Espíritu, the CBD’s popular mezcal bar and Mexican restaurant, has expanded to Mid City in the former corner spot that housed Rosella. Much of the decor from Rosella — rich, coral pink walls and a bar wrapped in pressed tin tiles — has stayed. Like the origina Espiritu, which became New Orleans’s first mezcal bar when it threw open its doors in 2018, the Mid City location also leads with the smokey Mexican spirit. Chef Oscar Gonzales, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, pilots the kitchen in both locations with expert renditions of tacos (cochinita pibil, Baja fish, pumpkin-seed studded cauliflower, among others), tortas (birria, carne asada, and others), and more. Mexican wine, only now gaining in popularity, stands out on the menu.
Dining and Cooking