By Stephen Jackson - Published on September 10, 2014.
La Urbana, Divisadero’s own neo-Mexican cantina, will celebrate its first birthday tomorrow. We stopped by to chat with manager Lenny Gumm to get the skinny on what the restaurant has in store to celebrate its inaugural trip around the sun.
First, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights this week, they will offer a prix fixe menu that highlights some of their dishes from the past year. Chef Julio Aguilera hand-selected an eight-course meal that includes items such as oyster ceviche with sea foam, chicharrón de arroz with avocado puree and pico de gallo, huevo con chorizo, al pastor topped with crab, and peaches with coconut horchata and Meyer lemon.
The meal will run you $65 and, if you're feeling adventurous, you can opt for a $30 mezcal pairing. However, they are also offering a complimentary agua fresca spiked with sparkling wine for all customers tomorrow, so either way you can find something to take the edge off.
Next, new all-day brunch hours begin this weekend: now, you can sit in at El Mercado (the garage area) and watch NCAA and NFL football games until 4pm. Opening at 11am on Saturday and 10am on Sunday, the open-air seating area could serve as a brighter alternative to a traditional sports bar.
On Monday, join other mezcal-minded liquor enthusiasts at 6pm in El Mercado for one of the spot's monthly tasting seminars. Buy tickets here to participate in this event, which showcases different mezcal producers with an informative seminar (and light appetizers). This month they'll be hosting the folks from Illegal Mezcal.
Afterward, stick around for their weekly “Mezcal Lab”, in which lead bartender Trent Simpson takes you through the ins and outs of a new cocktail using, you guessed it, mezcal. Each week features different seasonal ingredients.
Finally, swing by next Tuesday for the weekly Taco Tuesday ($2). In celebration of their anniversary, they will be featuring a secret salsa that is apparently “muy caliente.”
As for what’s in store for the future, Gumm was unable to officially comment on the progress of the fabled upstairs patio. However, he did mention that they will be developing the El Mercado aspect of the restaurant some more. “We’re looking to build that menu up a bit. It’s our street-style menu, and we’re looking to develop that some more,” he told us. “As far as our dining room is concerned, we’re going to continue to try and push the envelope with modern Mexican cuisine.”
