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Kevin A. Roberts
Street and beach tacos: six choices (Photographed here are lobster, crisp shrimp, and fish)
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Enter through the mall at this by the sea mural from artist Peat Wollaeger.
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Kevin A. Roberts
Lobster and Shrimp Enchiladas: sweet lobster and tender shrimp in flour tortillas with Jack cheese and lobster cream sauce. Served with Mexican beans and rice (not shown).
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Kevin A. Roberts
Carnitas Platter: tender pork, fajita vegetables, fresh guacamole, pico de gallo and flour tortillas. served with Mexican rice and beans.
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Guacamole making in process
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Kevin A. Roberts
Mid-room booths and etched glass break up the main dining area
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Kevin A. Roberts
Looking into the bar at Casa del Mar. The tequila stash hangs from above.
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A view inside the restaurant from the mall.
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A wall-length mural in the bar area at Casa del Mar.
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Very eye-catching
Where to find a stretch of beach, fun, good food and margaritas so big you need two strong hands to hoist them? Head to Casa del Mar, the Mexican grill at the northern end of the St. Louis Galleria. Casa del Mar is a sister concept to Canyon Cafe, the Southwest-themed eatery that's been popular at Plaza Frontenac for over 20 years.
.Follow the ‘entrance’ sign painted on the the beach-y mural of boats and deepest blue ocean that leads straight to the Grand Fiesta being held this weekend to highlight the new menu offerings and decor.
Plan to party with the Casa crew this weekend, Friday August 28th through Sunday August 30th, with half-priced, Limit Two Margaritas (the same ones available at Canyon Cafe) and a free appetizer with the purchase of two entrees. Such a deal.
Kevin A. Roberts
Shark Bite Margarita: Mandarin vodka, cointreau and fresh OJ topped with prickly pear cactus juice
About those margaritas. Casa del Mar’s got a few. They offer four on their cocktail menu, frozen or not, by the pitcher or singly. With specialties like mango, raspberry, and Blue Moon, made with Blue Curacao).
The Limit Two margarita menu lists three, the Traditional Top Shelf, the Shark Bite (right) and The Pool Side. Each is made from top of the line ingredients and poured into an enormous fishbowl goblet. They will only serve two of these big guys per customer.
As with any good party, the people make all the difference. Like Noah Marietas, who mixed up our guacamole tableside with a sure hand and an easy patter that set a special tone for the evening. He hefted three avocados from the basket at his station. “Hand-selected each day by our chef,” he said.
Quick as anything, he seeded and chunked the avocados, squeezed limejuice over all, and started to build the dip. “Red onion, minced garlic,” he said, “kosher salt . . .” He added more ingredients. We watched him mash, turn, mix and blend. “How chunky do you like it?” He stopped, and we asked him to mix just a tad more until it became perfect texture for me and my friend.
Kevin A. Roberts
Corn chips as Casa del Mar aren’t an afterthought; they come in big triangles of gold, red and purple, but the wonton chips, lightly dusted with a sweet chili seasoning, add a fillip to the mix that works well. Josh Tucker, one of the servers at the tasting event, answered questions about the new menu items knowledgeably, something I appreciated.
Another plus. Any time I see a comal in a Mexican restaurant my heart races. Chef Francisco Bravo grilled steak, chicken, and shrimp with fajita vegetables, then stuffed the fillings in a flour tortilla with Monterey Jack cheese and adobo sauce before grilling them. Comfort food, beach-style.
The menu covers the waterfront with enchiladas, combination plates, street and beach tacos, a chimichanga with blackened chicken, burritos, carnitas and fajitas. Standouts for me included fresh spinach and mushrooms wrapped in a tasty corn tortilla and topped with a three-cheese pepper cream sauce. Also tasty, the succulent lobster and shrimp enchilada (below).
Another plus, I like beans. The tender black beans with a hint of heat and a sprinkle of queso worked for me, as did the unusual rice with an extra dose of cumin. Both complemented the food, and that's not often the case.
An adornment you can’t (and won't) miss at Casa del Mar are the murals by Peat Wollaeger, the cheeky artist whose all-seeing "eyez" show up in the most interesting places, like Strange Donuts and Four Hands Brewing Co., on buildings on Jefferson Avenue and more. They’re colorful, energizing, and just one more fun thing about this south-of-the-border restaurant at the far north end of The Galleria.
Casa del Mar
1137 St. Louis Galleria
Grand Fiesta celebration is Friday, August 28 through Sunday, August 30
314-752-3700
Sun - Thu: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Fri - Sat: 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Website: casadelmarrestaurant.com
Facebook: Casa del Mar
Instagram: casa_del_marstl
Twitter: @Casa_del_marstl
