Martin and Sara Stayer, the chef and beverage specialist behind Nobie's and The Toasted Coconut, have added a new concept to their growing portfolio. The duo, along with bar director Sarah Troxell, quietly opened Quiote last week.
Named for the stalk that emerges from an agave plant, Quiote is a new bar that's located within the same space as The Toasted Coconut. As its name implies, the bar serves agave spirits alongside a tidy menu of raw seafood dishes. Currently, Quiote is open Wednesday through Saturday by reservation only. To secure one, diners must subscribe to The Toasted Coconut's email list to get an invite. Just don't call it a speakeasy; think of it more like Tongue-cut Sparrow, a special place for those in the know.
"This was always part of the plan," Troxell tells CultureMap, adding that Stayer has frequently discussed the idea of opening a "late night pozole bar." From the moment the bartender toured the space that would become The Toasted Coconut with the Stayers, she says they recognized the opportunity for an adjacent room to become a home for a concept that would provide Troxell with an outlet for her passion for agave spirits, specifically mezcal, and give Stayer a place to expand his repertoire of raw seafood dishes — and pozole.
Also, if they hadn't included the space in The Toasted Coconut lease, it might have become something like a juice bar or a nail salon, which wouldn't be nearly as fun.
To access Quiote, patrons are ushered through a unmarked door in the tiki bar's private dining room; from there, they'll find a shotgun space with approximately 20 chairs arranged around a U-shaped counter. Like at both Nobie's and The Toasted Coconut, the soundtrack comes via records being played on a turntable.
Inside the dimly lit space, Troxell and veteran bartender Peter Jahnke (Anvil, Tongue-cut Sparrow) prepare classic agave-based cocktails like the margarita and paloma alongside a few originals like the La Bamba (El Silencio mezcal, Arette resposado tequila, Vallet Fernet, Yellow Chartreuse) and Manzana Manzanilla, which contains sotol, a green apple shrub, and Topo Chico. Agave spirit fans may choose from over 30 mezcals and more than 20 tequilas, all priced per ounce. Sara Stayer adds a tidy, seven-bottle wine list, four of which are available by-the-glass.
Quiote's menu includes two kinds of pozole, a red chili broth with pork and a white broth with chicken. Seafood options start with steamed mussels, plus several raw dishes: two different aguachiles, a daily crudo, seafood cocktail, and bay scallops in mole negro. A tostada topped with beets, pomegranate mole, oranges, and cashews serves as the vegetarian option. Local food influencer Iris Chang (@thehungrypetite) captured some images of the photo-worthy dishes.
As with the Stayers two other establishments, a welcoming atmosphere, friendly service, and carefully crafted food and drinks combine to create a memorable experience. Once word spreads, reservations might be tough to secure, but fans of the couple's other two businesses will likely want to take the plunge.
Red pozole with pork.
