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| Chuleton – proper ranch ribeye steak, boniato mash, huitlacoche sofrito, guajilo chile sauce. Paired with Código 1530 Ańejo. |
I’m a vodka girl through and through (Tito’s and club, please), but last month I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to attend Red Mesa Event’s Tequila Pairing Dinner by Chef Chris Fernandez. I was even more so convinced when I learned they were offering a rosé tequila to try. I received the invite to attend this event from my friend Anna at Marry Me Tampa Bay. When I heard Red Mesa was the one hosting this amazing dinner I squealed with joy. For those of you that might not know, Red Mesa catered Ben and I’s wedding rehearsal dinner at Green Bench Brewing Company in St. Pete. We also love to date night at Red Mesa. It’s a special restaurant to us and it’s so exciting to see that they now have their very own event space above their downtown St. Pete location.
Let me be the first to tell you that their event space is beautiful.
Our Tequila Pairing Dinner took place in the La Florida Ballroom. Chandeliers made a statement hanging from the ceiling, herringbone floors were below my feet, the room was open and spacious, and there was a gorgeous wall of brick on one side. I later learned it was kept in tact from what once was St. Petersburg’s oldest fire station. It was hard not to stare and take in all of the beauty. While I enjoyed sharing the food we indulged in that evening with Instagram stories, I also made sure to give my ‘gram friends a peak of the space.
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| Ceviche Cenizo – citrus marinated scallops, cucumber, serrano chile, avocado, roasted corn, tortilla ash & cilantro. Paired with Código 1530 Plata. |
The menu at the Tequila Pairing Dinner took my taste buds for a fun ride. These courses were served with a specific to them Código 1530 tequila to enjoy. Before we started each course we would ever so appropriately cheers with our glasses of tequila. Followed by sips. Ya know, to cleanse the palette. There was no shortage of tasty plate offerings in front of us. Course after course came with a fantastic array of flavors. The portions were legitimately meal-sized. I powered through each as much as I could leaving just enough room for each next course because I wanted to TRY IT ALL.
And try it all I did.
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| Fire Roasted Peach Salad – roasted peaches, jicama, arugula, whipped ricotta, fresh cracked pepper & tamarind vinaigrette. Paired with Código 1530 Rosa. |
I had two favorite tequilas from the evening. I enjoyed the first tequila we tried – Código 1530 Plata. The Plata had a surprising smoothness to it. I also loved the Código 1530 Rosa, otherwise known as the rosé tequila. It was just so unique. I could have sipped on the Rosa all night long and would have been a happy girl. When it came to the meals, I noticeably kept going back for more on the Huachinango course (grilled American red snapper). IT WAS SO INCREDIBLY TASTY. I loved the freshness of the salsa tatemada with the snapper. The evening ended on the perfect sweet note with a dessert called Pińa Ala Plancha. It contained grilled pineapple accompanied by dulce de leche ice cream and Maria’s cookie crumble. The taste, textures in the dish, and ice cream consistency were phenom. My sweet tooth was in heaven.
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| Huachinango – grilled American red snapper, salsa tatemada, yuca cake & tomatillo butter. Paired with Código 1530 Reposado. |
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| Piña Ala Plancha – añejo marinated grilled pineapple, dulce de leche ice cream & Maria’s cookie crumble. Paired with Código 1530 Origen Extra Añejo. |
The Tequila Paring Dinner was definitely one for the books (and the foodies). Red Mesa Events had the perfect event space to host it. I’m thrilled I was able to attend and treat my tastebuds to all of the fantastic courses.
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