Flights of Fancy
Mix and match Rivera's Tequila on Tap concoctions
When it comes to tequila, few restaurateurs can match John Sedlar: He made waves for his Southwest-influenced cuisine at St. Estephe, Bikini and Abiquiu in the 80s and 90s, and was a brand ambassador for Patron for 10 years. He even grows his own agave plants in Jalisco, Mexico. Now you'll find that expertise at his new downtown restaurant, Rivera.
The menu features tasty tequila-spiked cocktails like the cool cucumber Rivera's Cup, and those who pay $2,500 can keep two bottles of the restaurant's private-label, extra-aged anejo tequila on site (under lock and key) to drink any time they want. But we're partial to the Tequila on Tap program--a selection of 12 different hand-crafted potions that change frequently, all served from an Enomatic system that keeps things nice and fresh.
Inspired by traditional aguas frescas, Sedlar makes easy-drinking sippers from seasonal ingredients like Cara Cara oranges or exotics like Brazilian white pearl pineapples. There's an opaque, Sambuca-esque quaff made with Oroblanco grapefruit and star anise, and another infused with Tahitian vanilla that makes a great digestif. Can't decide which to try? Choose three for a flight ($10) to pair with the contemporary pan-Latin cuisine, or sit back in a cushy "tequila chair" and try them all one by one.
Rivera, 1050 S. Flower St., Downtown; 213-749-1460 or riverarestaurant.com
