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.

Did you know that more Avocados are consumed on SuperBowl Sunday than all other days combined?! A staggering 53.5 million pounds of avocados will be consumed on Sunday!

Every day at Cafe Coyote we serve up fresh avocado in many of our traditional Mexican dishes and of course, to make our famous homemade guacamole(a guest favorite).

We know the Superbowl is a time for families to get together, so we hope we can accomodate you and your family this SuperBowl Sunday in our Puerto Vallarta room for the game where we will be offering up specials and delicious fare and showing the game on our numerous HD televisions.

If you will be spending the game at home, we  still wanted to give you the ability to bring a little fiesta, Cafe Coyote-style,  to your SuperBowl feast.

Enjoy!

Cafe Coyote’s Fresh Guacamole Recipe

3 Ripe Haas Avocados (we only use Haas because of rich buttery flavor)

½ Med White Onion chopped finely

1 Small Bunch of Fresh Cilantro Chopped

1 Jalapeño chopped finely

Juice of one Lemon

Salt to taste

One diced tomato, optional

Mash Avocados and Add all other ingredients.  Stir to desired consistency.  Add extra Jalapeño if you like it a little spicier.  Serve with Fresh Tortillas Chips or cut Vegetables for a healthy snack.

What a vacation!!! August and September was work, work, and work when it came down to tequila events and Mexican holidays.  In August I participated as a judge in the 7^TH annual Spirits of Mexico tasting competition. Trying almost 200 agave spirit entrees is always a challenge. Two weeks after I flew down to Guadalajara, Jalisco to educate myself even deeper on the art of tasting tequila. I took a four-day course with one of the most recognized tequila masters in the world, Francisco Hajnal Alfraro. Mr. Hajnal is one of the master distillers that created Jose Cuervo’s famous Reserva De La Familia “Extra Añejo” Tequila. Two days of theory and two days visiting 6 distilleries. I now obtain expert certifications on tequila from both, La Academia Mexicana de Tequila A.C. and La Academia Mexicana De Catadores de Tequila Vino y Mezcal, A.C.

September, was a month long celebration. On September 15^th we hosted the first annual Sangrita Cocktail competition finals. Finalist from tequila and Mezcal brands created a signature cocktail made with traditional sangrita ingredients. The party continued when I reenacted Miguel Hidalgo’s cry of independence, “el grito”.  Long live and all the heroes that that fought for Mexico’s independence! Reenacting a two hundred year tradition was an honor for me to share with all my friends, customers and family that joined me for this historic event.

Who can forget the fiesta de flavors in the Old Town’s main park and the grand tasting at the Cosmopolitan Hotel?  After my seminar on the Evolution of Tequila I enjoyed the rest of the night talking to tequila celebrities and enjoying the rest of the night sipping on quality tequilas, mescals and sotol.

September ended with a two-week vacation down to Guanajato and Jalisco, México.

For the last 12 years I travel with my family to these two states to visit family and for the past 8 years to discover tequila and its myths. I had never taken my family with me to explore tequila country until this last trip. It is really not about the drinking. It is about the magic of this place called, Tequila. The people, food and the landscape are what lure me to visit this place so often. Finally my family understands why the land where tequila is produced is so important to me.

Tequila and Mexico is a symbol of my identity, my roots and the place that I come from. Sharing the wealth of knowledge I acquire from every trip I take to Mexico helps me educate our guest at Café Coyote to make their experience at this great restaurant more fulfilling and rich.

More Photos From my Trip!

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Lippy, The Tequila Whisperer, www.tequilawhisperer.com will be streaming a LIVE VIDEO from the Spirits of Mexico Festival at Cafe Coyote this evening!

The Spirits of Mexico Festival, the world’s best and biggest Agave Spirits festival in America is hosting over 150 spirits who haveentered into the tasting competition.

