El Camino’s is commemorating the annual Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities with special food and drink features and a live music performance from local mariachi group Los Dorados on Thursday, Nov. 2 at the Mount Pleasant cantina (3250 Main St.).
Día de los Muertos is a traditional and storied event observed throughout Mexico during which people gather to pray for and remember friends and family members who have passed, and is commonly seen as a day of celebration rather than mourning.
Beginning at 4 p.m., El Camino’s will mark the occasion with a special menu showcasing a feature cocktail ‘El Fantasma’ (cinnamon infused mezcal, blood orange, rhubarb, cherry wood smoke) and a trio of Mexican dishes — Esquites Asados (corn kernels roasted with garlic, onion, fresh epazote, arbol chili, topped with lime layo, Cotija cheese, Tajín); Taquitos (four potato and Monterey Jack cheese taquitos topped with lettuce, slaw, pickled red onions, crema and Cotija cheese, served with Martajada sauce); and Pan de Muerto Y Champurrado (Mexican sweet bread, served with traditional Mexican hot cocao drink).
At 7 p.m., El Camino’s will welcome local mariachi band Los Dorados for a performance of traditional Mexican folk music. Los Dorados (‘The Golden Ones’) is Canada’s premier mariachi ensemble and was founded two decades ago by bandleader, vocalist and guitarist Alex Alegria.
New Fall & Winter Menu
El Camino’s Head Chef Argelia Diaz and Bar Manager Michael MacIntyre are also warming things up for fall and winter by adding a new array of food and drink features to the menu.
Available daily from 4 p.m., Diaz’s new Dinner Menu includes hearty and heartwarming fall and winter fare like the: Moqueca Vegetariana (spicy and tangy Brazilian coconut lime curry with assorted vegetables and grilled paneer, served with white rice); Surf & Turf Al Pastor Alambre (asada beef, chorizo and peppers cooked in pastor sauce with peppers, red onions, tomatoes, pineapple and Monterey Jack cheese, served in a cast-iron skillet with flour tortillas on the side); Calabazas Adobadas Tacos (charred Brussels sprouts in a pasilla chili adobo topped with crispy pepitas and vegan cheese); and Brussels Sprouts Toreadas (charred Brussels sprouts tossed in a spicy charred serrano chili tamari and lime juice sauce).
At the bar, MacIntyre has spiced up an already comprehensive list of cocktails with new drinks that include the Sotol Margarita (Flor del Desierto pechuga Sotol, agave, pressed lime, salt, rocks); El Presidente (Havana Club 3yr rum, Xila aperitivo, Quadruple Sec aged together in a barrel); La Condesa (Xila aperitivo, Campari, choice of Condesa gin, Espina Negra mezcal or La Higuera sotol); and Sours (lemon, sugar, egg white, bitters and choice of Ampersand gin, Espina Negra mezcal or La Higuera sotol).
El Camino’s features daily Happy Hour service Monday to Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 3 p.m. to close with a new second ‘Late Shift’ Happy Hour now available during the restaurant’s last hour of service Mondays through Saturdays. The restaurant also offers the following weekly staples: Margarita Mondays ($4 off all house Margaritas), Taco Tuesdays (25% off all taco orders), Wine Wednesdays (50% off select bottles of wine); and Weekend Brunch every Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m.