Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood is about to get a welcomed dose of Mexican fare, complete with grasshopper guacamole, bone marrow tacos, and America’s largest selection of mezcal.
Los Generales Mezcal & Grill, a new concept from Fine Spices Brands LLC, a company run by restauranteur veteran JC Cachoua, will bring the flavors and traditions of authentic Mexican cuisine, to open in late 2019 at the revamped CocoWalk.
Los Generales will be the first Mexican restaurant concept created by several Top Celebrity Chefs from Mexico, including TV personality Chef Aquiles Chavez, among others.
The international concept will become the only full-service Mexican eatery in the city’s thriving Coconut Grove district. News of the restaurant’s planned debut comes on the heels of a 42,883-square-foot lease with Spaces, a worldwide co-working operator that will serve as the anchor tenant for One Cocowalk, the new Class A office building now under construction at CocoWalk.
Los Generales will feature both indoor and outdoor dining, as well as a Mezcal bar serving up a unique collection of mezcal cocktails. Aficionados will splurge for a collection of hard-to-find handcrafted mezcal varieties sourced directly from Santiago Matatlan, the village in Oaxaca, Mexico that is widely considered the world capital of mezcal.
Neighborhood crowd pleasers will include Duck tamales, truffle esquites and roasted bone marrow tacos. Adventurous diners may opt for Los Generales’ signature plato Guacamole sampler, complete with pork chicharron, blue cheese and chapulines — protein-rich grasshoppers — a Mexican delicacy.
“Los Generales is a unique concept that fuses tradition and innovation to offer Mexican Avant-garde cuisine, a revolutionary gastronomic experience where the traditional flavors of Mexico are presented in colorful and festive dishes,” said Chef Aquiles Chavez.
The restaurant’s colorful flavors will extend beyond the menu to the décor itself. Imported Mexican tile floors, custom-designed metal screens, and laser-cut lampshades will provide countless Instagram-worthy moments.
The restaurant will be located on CocoWalk’s third floor, in a 7,500-square-foot space that will include a rooftop terrace dining and bar experience overlooking the center’s new interior courtyard and Grand Avenue.
Los Generales is the newest in a series of restaurant concepts developed by Fine Spices Brands working with top celebrity chefs such as Aquiles Chavez known for his exuberant personality, who has become a household name among Mexican foodies.
He has appeared on cooking shows such as Top Chef Mexico and El Toque de Aquiles, broadcast throughout Latin America. His reality TV show, Aquiles en Houston followed Chavez and his family as they moved to Texas to open La Fisheria, his first U.S. restaurant.
The redevelopment of CocoWalk, now underway and scheduled to open in phases over the next 18 months, is led by Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), the Comras Company and Grass River Property, which jointly acquired the property in 2015. In addition to reimagined retail spaces, the redevelopment will include an 85,762-square-foot, Class A office building –
One Cocowalk – that recently signed co-working operator Spaces as its anchor tenant.
“Our vision for the new CocoWalk is built around memorable dining and retail experiences that will bring the community together in one of South Florida’s most beloved neighborhoods,” said Michael Comras, a member of the CocoWalk development and leasing team. “Chef Chavez and Los Generales will be the perfect addition to Coconut Grove’s eclectic mix of international brands and local operators who are serving the Grove’s growing population of residents, businesses and visitors.”
CocoWalk’s fresh look is designed in scale with the neighborhood’s existing aesthetic, incorporating water and landscaping features. Its centerpiece is an open-air courtyard that extends into the adjacent pedestrian streetscape — an inviting oasis destined to become one of the City’s great public spaces.
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