yelpers who have called his carnitas “the single best [they’ve tasted at a] commercial restaurant” and “as good as the best homemade [they’ve ever had].” Westways revered Chef Jose’s work, noting that “Taleo Grill might just be the best upscale Mexican restaurant in the region.”
With a culinary style that is grounded in the finest Mexican tradition, fused with current sensibility, Chef Acevedo’s signature creations apply uniquely flavorful techniques to create incredibly inventive dishes time and time again.
