Great food, views on the menu at Cal Mex Cantina
The menu for Cal Mex Cantina, situated on the land side of the Redondo Beach Pier, calls itself “The original Mextropub” — a phrase that doesn't flow easily off the tongue.
It's a play on the more familiar “gastropub,” which was coined in the UK in the 1990s to describe a pub that served elevated grub, something more than fish and chips, and bangers and mash. In other words, they had bigger menus, for those who want something more than the same old same old.
And that's what they do at Cal Mex — which also describes itself as a “cantina” — a 19th-century word that describes a saloon with a Mexican theme.
It's a comfortable place to bend an elbow, at the bar or a table, and consider what makes this cantina “gastro.”
Certainly, the drink menu alone is quirky enough to make it a gastrobar. There
Rating: ★★
Address: Redondo Beach Pier, 100Fisherman's Wharf, Redondo Beach Pier, Redondo Beach
424-3307739, calmexcantina.com
Alternative Mexican with a view
Lunch and dinner, every day; brunch Saturday and Sunday
Full bar; reservations not necessary
Indoor-outdoor space with live music and dramatic views of the coast to the south, situated next to a branch of El Torito on the Pier.
are 10 margaritas — one of which (El Hombre Grande) is made with a choice of three different peppered tequilas. The Spicy Piña mixes Corralejo Reposado Tequila with Crater Lake Hatch Green Chile Vodka. And there's a creation called Espresso Libre, crafted from
Nine “Shareables” ($9-$15), 10Small Plates ($12-$24), 7 Tacos ($10-$14), 4 Mains ($13$30), 4Sides ($4-$6) Credit cards: MC, V
CAL MEX CANTINA
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Prices: About $25 per
4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1
(If you're hungry, and it's nearby, but don't get stuck in traffic going.) 0(Honestly, not worth writing about.
Selvarey chocolate rum, caffe Borghetti espresso liqueur, Di Sarronno velvet liqueur … topped with Cardi B's Mocha Whipshots. Which is way out of my beerdrinking league.
Thankfully, the food doesn't try to compete with all that eccentric mixology.
But it does give it a bit of a run for the roses.
It is more than a bit unexpected to find hummus on the menu at a Mexican cantina. And in this case, the hummus is made from avocado, topped with fried garbanzo beans. It's sort of a sideways vision of guacamole.
Though for the record, there is a proper guac on the menu as well, sitting atop a bed of queso fresco. Different, but not bad. I must try that at home.
There's more. The Brussels sprouts — once again, not a typical cantina dish — are tossed with crispy pork belly, Thai chili sauce and shaved coconut (a dish with ancestral roots all over the map).
The Cal Mex fries are waffle fries, nice and messy with a chipotle cheese sauce, avocado salsa — and come with the option of adding chicken, beef birria, pork belly, mushroom-adobado, chimichurri steak or shrimp.