AMARANTA COCINA MEXICANA: AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE

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AMARANTA COCINA MEXICANA OPENING IN DANVILLE SERVING TRADITIONAL MEXICAN CUISINE
Time-honored specialties and an unrivaled selection of 100% Blue Agave tequila are on the menu at Danville’s destination for authentic Mexican fare

(DANVILLE, CA; May 2008) – Joining the East Bay’s newly designed Rose Garden Shopping Center, Amaranta Cocina Mexicana is offering East Bay’ avid gourmands a new and exciting dining destination to celebrate the diverse regional cuisine of Mexico within a vibrant and stylish environment inclusive with a spacious outdoor patio complimented by a live trio band serenading your heart away with the sounds from our beloved Mexico. This is the second Amaranta Cocina Mexicana for the Rallos; the first one is the highly acclaimed Amaranta Cocina Mexicana in Los Angeles. This newest edition will be opening for brunch, lunch and dinner, serving highly flavorful Mexican dishes, and showcasing an unsurpassed collection of nearly 400 varieties of 100% Blue Agave tequila, as well as a variety of freshly made sweet and savory margaritas. Neatly packaging the novel dining experience for guests on the move, Amaranta Cocina Mexicana’s To-Go store offers a delicious takeaway menu, alongside traditional Mexican beverage offerings. Amaranta takes its name from the amaranth, a highly nutritious grain that was a staple food in the diet of the ancient Aztecs. Today a small number of communities continued to grow this colorful, versatile and historical plant. Among its many uses, amaranth grains are toasted, much like popcorn, then mixed with honey, molasses, chocolate or puffed rice to make the Mexican confection called alegría, which literally means "joy" or "happiness."

By the dynamic husband-and-wife team of Eduardo and Sylvia Rallo, Amaranta Cocina Mexicana is the first East Bay venture of the Rallos Resmex Group, which owns eight restaurants throughout California. “Sylvia and I create restaurant concepts with the goal of transporting people to a completely different place,” Eduardo Rallo asserts, adding, “We believe dining is an experience beyond just what you’re eating.” Such is reflected of the Rallo’s San Francisco hot spot Colibri Mexican Bistro where San Francisco Chronicle columnist William Addison wrote “the holy trinity of Mexican restaurants – guacamole, margaritas and tortillas – is executed with finesse”.

Reminiscent of the rich heritage and traditions of Mexico, Amaranta Cocina Mexicana’s design is a collaboration between L.A. designer Gregory Roth and San Francisco designer Beatriz M. Work, featuring a vibrant, tasteful palette of earth tones, burgundies and yellows, contrasted with rich wood accents. The warm dining room features, vividly textured stucco walls, and is flanked to one side by a towering tequila bar, displaying a framework of wooden cubicles, each safeguarding multiple tequila bottles. Chandeliers made of large, hand-blown silver glass globes cast a warm, sparkling glow throughout. A trio of separate private dining rooms, divided by elegant curtains, is the ideal location for social or business meetings, with the entire restaurant accommodating up to 187 patrons.

The Rallo’s Amaranta Cocina Mexicana masterfully showcases the magic of traditional Mexican cooking, using time-honored recipes and ingredients from the resplendent homes and cocinas found in the heart of Mexico.
“Classic Mexican cuisine is a true blending of rich flavors, textures and traditions from ancient cultures such as the Aztec and Mayan use of chiles and corn, to the Spanish and French contributions such as dried fruit, nuts, wines and cheeses,” explains Sylvia Rallo.
Staying true to the traditional dining practices observed throughout Mexico, guests are presented with freshly made warm corn tortillas and an assortment of signature house-made salsas at the start of the meal. Appetizers include Guacamole, made fresh at your table in a stone mortar and pestle in addition to entrée items such as the signature Enchiladas de Mole Poblano made with Chicken wrapped in Corn Tortillas and topped with Mole Poblano sauce, made in-house with 18 different ingredients and Michoacán-style 20-hour Marinated Carnitas, slow cooked for four hours. A traditional dessert menu offers lively interpretations of classics such as Churros con Crema Y Cajeta, filled with Bavarian crème and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
When it comes to quenching one’s thirst in classic Mexican tradition, Amaranta Cocina Mexicana embraces the true “spirit” of Mexico, offering close to 400 tequilas – all made from 100% Blue Agave – ranging in price from $9 to $110 per shot. For $110 per shot, guests can sample the Partida family’s limited edition, ultra-premium Añejo, “Elegante”. A selection of classic margaritas is also available. Unlike many restaurants where purées are used, bartenders at Amaranta Cocina Mexicana muddle fresh fruit directly into each seasonal margarita including Watermelon, Pomegranate, Mango, Blood Orange, Tamarind and Cantaloupe. Educational tequila tastings are held on the last Monday of every month, allowing guests to taste and discuss up to seven premium tequilas paired with a tapas menu for $35 per person.
Guests can also take a bit of the joyful, authentic dining experience at Amaranta Cocina Mexicana with them, by visiting the restaurant’s unique To-Go store, which offers freshly prepared burritos, enchiladas and tacos, in addition to Mexican sodas and seasonal aguas frescas.


Amaranta Cocina Mexicana is located in Rose Garden Shopping Center 710 Camino Ramon Drive Danville, California 94526. It is open for lunch seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dinner is served Sunday – Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Happy Hour cocktail specials are offered daily from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. as well as a reverse Happy Hour on Fridays – Saturdays from 10:00 p.m. -11:00p.m.