Renée Valencia is the bartender at Mezcaleria Oaxaca.
Renée Valencia is the bartender at Mezcaleria Oaxaca, which has transformed into a fancy taco stand.
Good morning. Happy Cinco de Mayo and happy National Teachers’ Day!*
Even though you may think it’s a little early in the morning for mixology, what about all the out-of-work performers out there? What is the actor Brandon O’Neill going to do when he runs out of tiki drinks? What’s the drag queen Betty Wetter going to moisten her insides with next?
For ideas, we turned to Renée Valencia and asked her to teach us how to make something. She decided on margaritas.
Mezcaleria Oaxaca is one of many small businesses trying to keep their staff employed doing whatever they’re allowed to do—in their case, selling tacos out of a new window at Summit and Pine. It doesn’t cover their expenses yet, but they’re giving it a go. They also offer wine and margarita kits to-go. Order here.
You know who needs one of these margarita kits? A teacher you know.
Mezcaleria Oaxaca is open from noon till 8 pm today. Their roof—where there was once a Stranger Genius Awards party, featuring everyone from Ann Pancake to Charles Leggett to Cherdonna to OCnotes—is obviously closed.
But maybe you have a roof you can go to. Or a bed. Cinco de Mayo in bed!!
Date idea: Six shrimp tacos, rice and beans, and a bottle of Monte Xanic Grenache Rose is $50. And those shrimp tacos are good.Mezcaleria Oaxaca Instagram
Thank you, Renée, for the lesson, and for that very happy image of you filling up that pitcher with lime juice and liquid happiness.
And thank you, teachers, for everything.
*Today is also the day that Virginia Woolf reincarnated her mother in the form of To the Lighthouse, though shockingly few people observe it as a holiday.
* * Previously in this series:
Justin Huertas’s message to the city on May 4.
Charles Mudede’s message to the city on May 1.
Kathryn Rathke’s message to the city on April 30.
Anthony White’s message to the city on April 30.
Miss Texas 1988’s message to the city.
Matt Bishop’s message on April 27.
Cherdonna’s message to the city on April 26.
Shenandoah Davis’s message to the city on April 25.
Lorena González’s message to the city on April 24.
Clyde Petersen’s message to the city on April 23.
David Ritt’s message to the city on April 22.
Sara Porkalob’s message to the city on April 21.
Julia Sweeney’s message to the city on April 20.
Linda Derschang’s message to the city on April 19.
Molly Sides’s message to the city on April 18.
Nick Garrison’s message to the city on April 17.
Tomo Nakayama’s message to the city on April 16.
Rebecca M. Davis’s message to the city April 15.
Heather McHugh’s message to the city on April 14.
Brandon O’Neill’s message to the city on April 13.
Kate Wallich’s message to the city on April 12.
Rebecca Brown’s message to the city on April 11.
Lucien Postlewaite’s message to the city on April 10.
Betty Wetter’s message to the city on April 9.
Amanda Morgan’s message to the city on April 8.
Nancy Guppy’s message to the city on April 7.
Jonathan Biss’s message to the city on April 6.
Chris Jeffries’s message to the city on April 5.
Lesley Hazleton’s message to the city on April 4.
John Roderick’s message to the city on April 3.
Bill Carty’s message to the city on April 2.
Price Suddarth’s message to the city on April 1.
Kary Wayson’s message to the city on March 31.
Ellen Forney’s message to the city on March 30.
Major Scales’s message to the city on March 29.
E. J. Koh’s message to the city on March 28.
Ken Jennings’s message to the city on March 27.
Demarre McGill’s message to the city on March 26.
Lynn Shelton’s Message to the City on March 25th.
Timothy White Eagle’s message to the city on March 24.
