News & Media

Vitamin T Brings Mexican Street Food Dec. 2nd

Friday October 22, 2010

MEDIA CONTACT: Up Agency | Ty Largo 480‐275‐8888 | ty@writetoup.com

Vitamin T Restaurant Brings Mexican Street Food
to CityScape in Phoenix, December 2nd

PHOENIX, Ariz. ‐‐ October 22, 2010 ‐‐ In Mexico, fast food is called comidas corridas (literally, “running food”) and the country’s major cities are chockablock with taquerias and food stalls called puestos which are devoted exclusively to inexpensive snacks, easy to eat on the run. Tacos, tamales and tortas are comidas corridas staples for Mexico’s time‐crunched urban dwellers who, after gulping them down for decades, finally lumped them all together and (with tongues planted firmly in cheeks) began referring to them collectively as Vitamina T.

This fall, chef‐restaurateur Aaron May will be offering his own rustic but refined version of comidas corridas at Vitamin T, the colorful puesto that he and partner Quinn Goldsberry will open in Cityscape on December 2nd.

Like the puestos found in Mexico’s small, multiple‐vendor markets called mercaditos, May’s spot is tiny, less than 1,000 square feet. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in striking good looks and authenticity. Although a handful of tables and chairs are available for indoor dining (10 seats inside, an additional 25 on the patio), Vitamin T is geared toward take‐out, featuring an open kitchen, a salsa bar and a drink station. The front of the counter that separates customers from cooks is covered in lit‐from‐behind perforated metal.

But what makes the space most memorable is May’s homage to Luis Barragan, Mexico’s pre‐eminent architect. Echoing Barragan’s famous color palette, the puesto’s three columns are tiled in burgundy, lime green and ecru, while the walls are painted baby pink, light yellow and blue. No one naps here.

For the most part, the streamlined menu hews to comidas corridas basics such as caramelos (meat‐stuffed quesadillas), tacos, tamales and tortas filled with carne asada, barbacoa, cochinita pibil, carnitas, pork al pastor and papas con rajas (potatoes with chiles). But May elevates what might otherwise be typical street fare by using free‐range chicken, grass‐fed beef and wood‐roasted wild mushrooms.

The chef will also make his own version of the Sonoran hot dog, tucking a bacon‐wrapped dog into a soft bolillo roll and topping it with mustard, mayo, jalapeño sauce, grilled onion, raw onions and beans.

You won’t find a gloppy mound of melted cheddar on anything, but don’t be surprised to find goat cheese, queso fresco, Chihuahua cheese and Manchego, the latter served on a Caesar salad with pepitas.

Traditional beverages include Mexican Coke, liquados (blended drinks akin to smoothies) and aguas frescas such as horchata and Jamaica. As is true throughout Mexico, Vitamin T will offer one brand (but a range of styles and selections) of beer (Dos Equis), tequila (Don Julio) and mescal, as well as specialty margaritas.

And just so you know, tequila is often considered another essential T vitamin, which begs the question: have you had your Vitamin T today?
Hours: 11 am‐11 pm every day | eatmoretacos.com| 602-688-8168

1 East Washington Street, Suite 175, Phoenix 85004

About Aaron May
Best known as the talented chef who re‐defined Spanish tapas, Aaron May is one of the most progressive restaurateurs in metropolitan Phoenix. Although his resume boasts stints in Parisian kitchens, May uses his classical training when it suits him, submerging it when his business savvy prompts him to open restaurants such as family‐friendly 18° in the Alltel Ice Den (North Scottsdale) or The Lodge, a cozy replication of a North Woods dive bar for hunters (Old Town).

At his Over Easy breakfast restaurants (Arcadia, North Scottsdale), May smoothly combines chicken‐fried steak and ham with red‐eye gravy with elegant options such as brioche French toast and house‐made cherry scones. Meanwhile, at Mabel’s on Main in Scottsdale, he pays homage to Mid‐Century glamour, offering vintage cocktails, premium spirits and fine wines backed by a sophisticated menu that puts a modern spin on American classics such as Oysters Rockefeller. At Iruña (Old Town), May returns to the Spanish tapas that put him on the culinary map, blending Basque specialties, Iberian standards and his own contemporary riffs on Spanish cuisine in a context that reflects modern Spain. Vitamin T, the tiny puesto devoted to Mexico’s favorite T‐words (tacos, tamales, tortas and tequila) is May’s most recent addition to his restaurant collection. From breakfast to Mexican food and elegant dining to nightlife, Aaron May can and does do it all – with style.