Opening this summer in San Diego's North County community of Solana Beach is ALCE 101 Kitchen & Tequileria, a farm-to-table meets Southwest-style cocktail bar and restaurant from a longtime area restaurateur.
From industry veteran Bradley Evarts - who previously operated the now-shuttered Cilantros by the Sea in Encinitas, and Epazote, which operated for nearly 20 years in Del Mar before closing in 2009 - ALCE 101 is a satellite distillery and restaurant project that has had to go through more nearly 2 years of administrative hurdles with the Solana Beach city council prior to being approved. After having to change the name and make other concessions, construction is underway to build ALCE 101 within The Boardwalk shopping center just north of Lomas Santa Fe Drive in the spaces that were previously occupied by two other businesses - Java Depot and Juicers.
"ALCE 101 Kitchen and Tequileria is a farm to table meets southwest restaurant," said owner Bradley Evarts. "It has been inspired by our love for tequila and of the craft of distilling tequila in the highlands of Jalisco, where we have partnered with soon to be released private label tequila."
ALCE 101 will offer a Napa Valley style design with Mexican accents, including a wall of organ pipe cactus, as well as ample outdoor patio seating. The bar will feature a unique lineup of tequilas that are currently being distilled at an agave farm and tequileria in the Jalisco Highlands of Mexico. The agave plants are being farmed in rows surrounded by lemon and lime trees to impart more flavor into the final spirit. The restaurant will serve upscale Mexican-American fusion cuisine prepared with ingredients from area farms, all complimented by an ambitious cocktail menu centered around a large variety of margaritas.
