Nestled in the heart of The Drey Hotel, La Mina’s cuisine beckons with explosions of flavor and color. We caught up with chef Tony Ibarra for a little table talk.
La Mina boasts a bevy of colorful spirits.
When did you first find a taste for the culinary arts?
My home economics class my junior year in high school. I took the class just because all the other electives were taken, but as it turned out, I loved it. Everyone else hated that class, but I was really excited to make cinnamon rolls and tiramisu.
What can diners expect from their first experience at La Mina?
I think we’re taking diners a bit deeper into regionally inspired Mexican cooking than some of them might be used to. La Mina’s dining room is a beautiful space that can be very intimate or super fun, depending on what you’re looking for, and whether it’s dinner in a cozy booth, brunch on our patio or great drinks with antojitos at our bar, which I think is one of the coolest in town. Also, people may not know this, but we have a deep mezcal list—ask your server about it if you love agave spirits.
What is particularly unique about the kitchen?
We make our masa in-house, using heirloom corn from Mexico that we nixtamalize and grind here at La Mina. I’m really proud of the tortillas we make from it (their aroma is so incredible!), and we plan to use the masa for other dishes in the future.
Favorite dish on the menu?
Puerco con chile. Crispy on the outside and super moist and luscious on the inside, it features so many of my favorite ingredients. The sauce, a rich, earthy chile rojo, has tons of dried chiles—guajillos, pasilla, ancho and chile de arbol, plus fresh poblanos. And it comes with spectacular heirloom beans we source from Rancho Gordo— mayacobas and rosados that are incredibly flavorful.
Secret weapon?
My Masienda X Made-In carbon-steel comal. At home, it’s the only pan I use now. It lives permanently on my stove top, and I use it for toasting spices or bread, searing proteins, cooking vegetables and of course making tortillas.
The blue crab tostada is a fan favorite.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 oz. agave syrup
1/4 oz. St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1/2 oz. Old Forester Bourbon, 86 proof
1 oz. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
1 oz. Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir over ice, then strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with an orange twist, expressing it around the rim first to distribute the oils for an aromatic effect.
In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, escarole, fennel and salt. Begin by adding half the dressing and tossing well to coat. Taste the salad to determine if it needs more dressing. Depending on the size of your lettuces, you may not need to use all the dressing. Divide the salad among four bowls and top with the olives, almonds and raspberries. Finish with the crumbled Gorgonzola.
Note: At La Mina, La Ciudad is served in a Nick and Nora glass, but you can also use a stemmed cocktail glass.
Chef de cuisine Tony Ibarra
Photography by: COURTESY OF THE VILLAGE
