Copita's Shrimp Aguachiles
What do you get when you cross a bona fide celebrity chef with over 20 cookbooks, two cooking shows on PBS and a James Beard award to her name (Joanne Weir) with a well known restaurateur (Larry Mindel) and add a couple of margaritas to the mix? A tequileria and authentic Mexican eatery in Sausalito called Copita!
Copita - Tequileria y Comida
According to Joanne, it all started when Larry challenged her to a “margarita off” and hers won, hands down. Given that Larry has wanted to open a Mexican restaurant in Sausalito for the past 40 years, he asked Joanne to help… and after two margaritas, she said “Sure!”
THE Copita Margarita
What makes Copita such a fun place is not only its laid back California vibe and wall of tequilas (yes, the bar is a showcase for the yummy stuff!) but also its passion for local, artisanal ingredients and a menu that changes on a seasonal basis. Our favorites included the hand pressed tortillas with Joanne’s special tomatillo sauce, 24-hour carnitas, the wild mushroom tacos and the Copita salad topped with chicken fresh from the wood-fired rotisserie all served on Heath ceramics (also local!)
Joanne Weir's Chardonnay
The best part of our meal was meeting Joanne, who came up and started chatting with us as we oohed and ahhed over the best margarita ever (see recipe here.). Full disclosure: we didn’t recognize Joanne at first but as soon as she introduced herself, we knew exactly who she was since Cynthia’s been cooking her “Pork Roasted the Way the Tuscan Do” for ages. This, of course, lead to a discussion of Joanne’s numerous cookbooks and her latest work, Tequilas: A Guide to Types, Flights, Cocktails and Bites, as well as her pouring us a glass of her brand new Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley. Needless to say, Joanne was the cherry (or lime) on top of an already fabulous day!
Tequila!
We’re thrilled to be giving away a signed copy of Joanne’s book today! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below or send us an email at TheBuzz.Giveaway@gmail.com with “Tequila” in the subject line by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2012 and we’ll choose a lucky winner on Monday, June 18. Additional entries will be given if you “like” us on Facebook, or tweet about the giveaway using @DianeJamesHome and @JoanneWeirCook.
Carolyn, Joanne Weir and Cynthia
P.S. We’re thinking about joining Joanne on one of her culinary journeys – which one would you pick?
Photos via Joanne Weir and Copita