Friday, January 18, 2008

Local flavor


I don't usually go in for hard liquor, but last night found me sampling shots of mezcal, a local specialty, made from the maguey plant (much like tequila). I don't like tequila, but I have enjoyed the mezcal I've tried. The first kind I tried, sometime last week, was smoother than tequila, and it has less of a bite when mixed with other things. We tried two different kinds last night--a golden-colored variety that had a flavor very similar to smoked whiskey, and a clear kind that was much harsher and I didn't really care for.

These drinks were complimentary at an event we went to last night at a nearby art gallery/bar called Coatl (Aztec for "serpent;" you may have heard of Quetzelcoatl, the feathered-serpent god). They were having an opening of a new exhibit of works by an artist named R. Xadany; they were brightly colored paintings featuring bird people, fruit, and disembodied eyes, and I liked them a lot. The place was set up much like a large one-room restaurant, with tables and chairs arranged around the room. The paints were displayed on the walls around the room. Coatl also features a jukebox, pool table, air hockey table, and foozeball table, as well as several large screens that at first displayed the latest videos from MTV jams before switching over to a slideshow of the paintings. Once the show officially opened, a live band played for about an hour, three guys with guitars who sang in harmony; it was really fun.

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