Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the Opening of Cantina Rooftop

Modern Mexican cuisine, expertly crafted cocktails and a new NYC rooftop that continues the party all year round?  Muy bueno! Tell me more. No fabulous Cinco de Mayo plans this year? Here’s the perfect solution: Cantina Rooftop’s opening is scheduled for May 5^th 2015 making it the perfect location for a fiesta.

With spring flowers in full bloom, what better place to spend perfect, summer nights with close friends than on a New York City rooftop, with a mouth-watering cocktail in hand? Guests are permitted to party all year round at Cantina Rooftop. Who would want to freeze at a high altitude while sipping something on the rocks? Not even the booze can warm you up when it’s 5 below. Lucky for people searching for nightlife in the snow, Cantina Rooftop will be open rain-or-shine, all year-round. The new restaurant’s state-of-the-art retractable rooftop lets adapts to the elements in just a few minutes. Whether you’re admiring the views under the sun, while downing a margarita on the rocks, or sitting toasty-warm next to space heaters shielding you from the chill, this new restaurant and lounge holds all the promise of a perfect night out.

No one goes out to a restaurant solely for the ambiance, and it’s not easy to find a restaurant that has it all: amazing, over-the-top, great food & atmosphere. General Manager Richie Cardona tapped Executive Chef Gonzalo Colin for Cantina Rooftop and because of it, the dining experience is going to be nothing short of extraordinary. His culinary knowledge dates back to his childhood surrounded by French cuisine, fine Italian wine, and Mexican spices. His skills were further enhanced as an adult after traveling to 30 cities in his native, Mexico. Chef Colin returned believing in the power of feeding the body through the smell, sight and taste of food. With his life-long love of cooking and his determination and success in moving up in the chef rankings, Chef Gonzalo Colin has wonderful, tantalizing dishes patiently waiting to be devoured by diners on Cinco de Mayo and beyond.

“How do you cook with love? When you think that the people you are cooking for is your family, that’s the secret ingredient. It is more than food to the body; it is a way of feeding the soul, a dish at a time.” – Cantina Rooftop’s Executive Chef Gonzalo Colin

What exactly is Chef Colin carefully preparing for us? Start off your night snacking on his renowned guacamole, prepared with fresh cilantro, Serrano pepper, white onions, and tangy, key lime juice served with Totopos and radishes picked to perfection. Then order some appetizers for the table.  Try the Crazy Shrimp, Drunken Beans, Mexican Street Corn, or the Empanada Trio prepared with perfectly aged Chihuahua cheese, braised chicken tinga, fine herbs, crème fraiche, and pickled tequila peppe. Save some room because you’re going to need it for the main event, the entrées. Send your taste buds on a journey and order up the Branzino steamed with maguey parchment and served with tomato, and spicy, fresh salsa verde. With so many incredible, innovative dishes to try like Chef Colin’s Lamb Shank, Oven Roasted Free Range Chicken, Black Angus Arrachera a la Parilla, and the Mexican Boullabaisse: a toss-up of fresh seafood, you’ll have to visit Cantina Rooftoop over and over until you’ve tasted everything on the delicious menu. 

Thanks to Cantina Rooftop’s magnificent mixologist and tequila expert Jay Silverman, you simply can’t get through a meal without a specialty cocktail of Silverman’s own creation. One look at the drink menu and you realize it’s unlike any other. Pair your Mexican dishes perfectly with the refreshing, Watermelon Hibiscus Margarita. This cocktail is a smooth, summery treat mixed with Tromba Blanco Tequila, Veev, lime, fresh watermelon, agave nectar, and a glass rimmed with hibiscus power, forget the salt! With other cocktail options such as the sweet, fruity Pomegranate Lava Margarita and the elegant, Ginger Margarita, you might never go back to simple limes and salted rims again.`

Cantina Rooftop is located at 605 W. 48^th Street, NYC 10036.  Dinner reservations recommended: (212) 957-1700.  Open Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday & Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight.  Lounge open Thursday through Saturday until 4 a.m.  Sunday brunch coming soon.  All major credit cards accepted.  For more information, please visit www.cantinarooftop.com.