Robert Trevino, chef-owner of Amigos Cantina in Kirkwood, has inked a deal to open a restaurant called La Cantina in The Loop, two storefronts west of – but in the same building as – Michael Del Pietro’s soon-to-open Italian eatery Tavolo V.
According to Trevino, La Cantina will highlight rural Mexican culinary traditions. “It’s a certain way of presenting food,” he explained, citing family-style dining for dishes such as roasted meats prepared a la parrilla and served on a sizzling cast-iron skillet, and tacos de la mesa built by diners at the table in a make-your-own style. The space, which will accommodate between 100 and 150 patrons and will include a 3,300-square-foot patio, will tout a rustic cantina look with country western and Chicano music filling the air.
Trevino expects the build-out to be completed in early March with a target opening date of early April.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2011.