Mariachis, Margaritas, Molotes and More! Make Mama’s Day at Cafe Coyote

Did you know that Mothers Day in Mexico is celebrated a day earlier than in the U.S.? There is a good reason to celebrate! Being right on the border of Mexico means we get to celebrate Mothers Day twice isn’t that nice?

This year, Mexican Mothers Day, “Dia de las Madres,” is on May 10 and the U.S. Mothers Day is celebrated Sunday, May 13. According to Mexican tradition, the children of the honored mothers come to the family home on the evening before Dia de las Madres to thank their mothers for all their hard work in raising them. On the day itself, colorful flowers and gifts are given. Mothers are feted with a rainbow of flowers, food and festivities and of course lots of love!

In the U.S., we tend to take Mama to her favorite place to eat and shower her with flowers, chocolates and corsages. One definite thing both the U.S. and Mexican celebrations of mothers have in common is food and fun. That is why Cafe Coyote in historic Old Town is the perfect place to treat your Mama to the best in food, fun and festivities. Whether you’re saying, “Muchas gracias, Mama” or “Thank you, Mom,” Cafe Coyote is the perfect choice!

Cafe Coyote is now accepting reservations for Dia de Las Madres and Mother’s Day (May 10-13). Some of the scrumptious specials will include: Menudo, Molotes, Huaraches (shaped like sandals!), Pollo Boracho, Mole de Pollo, Cochinita Pibil and Camarones Mojo de Ajo.

Sweet Mama will love her Tres Leches Cupcake, Margarita Cheesecake or Sweet Pineapple Tamale dessert, as well.
Strolling mariachis and a complimentary Mexican paper flower for each mom complete the celebrations at one of San Diego’s premier Mexican restaurants.

Cafe Coyote Restaurant is at 2461 San Diego Avenue in Old Town. Phone number is 619-291-4695. For more information, visit www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com.

Easter is celebrated in almost every region throughout the world, but one of the mostinteresting ways can be found in Southern California. Southern California is unique because it is at the center of the fusion of American and Mexican traditions. The result is often a week that mixes Easter baskets, candy bunnies, plastic Easter eggs, Holy Day Parades, passion plays and, of course, church.

But for how different each distinct culture can be, both share a very important event, Easter Sunday Brunch. Easter brunch is the feast to memorialize of the end of Lent, a mini Family reunion and celebration of spring all wrapped into one afternoon.

In the tradition of mixing traditions, Café Coyote has put together a feast that celebrates both cultures. With its picturesque setting, friends and family feast on a Easter brunch that includes Blood Mary’s and Breakfast Margaritas, there are California Omelettes and Shrimp Chile RellanoOmelettes,, breakfast favorites and Easter Bunny sweets. Take your family to brunch anytime between 7:00 a.m and 4:00 p.m., and then walk it off with a stroll through historic Old Town.

While there’s nothing wrong with a plate full of corned beef and cabbage with a Guinness to wash it down, after four centuries of feasting in the honor of Saint Patrick, it might be time for a little innovation. So in honor of the most celebrated of all saintly feast days, we at the Coyote Café have put together some special recipes to get you pumped for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The Shamrock Margarita is a vivid, tasty new take on an old favorite. With a splash of mango and some bright blue curacao liqueur, you get a party-ready cocktail that’s easy to drink and easy on the eyes. We have also just announced our house special Leprechaun Margarita which features a hint of melon and a visage so green it could banish the snakes from Ireland all over again.

If you can’t make it out in time  for the big day, there’s no need to worry, because both the Shamrock Margarita and the Leprechaun Margarita will be available for the entire month of March at $7.95 a piece.

In preparation for the feast, Coyote Café is also your go-to place for the traditional Taco Tuesday on March 13^th. We’ll be serving our house special corned beef tacos, which come served in a festive green flour tortilla for $2 a piece all day.

On the big day itself you don’t want to miss our Corned beef taco plate!It comes heaped with potatoes and cabbage and topped with a sour cream mustard sauce as well as Mexican rice and refried beans, all for $9.50.

Café’s Coyote is introducing a new Langostino Lobster Taco and it is awesome!

Details:

Langostino Taco-Two soft corn tortillas stuffed with breaded and deep-fried langostino lobster, creamy chipotle sauce, with cabbage and salsa fresca. Served with beans and Mexican style rice for the incredible price of $12.95.

