INGOOD TASTE
Edgar Alva, Owner and General Manager, Casa Amigos Tequila Bar & Grill
Casa Amigos Tequila Bar & Grill 333 Rouser Rd., Coraopolis; 412.264.0800, casaamigospgh. com
On the Menu: Authentic Mexican fare, offering a variety of traditional dishes. Everything is housemade by scratch. The menu includes a list of dishes called The Originals, such as Enchiladas Verdez( green sauce chicken with rice, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole), Enchiladas De Mole( chicken with special mole sauce served with rice and house salad), Casa Burrito( steak or chicken with rice, beans, cheese, green peppers, onions and tomatoes stuffed on a 12” flour tortilla) and Pollo Azada( 12” flour tortilla filled with grilled marinated chicken, cheese dip on top and served with rice and house salad), to name a few. A seafood list includes a Mahi Mahi dish called Pescado Veracruz, three varieties of shrimp plates called Camarones a La Diabla( served with a special hot sauce with rice and house salad), Camarones Al Ajillo( served with special butter sauce with rice and house salad) and Camarones Mexicanos( a grilled jumbo shrimp with bacon, sliced jalapenos, peas, carrots and corn served with rice and house salad). There is a vegetarian menu offering
Candid conversations with the dining scene’ s most engaging chefs
green sauce chicken enchiladas, cheesestuffed chile relleno, black bean burrito, a grilled vegetable and cheese quesadilla and a vegetable fajita with grilled mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower and served with rice and beans with a house salad. A selection of specialty salads includes Steak, Chicken, Shrimp, Taco, Taco Salad Fajita and a Mexican Tossed Salad. From combination platters, fajitas, quesadilla rellenas and tacos, to pollo and steak entrees, Mexican-style favorites are in abundance. Plus, there’ s a selection of more than 50 different types of tequila and an array of cocktails, house margaritas and beer. Catering is offered( with at least 24-hour notice) for residential or commercial events and parties.
Q A What led you to open Casa
Amigos Tequila Bar & Grill? I was looking to open an authentic Mexican restaurant that would serve a large community in need of great food with even greater service. We chose the name Casa Amigos because in Spanish it means the House of Friends and it was something friendly. The location was ideal due to the amount of office buildings, which made it easy to focus on
Enchiladas Verdez with Casa Amigos’ house margarita.
The Presidential Margarita( Casa Amigos’ most popular drink is a mix of Patron, a splash of apricot brandy, triple sec and house mix).
our lunch crowd— and now our dinner is busy, too. We’ ve been open seven months and it’ s been very successful.
Describe Casa Amigos. We start every morning with fresh ingredients and make everything from scratch. Our menu offers a modernized palette inspired by dishes we eat back home in Mexico, but instead of hot spices we use mild spices.
What kitchen tool can’ t you live without? I can’ t live without a knife. What else would I use to cut limes? Mexicans love lime.
What is your favorite quick meal to make at home? I like to make quesadillas with a nice salsa on the side. In my salsa I toss roasted tomatoes, jalapenos and onion. Then I add cilantro, salt and a little bit of water.
Best advice for a novice? Start by working from the ground up: first as a dishwasher, then as a server and so on. That way you know the restaurant business. But the most important thing to remember is to never give up and keep moving forward.
What’ s the next big food or dining trend? Modern Mexican cuisine served on glossy white plates within an intimate, low-lit atmosphere. The food would stay the same, yet smaller quantity. n
— Reese Randall
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