Food Stuff

The folks who own Ernesto’s have done a great job in converting a Spanish colonial revival auto showroom into Zócalo, an elegant showcase for regional Mexican cuisine. We’ll do a full review once the place has had a chance to get on its feet, but we must admit some chagrin at what we received from the bar. Upon greeting us, our waiter said, “You gotta have a margarita.” We agreed, assuming that such a classy place would be serving the real thing (fresh lime juice, triple sec and tequila). He asked us if we had a tequila preference, and we chose Cazadores. He soon returned with a beverage the color of one of those green glow sticks you buy at the state fair. Yes, our Cazadores was bludgeoned beyond recognition by what tasted like commercial margarita mix. We hope there was some mistake and that Zócalo aspires to be more like Centro Cocina Mexicana and less like Chevy’s Fresh Mex. 1801 Capitol Avenue, (916) 441-0303.