The Spanish word Langostino has different meanings in different parts of the world. In the United States, we use this word to refer to the delicious meat of the squat lobster.  However, in Spain, it may refer to a variety of species of prawn. Where as in Cuba it refers to crayfish, whereas in South America, it refers to red shrimp.

There are two species of squat lobster found along the California coast. Despite looking like lobsters, they’re more closely related to hermit crabs. Unlike their relatives, squat lobsters don’t carry shells with them on their backs. Instead, they squeeze into small crevices along the ocean floor and leave their sharp claws exposed to keep predators away.

Squat lobsters also hide under rocks to protect themselves. Safe from hungry fish and lobsters, they wait for snacks to settle nearby and then use their sharps claws to reach out and pick off that which passes by.

Two cool facts about squat lobsters:

1.) Squat lobsters’ arms grow to be several times the length of their body.

2.) Squat lobsters sometimes steal food from sea anemones. Sea anemones look like plants but they are really animals that eat meat.

Valentine’s Day in San Diego has never been more fun than when it is spent at Café Coyote! On this special night we have three romantic options for you to start the night off right:

1. A beautiful three-course menu for $20/person, add perfectly selected Tequila pairings for $10 and things will get real hot!
2. Fresh lobster dinner guaranteed to impress your lover – $34.95/person
3. Lastly, delicious Rose Margaritas for only $7.95 /each

If you want to show your lover how much Valentine’s Day means to a romantic like you, let us recommend a few facts about the holiday to weave into conversation throughout the night:

• In 496 Pope Gelasius I pronounced February 14  tobe St. Valentine’s Day.
• In the 1800s stories popped up that St. Valentine’s Day dated back to Rome and the festival of Lupercalia on the 15th of February, this was later disproved.
• It is now widely accepted that St. Valentine’s Day is a Middle Age tradition of choosing a romantic partner on the day believed to be when birds began mating each spring.
• It is not clear whom Pope Gelasiusintended to honor with Valentine’s Day. According the Catholic Encyclopedia, there were three early Christian saints by that name. One was a priest in Rome, another a bishop in Terni, and of a third St. Valentine died with very little known about him.Most interestingly all three saints were martyred on Feb. 14!
• In 1969, the Catholic Church revised holidays with questionable origins and removed the feast of Valentine’s Day from the church’s official calendar.
• The tradition of Valentine’s cards did not become widespread in the United States until the 1850s.
• Todaythe holiday has become a success that according to the Greeting Card Association of America accounts for 25% of all cards sent each year.

About 70 years ago, in a little bar in Baja, a drink was born that would change the world’s understanding of the favorite local liquor, tequila. The drink was the Margarita, so named for the first person to enjoy it: Margarita Henkel, daughter of the German ambassador to Mexico.

The original drink enjoyed by Mrs. Henkel consisted of equal parts tequila, orange curacao liqueur, and lime. The classic margarita was served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass and, by and large, hasn’t changed much since its inception. But beyond the original, there is an entire world of margarita flavors and spinoffs. And to celebrate this diversity, Café Coyote is hosting National Margarita Day on February 22^nd.

Here at the Coyote, we serve 20 different variations on the classic drink from Pomegranate to Coconut, and on National Margarita Day, they will all be on special for $5. It’s an all night, all margarita happy hour honoring the rich history and adaptability of our favorite drink

Café Coyote plans to celebrate a Puerto Nuevo tradition by serving Puerto Nuevo style lobsters every Thursday from 11 a.m. until close. Puerto Nuevo is an area in Baja that has achieved recognition from all over for its famous “Puerto Nuevo style” lobsters.  Puerto Nuevo style lobsters are served fried to keep the meat tender. Puerto Nuevo style lobsters traditionally come with a side of rice, beans and homemade tortillas.

Puerto Nuevo style lobsters have been a tradition in the Baja region since 1956. According to legend, the tradition started when two local women in a fishing village south of Rosarito decided to drop fresh lobster into hot, bubbling oil. Puerto Nuevo style lobsters quickly became a staple in the area because many families did not have refrigerators, and the lobsters did not require any refrigerated ingredients. Since 1956, Puerto Nuevo has served locals and tourist millions of lobsters each year.

