Comments (0) Best Latin Bar - 2011
Casa Mezcal
The first thing everyone will tell you about Casa Mezcal: You can munch on a bowl of fried grasshoppers while sipping on your drink. Yes, this is an interesting little oddity, and yes, the grasshoppers actually do taste pretty good (no, really), but lost in this bit of culinary tourism is the fact that Casa Mezcal has so much more to offer than an exotic twist on bar nuts. We'll break it down floor-by-floor: Underground, the basement offers a performance space where you might find anything from rarely heard Latin jazz to a unique twist on the burlesque show. There's also an alligator mounted on the wall. Next, the first floor contains the main bar, where you'll be able to choose from an enormous selection of mezcal (that's distilled agave nectar for all you gringos), including one from the owner's private Oaxacan distillery. And finally, on the second floor, you can go up and relax a little bit, enjoying your drink while you look down over Orchard Street and trace the route along which you'll soon stumble home. 86 Orchard Street, 212-777-2600 (10002)
