Warming winter’s chill at Merkado, with bright Mexican twists

Child, it is chilly. Time to dip into some spots that remind you of balmier climes and spicier times. As I pulled out my puffy coat and fingerless gloves, Merkado in SoMa’s South Beach enclave perfectly fit the bill for a sweet night out—full of warming spices and innovative twists on Mexican standards, deeply rooted in Jalisco and Yucatan tradition.

Many knew Tres Agaves as a fabulous and a bit overwhelming tequila bar-restaurant in the 2000s (notoriously co-owned by rocker Sammy Hagar), which rebranded as TRES more than a decade ago. When that closed, General Manager Fabien Santos transformed the lofty space into elegant, plant-filled Merkado, revamping the menu to reflect his love of vibrant Mexican and Spanish markets while keeping the vast selection of tequila and mescal flowing.

Fabien sweetly invited me and Hunky Beau down to taste Chef de Cuisine Lorenzo Cauich’s winter menu, which more than did the trick on a shivery eve. Cauich, a former sous chef at TRES, bumps up classics with surprising touches: richly sauced turkey albondigas with a quail egg cooked inside, like a velvety surprise; a technicolor veggie ensalada spiked with passion fruit vinaigrette; a wowza pozole featuring lightly fried whole fish, chile guajillo broth, and blue corn hominy—I literally wanted to take a bath in this stunner, which was perfect for two. Dessert was a scrumptious and crunchy berry-laden Carlota with Meyer lemon custard and Maria wafers.

The cocktails were on point as well. The Do Epic $h!t came out with a waft of smoked rosemary, perched atop a garnet-colored pop of Bar Hill gin, hibiscus, pomegranate juice, agave, and lime. The Broken Spanish was a deeply flavorful blend of cinnamon-infused tequila, kahlua, and Excelsior coffee cold brew that kicked just right, without a caffeine rush. And the super-unique Mermaids Are Real—tequila reposado, coconut, pom syrup, chamoy, lime, agave—was a luscious, not-too-sweet treat.

The restaurant has tons of different spaces for parties and tastings, as well as a sweet outdoor patio. And Fabien has been programming some community events, like his “Stories from Home” dinner party series for charity, where different chefs take over the kitchen to tell their own family and cultural stories through cooking. (Last June saw drag chef extraordinaire Juanita More serve her special honey goo chicken for Pride.) Check the web site for upcoming goodies. Meanwhile, I’m rubbing my chilly mitts together and thinking about that pozole.