Walkermole

Thursday February 7th, 2013, 2:38pm

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What do you get when you combine equal parts home-made guacamole, authentic tacos and ultra-premium tequila with a generous helping of Walkerville? You get Walkermole, the latest addition to the seemingly endless supply of popular destinations popping up in Old Walkerville in recent years.

“This is my first original creation,” said co-owner Mark Boscariol in an interview for windsoriteDOTca.

Kitchen staff prepare food during an early opening at Walkermole

Just by looking through the new windows at Walkermole, you can tell this place is different from the Mexican restaurants Windsorites have loved for years in Detroit’s Mexican Town. Instead of the stereotypical orange paint, sombreros and flags hung from the walls, Walkermole is a celebration of Mexico’s more modern cultural elements, such as “lucha libre,” a type of freestyle wrestling in which participants wear colourful masks.

A Mexican wrestling mask is pictured on a sign outside Walkermole Taqueria, a new Mexican restaurant in Walkerville.

These máscaras, iconic symbols of Mexican culture today, served as inspiration for the distinctive signage at Walkermole. Inside, the decor does not appear Mexican at all, but simple, modern and Walkerville chic.

Wall mural behind the bar at Walkermole.

“Walkermole is a modern twist on the traditional Mexican restaurant,” explained Boscariol. “Everything is fresh and made in-house, except for the tortillas,” he said.

The Queso Fundido appetizer costs $10 and contains queso chihuahua, poblano rajas and housemade chorizo, served with warm tortillas.

Executive Chef Luis Davila, who learned traditional Mexican cooking by watching his mother at home, collaborated with co-owner Jonathan Reaume to create the menu.

Boscariol and Reaume considered a downtown location for the new restaurant but decided on Walkerville because it has a diverse quality the pair was looking for. “Walkerville is what I’ve always pushed for downtown,” said Boscariol. “The other businesses around here are all destinations. There is nightlife, entertainment, dancing, pubs: Walkerville has that balance.”

A Walkermole bartender serving up margaritas to customers at the bar.

General Manager Brandon Bedard explained his concept for the bar. “We use all fresh juices. There is no lime cordial or barmix. We got a juicer… we make our own simple sirop,” he said.

A bottle of Don Julio tequila is shown by Walkermole co-owner Mark Boscariol. The aged beverage sells for about $26 per ounce.

“The focus is on food but we’ve got the largest tequila selection in Ontario,” said Boscariol. “So far about 40 different tequilas with more coming.”

If your last memory of tequila involves salt and lime to kill the taste, then Mark Boscariol will probably tell you that you’ve never really tried the spirit at all. The selection of ultra premium tequila at Walkermole reads more like a selection of fine scotch at a classic steak house. Rare and aged tequilas are served straight by the ounce and even by the half-ounce so they can be compared and savoured.

Bar staff prepare margaritas for customers at Walkermole

A server shows a bottle of Clase Azul Anejo, a rare tequila that sells for $230 per ounce. Only 100 bottles were produced for consumption in North America.

One such delight is the Don Julio 1942 tequila, painstakingly distilled in Mexico by its’ namesake and sold at Walkermole for about $26 per ounce. Best consumed straight so as to get maximum flavour enjoyment. No lime or salt required.

A server shows a bottle of Clase Azul Resposado tequila that sells for about $16 per ounce at Walkermole mexican restaurant.

If drinking Grey Goose vodka was the nightclub status symbol of the 2000′s, Clase Azul Ultra is the Rolex watch of the new decade. At $230 per ounce, it’s sure to impress even your wealthiest of friends. This aged tequila, stored in platinum and gold-plated bottles, is so rare that only 100 bottles are produced each year, with just five sold in Canada.

A bowl of tortilla soup at Walkermole Taqueria on Wyandotte Street East

The menu at Walkermole consists of six taco varieties including mahi mahi, pulled chicken, steak or pork belly, plus enchiladas, flautas and burritos. All entrees are $12 to $14.