At Café Coyote, diners can enjoy this Mexican tradition without traveling all the way to Puerto Nuevo. For $25.95, diners will receive a 1.5 to 1.75 pound lobster served with Mexican style rice, refried beans, handmade tortillas, drawn butter and fresh salsa. Lobsters are only available until supplies run out so get there early.

Café Coyote will celebrate Taco Tuesdays with $2 tacos every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. until close. The menu for Taco Tuesday will include nine tacos that will be reoccurring regulars on the menu each week. These Taco Tuesday menu staples will include Beef Tacos, Fish Tacos, Chicken Tacos and Carne Asada Tacos.

In addition, Café Coyote will feature a special taco each week. Specialty tacos will center around fresh, creative ingredients in unusual combinations. These specialty tacos include the Fried Calamari Chipotle Taco, the Irish Taco and the Chicken Diablo Taco. Café Coyote’s website has a detailed list of each specialty taco they will feature so diners can plan ahead each week.

Café Coyote will also be creating a new taco that the restaurant’s Facebook and Twitter fans will have a chance to take part in naming. This new taco will become a staple on Café Coyote’s menu each week.

For more information about Café Coyote including a full list of the tacos served, please visit: http://cafecoyoteoldtown.com/taco-tuesday.html.

Giovanna M. Has 45 reviews on Yelp.com
San Diego, CA
5 star rating
11/13/2011
I LOVE this place!

During our last visit (11/12/2011) we ordered the quesadilla appetizer. It was very good! They have this really yummy salsa verde on it which makes it different than other quesadillas you may have had. Ours was free because of a check-in offer here on Yelp. But I’ll gladly pay for one in the future!!
Everyone orders what my favorite dish is: Pollo a la Crema. I get it with black beans instead of refried. Both are good, but I always personally prefer black beans over pinto. Everyone raves! It’s so so so good.
The chicken in this dish is a butterflied breast, covered in this rich and very mildly spicy Jalapeño Crema (a cream sauce). Served on a bed of delicious Spanish Rice.
Order extra crema if you like it. They’ve always been happy to give more in a little edible bowl.
I’ve ordered one other thing on their menu in the 10 or so times I’ve been here, but I cannot remember what it was. It was good though!
Patron Margarita on the rocks – Grande size… Yeah… Yummy! Definitely worth the price. One of the best margaritas I’ve ever had outside of my house. I order mine without the Gran Marnier, because of personal preference. But if you like that addition, you’ll love it in the margarita!!
Their flan is tasty and rich in sweetness, but the consistency is not right. It’s lumpy. I’m used to a much more smooth texture. So if you have a consistency issue, you might opt to skip that.
Our service is always superb. I have never had the need to complain here. They go the extra mile to make their guests happy.
I always look forward to our next visit.
Whether you’re a tourist or a native, I’m sure you’ll love this place!

A Summer of Fun

So many things to do in America’s Finest City, San Diego! Last weekend Café Coyote participated in the 3^rd annual San Diego Spirits Festival. This two-day celebration of spirits, local mixology and great fun was held at the stunning Port Pavilion on the Broadway Pier.  The weather was just right for an afternoon of local food, art and a diversity of beverages.

60 international and local liquor brands presented their products in a creative fashion to attract hundreds of people that passed by their booths. The party was wild! Many wanted to continue the party in a responsible manner. The after party continued in many of San Diego’s local hot sports; one of them being our very own, Café Coyote.

I was privileged to set up a table that featured 4 of some the finest tequilas in Mexico: 1519, Fortaleza, Don Fulano, Tanteo infused and Chihuahua’s famous Don Cuco Sotol.

There were many other though: Milagro, Agave Underground, Kah, Agave 99 and Sonora Mexico’s Bacanora from the rare agave Pacifica also shone in this diverse assortment of spirits.

Summer has just arrived and there is still time to enjoy San Diego’s perfect weather!

Taco Tuesday, Tequila Thursday, bloody Maria Sundays with smoky Mezcal. Wow, there is a party here everyday!

This weekend will literally be a blast with Fourth of July weekend.  Ask for a  ‘Red, White, and Blue Margarita to support this great country, The United States Of America!

Ask for quality 100% agave tequila in your drink so that the only starts you see are the stars on our beautiful flag and not the stars you see after a horrible hangover when you drink average tequila.

I will be here all weekend and hope to see you at this award winning place, Café Coyote!

Salud !!

Mario Marquez

Tequila Ambassador