A new restaurant is making a name for itself with its unique cocktails and Mexican cuisine.
Lolita, located at 45 West 45th St., officially opened its doors on Feb. 15. The concept was created by Beverage Director Marshall Minaya and Head Bartender Carlos Kennedy-Lopez, both of whom are behind the dining concept Valerie.
With Lolita, Minaya told amNewYork Metro that he was looking to truly elevate the cocktail game with a selection of agave-based liquor. Behind Lolita’s bar, you’ll find over 70 agave spirits and 50 sugarcane distillates, each of which have been carefully curated by Minaya and Kennedy-Lopez.
“When it comes to brands like Casamigos, this middle-of-the-road that was marketed so well by people that we all love or come to know, it just feeds the conversation. I think from a cocktail perspective, margaritas, I would say are the tequila cocktail for decades, a lot of people can pardon that tequila makes you feel good,” said Minaya. “When it comes to agave, I think you still have people who are going to vibe off that because it’s just one of the most called for drinks no matter what.”
When you take a look at Lolita’s cocktail menu, which offers Favorites, Tropical and Savory options, you’ll notice that there is a handful of classic cocktails, but they have a newfound twist to them. Minaya says it’s because they wanted to keep the menu relatable to customers while also broadening their horizons.
“We wanted it to be relatable but we wanted to offer different countries in top cocktails that people know and are familiar with, for example, the margarita, the Paloma, and the daiquiri,” said Minaya. “But even just for the margarita, we make one with our signature house curacao. We wanted to be authentic to traditional cocktails but we made sure that we had conversations to play.”
Any of Lolita’s cocktails (or mocktails) are made to pair with its menu of authentic Mexican cuisine. Led by head chef Carmelo Calixto, the menu taps into his upbringing with dishes that are meant for sharing.
Some standouts on the menu include snackable options like sweet plantain or shrimp empanadas, short-rib sopas and a selection of seafood options such as an Ahi tuna tostada and roasted oysters. For mains, Lolita has a selection of casual meals like tacos (al pastor, suadero, carnitas or Baja fish) and enchiladas, as well as family-style meals that are great for sharing such as the carne asada and pollo with a mole de doña Juana sauce.
“We do have some large family-style entrees, so that way if you come in with a group of four, we can accommodate that and then everybody can kind of get their hands in the pot and build their own options,” said Minaya.
Despite only being open for less than two months, Minaya says that the response to Lolita has been overwhelmingly positive from the community.
“I think it’s been great. People have been coming to Valerie for the last five years because it’s a place that is in Midtown Manhattan but offer a more elevated meal and a much more elevated cocktail program,” said Minaya. “They’re aware of what we’re doing and they know the experience we want to give, and they’re going to get that at Lolita.”
For more information, visit lolitanewyorkcity.com.
