My first trip to Mita was back in June and I LOVED it. I was shocked that the entire menu was vegan. Chef Miguel will blow you away with his flavors, spices and presentations for a tasting menu that cannot be beat! The wines are also excellent, and I decided I needed to bring our son Sam who is vegetarian back as the three of us head over on Friday night for a multi-course menu that was truly magnificent.
Will ordered the MGM-Mita's Garden Margarita with Mijenta Tequila, Amara's Verde Mezcal, Lou's Herbs Mix, Lime and Cointreau, Sam loved his creamy COQUITA with Coconut Milk, Oat Milk, Cinnamon, Vanilla & Rum, while I adored my LOU's MARTINI of Belvedere 10 Vodka, Manzanilla Sherry, Blanc Vermouth, Giffard Piment and Celery Bitters.
Drinks are fun here, but so is the wine and we started with a Vouvray 2022 made from Chenin Blanc from Domaine Sebastien Brunet that Will called "cream of mineral" with green able tones and lots of minerals in the creamy finish. Our red was one of my favorite Mexican wines, "Gabriel" from Adobe Guadalupe in Baja California. The wine packs a punch at 13.5% alcohol with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec and 20% Merlot, and while I love this wine the 2109 vintage perhaps was not as good as the ones I have had before.
The meal started with our extremely handsome server, Harry, brinking over the smoking covered pot called Copal with Tamarind/Mango/Tajin Caramels on top. They had a burst of mango, a slight spice and were more like soft pate a fruits. The wrappers are edible for a fun touch!
We opted for the supplemental Arepas order ($21 for the table) and as I recalled from last time, this is a must. There are 5 types of arepas (all photos on FB): Platano/Potato/Yucca/Corn/Whole Wheat and three dips for them: Guasacaca (a guacamole with cilantro)/Sour Cream (made of Cashew) which is unbelievable)/Chontaduro Butter (made from peach palm). This is fun as there are so many combinations, but I always come back to the savory arepas with the sour cream!
PACHAMAMA is a glass class enclosed with keepsakes given by the staff and on top has the dish which is Yuba Crisp with Balck Bean Mole, Celery Root, Lemon Zest and a nice kick from the Aji Amarillo. One of my favorite courses here (besides the arepas) is the Arracacha, a Venezuelan soup, here made with Fava Beans, Sweet Plantain and has a Dashi Broth(togarashi) poured tableside that has been cooked for 12 hours and is richer than veal stock!; onion ash is slashed across the top. It is a rich dish and very filling, but I managed to slurp up every last drop!
Watermelon Crudo comes with Fermented Carrots, Wild Rice Cracker (in the style of Chicharron), Cilantro Oil is slow cooked watermelon and passion fruit in a quasi-fruity-ceviche with a vegan viva from the Aji Amarillo & Avocado. it is the ideal palate cleanser!!
The "first main: was Masa Churro (Mexico) with Chanterelles, Black Garlic, Pipian Rojo Sauce (a mojo verde) and Mezcal! It was hard to decide which of these "main" dishes was better as they were simply both so magnificent.
The second "main" course is Charred Banana with Pearled Barley, Charred Mitake(menu spelling) Mushrooms, peas, Crispy Shallots, Pea Tendrils, Soffrito Sauce and Lime Juice. If you were not full by this course, something was wrong.
Of course, there is dessert with Po'e Cake from Easter Island with vegan coconut ice cream, Miso Pineapple Mousse, banana, sweet potato and shaved fresh coconut. It is a great "cake" and has so many great flavors to beat.
Botero caramelized avocado treats came to send us home (no photo)!
MITA is magnificent and really tops for vegetarians and vegans in town, but I love it too!
