Mirame, the acclaimed two-year-old Mexican restaurant in Beverly Hills from chef Joshua Gil, is readying a second, NorCal location — and it's going to be in the new Springline development in Menlo Park that has also lured SF's Che Fico and Burma Love to open new spots as well, along with Hayes Valley sushi spot Robin.
Mirame opened in July 2020, and it's the latest, buzz-worthy project from Gil, who grew up in Rosarito Beach, a coastal town on Mexico's Baja Peninsula, a short drive south of San Diego. Gil earned a Michelin star early in his career as chef de cuisine at Joe’s Restaurant in Venice, and he later went on to open the acclaimed Tacos Punta Cabras, which closed in 2017.
After Mirame debuted, serving things like crispy salmon skin "chicharrons," grilled albacore tacos with avocado, and a tostada featuring pressed pig face salumi, Eater LA critic Bill Esparza raved that it "might be the most exciting new restaurant to open during this pandemic-riddled year in Los Angeles." (Esparza has been a big promoter of what he dubbed Alta California cuisine, which he describes as the blending of traditional Mexican ingredients and techniques with the styles and ideas of modern California cuisine, like farmers' market produce etc. And Gil was featured in Esparza's 2017 book on the topic, L.A. Mexicano.)
Now, as the Chronicle is reporting, Mirame is set to expand north, and Gil and partner Matthew Egan have inked a deal for a space in the Springline complex, which is still under construction at 1300 El Camino Real in Menlo Park.
Describing the food, Egan says, "It’s what we call the next iteration of Mexican cuisine." And he tells the Chronicle that just as the Beverly Hills location utilizes relationships with SoCal farms to create its menu, the Bay Area location will leverage farms from this region as well.
Egan had been looking to expand to the Bay Area, and he happened to hear about Springline and its buzzy lineup of restaurant tenants from friend Desmond Tan, the owner of Burma Love and Burma Superstar. He tells the Chronicle that, besides the lineup of co-tenants, Springline made sense because the wealthy demographics of Menlo Park are similar to those in Beverly Hills.
And, Egan notes, the new restaurant will share a wall in the Springline complex with Barebottle Brewing Co., and they plan to let brewery customers order food to go with their beers, and vice-versa. In addition to this third location of Barebottle, the development will also include an outpost of grab-and-go food purveyor Proper Food Co., and Canteen, a new restaurant from chef Greg Kuzia-Carmel of Menlo Park's Camper.
The developer of Springline, Presidio Bay Ventures, is banking on these big restaurant names being a draw for both residential and office tenants in the new mixed-use complex. Residential leasing begins this summer, but it's not clear which of the restaurants will open first. Mirame is aiming for an opening in 2023.