On tonight’s show, Lippy will BLIND-TASTE the top three winners in each age category, (blanco, reposado, anejo) then he’ll pronounce HIS OWN ranking of 1st to 3rd place for each of the blind samples. Watch in nail-biting anticipation as he reveals his winners, and see how close his own finely-tuned palate matches the results of more than 15 Master Judges!

Join Lippy & Cafe Coyote and see the results– LIVE steaming from the internet!

When: Thursday, September 16, 7:00 PM (PST)
Where: http://tequilawhispererLIVE.com

My four day educational experience in Jalisco is one I will never forget. Francisco Hajnal Alfaro, President of, La Academia Mexican de Catadores taught a four day “Expert Seminar on Tequila”. Two days consisted in theory classes in Guadalajara’s luxurious Hotel, Victoria Express. During our stay in Guadalajara we got to visit the Tequila Regulatory   At the C.R.T. we learned from scientist that explained the scientific approaches behind the tequila process and “Terroir”.

During our last two days we visited six different distilleries. Three in Los Altos (highlands) and 3 in the “low lands,” Tequila Jalisco.  We learned from Maestro Tequileros, jimadores (harvesters), chemist, distillery managers, and brand owners. The distilleries visited were: La Primavera, El Centenario/ La Vencedora, Quiote, La Fortaleza, La Alborada and La Rojeña.

Our graduating ceremony was held in the José Cuervo gardens. Just before our award ceremony we toured “La Rojeña, the first ever licenced tequila distillery (1795). We were priveledged to fill our own Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia bottle, dip the top with wax, glue the required labels and take home this great gift. We even got a chance to go down to their private cellar and drink right out of their aging barrels. Our evening concluded with Aztec dance representations, folkloric dancers, a musical group, delicious dinner and finally our Maestro Catodor (Master Taster) and Expert on Tequila certificates. Thank you everyone that helped us with this “blue dream”.

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Salud!

Mario Alejandro Márquez

Tequila Ambassador

Cafe Coyote y Cantina

Speaking to the gathered crowd in Dolores, Guanajuato, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the famed “father” of Mexico, expressed his beliefs in a people’s revolt for Mexican Independence. His war cry or “El Grito de Dolores / El Grito de la Independencia” marks the anniversary of Mexican Independence and evokes national pride.

Not to be confused with Cinco de Mayo (May 5^th), September 16^th marks the celebration of Mexico’s War of Independence. Every year at midnight on September 15, Mexicans join together in solidarity and led by the President of Mexico, shout the El Grito.

Nestled in the heart of San Diego’s historic old town, also known as “The Birthplace of California”, Café Coyote, a traditional Mexican cantina and café, is one of only two Academia Del Tequila certified Tequila houses in the United States.  At its home within walking distance of Old Town attractions such as the Whaley House, the “Little Adobe Chapel,” the Old Town Cemetery “El Campo Santo,” and The Old Town State Park (California’s most visited State Park), Café Coyote has become a landmark in and of itself being Voted Best Mexican Restaurant in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

In honor of Mexico’s robust culinary history and to help mark the 200^th Anniversary of the Mexico’s Independence, the Spirits of Mexico Festival presented by The Polished Palate will be returning to Historic Old Town the week of September 16th. The oldest and most comprehensive agave spirits Festival in the United States, will coincide with Café Coyote’s Independence celebrations, culminating on the night of September 15^th, where Café Coyote will host an El Grito reenactment by Mario Marquez, our famed Tequila Ambassador.

Coinciding with the Independence Celebration, Café Coyote will host the Finals of the Sangrita Challenge presented by Living Liquid Magazine on Wednesday September 15 to mark the opening of the festival ($25 per person in advance; $30 cash only at the door, 21+).  Guests will be able to taste all 5 finalist entry cocktails as well as enjoy Café Coyote’s famous Mexican fair. The esteemed judging table will be headed by Judges Ryan Kelley of the National Tequila Examiner and Café Coyote’s own, Kenny Kaufmann.