Is Casa Tequila Armonk a Keeper?

Is Casa Tequila Armonk a Keeper? Does Armonk finally have a keeper at 465 Main Street.  This landmark location has seen several new restaurants come and go in their efforts to succeed the long run of Marc Mazzarulli’s, Opus 465?

Stepping up third to the plate, Michael Guerra’s decidedly upscale Modern Mexican follows the near misses of Michael Mazzella’s Seafood Grill and celebrated Peruvian chef Elina Rosado’s Inka’s. They say that three’s a charm. And it’s hard to imagine that Armonk won’t embrace this gourmet effort. And that destination diners won’t follow.

Michael, a long-time Mount Kisco resident, and former owner of Yukas in Croton on Hudson has been looking to open a restaurant in Armonk for some time. He tapped Chef Enrique Estrada, a former sous chef at Harvest on Hudson and Head Chef at Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry. And challenged him to develop a Modern Mexican menu to go with the Tequilaria vibe he created in 465 Main’s bar area.

“It’s a beautiful thing…”

Check out their impressive collection of 167 different silver and gold Tequilas and 49 Mezcals, all backlit and projecting their amber glow over the main floor dining room. It’s a beautiful thing! With subdued lighting and tasteful touches of authentic cultural décor Casa Tequila captures an inviting urban Tequileria vibe. “We were definitely inspired by some of the Tequilarias in Manhattan. And we wanted to be the first in Westchester,” Michael said.

When we were there…

Casa Tequila’s spirits offerings are not the only elevated part of their menu. They have a limited but lovely raw bar. At Casa Tequila you can start your meal with Ostiores en su concha (Oysters on the half shell with cocktail sauce, jalapeno, cilantro and Jamaica mignonette & lemon), shrimp cocktail or Little Neck Clams. Or take it at the bar with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. We did our first trip and the oysters were big and beautiful, fresh and delicious. It’s easy to imagine doing this again.

On our return visit we loved the Calamares Fritos con salsa Thai y Habanero. Our catch offered a very friendly ratio of tentacles to rings – which made us all happy. Chef Estrada brought his “A game” to the table in this “statement” dish, served with salted peanuts and cilantro, and tossed in a spicy Thai & Habanero chili sauce. We followed up with a Lobster ceviche with melon and avocado served in a martini glass. A special that night that we all found refreshing and elegant. How did we miss the Alitas de Tequila (Tequila Chicken Wings in a tequila, chili lime sauce)?

We all fussed over the entrée menu that included Costilla de Res en Mole Poblano y Oaxaqueto (slow braised prime short ribs of been in a Poblano & Oaxaca mole sauce) and a Grilled Semiboneless, Free Range Murray’s Chicken in a cilantro cream sauce. But in the end Tacos are King. So, we ordered a boatload, all served with soft corn tortillas and three homemade salsas, avocado puree and pickled onions – and shared.

Guess which Taco was the winner?

We appreciated the “dress your own” sampling menu of sauces. Sometimes we find our palette at odds with perfectly good tacos compromised by crema-happy kitchen staff. That alone elevated our Fish Taco (fresh meaty bites, dressed our way) to best of class. The short rib tacos, braised in guajillo broth and served with a small cup of consommé, was like a Mexican version of a French dip. Nice touch. But we all agreed that the Al Pastor (Roasted pork al pastor: marinated in achiote, pineapple and spices) was the winning taco here.

Alas, one too many Margaritas (salt/rocks) and guacamole and we reached our quota before dessert. Maybe next time.

Satisfying locals and destination foodies

Is Casa Tequila Armonk a Keeper? To make it at this location they are going to have to satisfy locals and destination foodies. They seem to recognize this. Their formula includes a raw bar and creative entrees, that will change each season. At the same time their menu is grounded in traditional Latin/Mex dishes like Tacos and Fajitas. They also have a Casa Tequila Burger (on a Potato bun) on their menu. And a children’s menu that includes Chicken Fingers, Mini Beef Sliders and Penne Pasta with butter or tomato sauce. And did we mention the 167 different Tequilas?

(Spoiler alert – if you’re over 35 you may want to reserve a table in the upstairs, more formal dining room, on weekends as the main floor can get loud.) Michael told us that he’s looking into acoustical panels to absorb some of the sound.

Casa Tequila is open seven days from 11am to 10pm, 11pm on Friday and Saturday. They are located at 465 Main St., Armonk, 914.219-5777 or reserve online at www.casatequilany.com)