{"id":239994,"date":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1970-01-01T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/eclectic-cuisine-and-inventive-cocktails-fit-for-a-king-and-queen\/"},"modified":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"1970-01-01T08:00:00","slug":"eclectic-cuisine-and-inventive-cocktails-fit-for-a-king-and-queen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/eclectic-cuisine-and-inventive-cocktails-fit-for-a-king-and-queen\/","title":{"rendered":"Eclectic cuisine and inventive cocktails fit for a king and queen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perched on a prime corner lot in Little Italy, King and Queen Cantina at 1490 Kettner Blvd., is like a two-story castle that welcomes everyone into its domain for a magical good time.<\/p>\n

\"Eclectic
One of two inviting bars inside King and Queen Cantina (Photos courtesy King and Queen Cantina)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Eclectic
Restaurateur Jorge Cueva has brought a lively drinking and dining concept to Little Italy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Customers are greeted by eye-popping artwork that pays year-round tribute to Dia de Los Muertos, a festive Mexican holiday celebrated Nov. 1 and known otherwise as Day of the Dead.<\/p>\n

In keeping with the theme, creative paintings of skulls by artist Genaro Garcia abound throughout the 5,000-square-foot establishment. There are bars and dining areas on each floor amid inviting design elements such as natural woods, exquisite mood lighting, hand-made metal tables and colorful d\u00e9cor that transcends what you\u2019ll find in traditional cantinas.<\/p>\n

Restaurateur Jorge Cueva opened King and Queen Cantina in October and has since attracted everyone from locals and tourists to famous musicians and actors.<\/p>\n

Jorge also owns the wildly popular Tempo Urban Kitchen in Orange County, which recently won Orange County\u2019s \u201cRestaurant of the Year\u201d for its full-of-flavor menu and enticing cocktails.<\/p>\n

From dishwasher to restaurateur, Jorge\u2019s success is no accident. With dozens of restaurants, a catering company and food trucks on his resume \u2014 totaling more than 25 years in the industry \u2014 he isn\u2019t slowing down, but rather just getting started.<\/p>\n

\"Eclectic
King and Queen\u2019s unique short rib mole tacos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Eclectic
\u201cDay of the Dead\u201d artwork adds colorful flair to the two-level establishment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Equipped with a seasoned palate and a keen knowledge of world cuisines from his global travels, Jorge has deliciously bent the rules on Mexican dining.<\/p>\n

The menu at King and Queen taps into culinary influences from all over the world, from Europe to Asia to South America. Those influences are then introduced into soulful Mexican cooking, which results in bold and unique flavors in every dish.<\/p>\n

From the tacos selection, for example, you\u2019ll find the hot-selling short rib mole taco enveloped in a house-made chocolate tortilla. It\u2019s also filled with pickled onions, crispy carrots and lime crema. Savory and spellbinding, there is nothing else like it in San Diego.<\/p>\n

Other fillings extend to Korean-style pork belly, grilled octopus, chipotle steak, roasted veggies and more.<\/p>\n

Fuller meal options include everything from the kingly \u201ctempo burger\u201d (a beef patty crowned with pork belly, cheddar cheese, a fried egg and shishito peppers) and well-stuffed burritos to fresh oysters, seafood rice and zesty ceviche. Or for a perfect shareable dish, the \u201cTijuana grill\u201d is all the rage. And from the grill, you\u2019ll find expertly cooked carne asada, salmon, octopus, shrimp, New York steak, Korean-style ribs and more.<\/p>\n

\"Eclectic
\u201cCosta azul\u201d bacon-wrapped shrimp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Eclectic
The \u201caward-winning\u201d Gardez Margarita showcases mango serrano-infused tequila.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

King and Queen\u2019s festive atmosphere is fueled by upbeat music and an extensive cocktail program that features a fun invention called the tableside hickory smoked old fashioned. Imagine smoked Old Forrester bourbon combined with maple syrup, Angostura bitters and orange zest, before the glass is smoked in front of your eyes on hickory wood. If you\u2019re looking for a playful and addicting cocktail, this is it.<\/p>\n

With a large collection of tequilas and mezcals in stock, not to mention house-made syrups and fresh fruit juices, the drink list sparkles with some of the best margaritas in town \u2014 and in many different varieties. The bar offerings also feature numerous signature and classic cocktails as well as craft and domestic beer.<\/p>\n

King and Queen Cantina has unbeatable deals on taco Tuesdays, when select tacos are only $2 each and certain beers sell for $3. Additional specials on food and drink are available during happy hour, which is held twice daily from 3 to 6 p.m., and then from 9 p.m. until closing.<\/p>\n

\"Eclectic
The tableside hickory smoked old fashioned<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But the convivial vibe isn\u2019t confined only to late afternoons and evenings. If the hankering strikes for a shrimp-topped bloody mary with a chorizo omelet or plate of deluxe chilaquiles, for example, you\u2019re in luck with King and Queen\u2019s impressive brunch, which is held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays.<\/p>\n

For more information, call 619-756-7864 or visit kingandqueencantina.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Perched on a prime corner lot in Little Italy, King and Queen Cantina at 1490 Kettner Blvd., is like a two-story castle that welcomes everyone into its domain for a magical good time.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":239995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Eclectic cuisine and inventive cocktails fit for a king and queen","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11547,11600],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-sdnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}