Coastal Mexican Kitchen & Taco Shop/Game Room Coming Downtown

Eater has more intel on Curadero, the incoming concept replacing Saltbox at downtown’s Kimpton Hotel Palomar, which shuttered last fall after a six-year tenure. Scheduled to reopen around the first week of April, the restaurant will have a completely refreshed interior, with a new menu to match. Centered around regional Mexican food, the space will have a corner crudo bar dedicated to sustainable seafood that will serve up everything from ancho chile-rubbed and torched hiramasa with hoja santa emulsion and lime to a restorative rendition of vuelve a la vida filled with clams, oysters, octopus, shrimp, in a citrusy Mexican cocktail sauce.

Leading the Curadero kitchen is executive chef Brad Kraten, who will work with local and specialty producers, including Rancho Gordo, to incorporate heirloom beans and chilies onto the menu. Along with sous chef Emiliano Najera, who grew up in Mexico City, Kraten will cook up a menu ranging from antojitos, or "little cravings” — small plates such as caldo de camaron with shrimp, potato, carrots, onion, cilantro and lime, and ensalada Curadero with jicama, grapefruit, orange, watercress, avocado and lime vinaigrette — to shareable large entrees paired with sides that will include adobo marinated and charcoal grilled whole fish and a 16 ounce long-braised pork shank served with marinated onions.

Additionally, there will be street tacos, piled on handmade tortillas, that will also be served upstairs in the new Arriba Room. Transformed into a game room, stocked with Foosball and other retro classics, the lounge space will features a taco shop-styled walk-up window.