Masa, Mezcal & Margaritas; Behind The Menu at Galaxy Taco

Today, Galaxy Taco begins a series of private preview meals in preparation for its official opening, scheduled for Monday, July 13. The long-awaited second eatery from the proprietors of La Jolla's iconic George's at the Cove, Galaxy is launching with 4,000-square-feet of indoor and outdoor dining space and 150 seats, just in time to feed the throngs of beachgoers who will flock to La Jolla Shores this summer.

Executive chef and partner Trey Foshee says that Galaxy Taco will be a neighborhood spot serving good, solid Mexican food, and not uber 'chef-y', but that doesn't mean that it won't be thoughtful. Chef de cuisine Christine Rivera from George's California Modern's fine dining kitchen will be running things here; part of her training included a stint at Cosme in New York City, one of the country's most high-profile Mexican restaurants.

Galaxy will be grinding its own masa daily, from non-GMO heirloom corn, for housemade tortillas that will anchor their tacos, which range from the classic Baja fried fish to lamb barbacoa and a taco inspired by Foshee's entry at last year's Tacolandia event in L.A., which tops braised and griddled pork shoulder with cabbage-jalapeno slaw and crispy pig ears. The opening menu also features a wide array of seafood, from fish ceviche to shrimp aguachile and chipotle steamed mussels, plus entrees of wood roasted or grilled meats and vegetables. And it wouldn't be a George's-related joint without a tasting menu; Galaxy's version, for $28, includes ceviche, a taco, a Mexican beer and a shot of mezcal.

Speaking of mezcal, beverage director Mark Broadfoot, formerly a lead server and bartender at George's California Modern, is a passionate advocate of all things agave. His mezcal library, which includes over 30 varieties of mezcal joven (blanco), might be the largest in San Dieg; just as deep is the tequila collection, with 90% of the tequila served either organic or from family-owned companies. For the uninitiated, Broadfoot will offer flights, ranging from a tequila vs. mezcal comparison to a survey of how terroir impacts flavor; he'll also be making seasonal sangrita, fruit-based or spicy sippers to accompany the spirits. Broadfoot tell Eater that he's a fan of cocktails with food and most of his drinks have a culinary component; he forages wild celery to make the celery salt that rims the Margarita Zanahoria, a mix of carrot juice, tequila, citrus, agave and black pepper, house-infuses tequila with botanicals for Galaxy's "Gin" & Tonic and shakes guacamole with mezcal, citrus, chile bitters and egg white to give a little more body to his San Diego Sour. There's also wine, including some bottles from Baja, and a range of Mexican and San Diego beer; the house beer, Galaxy Corn Lager, is brewed by local Benchmark Brewing Co. using non-GMO white corn.

Galaxy Taco Menu