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Fresh Ideas and Fresh Ingredients: LaCo Latin Coastal Kitchen in Seacrest Beach B y D e n i s e K . J a m e s
L ooking for a tasty and unique menu along the 30-A corridor in Seacrest Beach? La Cocina—now known as LaCo—Latin Coastal Kitchen is well worth your time. Featuring fresh ingredients, delicious cocktails, and an atmosphere that will enhance everyday life, LaCo is the perfect spot for lunch, dinner, and now brunch, no matter the season. We caught up with general manager Sarah Hampton to learn more about this iconic restaurant, and our mouths are watering just thinking about our next visit. Explain the history of LaCo Latin Coastal Kitchen. Rick Spell and his daughter and business partner, Christy Spell Terry, were already owners of a successful sports pub in Memphis when they started looking around 30-A to add to the Spell Restaurant Group. In February 2015, they purchased both La Cocina and
fried rice with a habanero citrus glaze, is a crowd pleaser. We also have 10 unique tacos to choose from, including pork belly with pineapple jicama salsa; housemade chorizo with salsa verde, red onion, cotija cheese, and cilantro; and a veggie taco with adobo-roasted shiitake mushrooms, grilled peppers and onions, cotija cheese, charred corn, kale slaw, and salsa macha. Share a new dish or drink you are excited about. This season we added a brunch menu. The lobster avocado toast—made with sourdough toast, avocado, scrambled eggs, lobster, aru- gula, charred baby heirloom toma- toes, and salsa macha–is my personal favorite. But we have something for everyone, including French toast
Lobster Avocado Toast
Breakfast Burrito
George’s at Alys Beach. The first (La Cocina) renovation took place in 2017, and in 2018 Eric Bartholomew was hired as executive chef and tasked with overhauling the menu. Chef Eric used his years of experience cooking south of the border to upgrade the appetizers, expand the taco selection, and add traditional coastal Latin dishes. In January of 2021, the restaurant underwent its second major renovation. La Cocina was recently rebranded as LaCo, with a new logo to match the elegance of the menu. What does it mean to have a Latin and Coastal kitchen?
sticks or a s’mores waffle for the kids. Describe the atmosphere at LaCo.
LaCo is located in the heart of Seacrest Beach, and our crowds vary with the seasons of 30-A. During the height of the vacation season, we are busy during peak times, but getting a table is still easy if you plan your visit right. I always encourage guests to arrive when our dining room opens, at 11 a.m. for lunch, or 5 p.m. for dinner to find a table. Our Happy Hour is another great reason to visit. The bar stays open from 3 p.m. until 5, serving a scaled-down menu with great drink specials. Any news or future plans you want to share with readers? We are regularly updating and refreshing our liba- tions, and Chef Eric is always experimenting with new menu items. For example, he recently featured a new ahi tuna taco for “National Taco Day” that was amazing! Stay tuned to our social media for specials, as well as new menu items and cocktails.
Pork Belly & Brisket Baracoa Tacos
Old Cuban Signature Drink
craft cocktails has made all the difference. The key ingredient in
our margaritas is fresh lime juice, squeezed daily in the restaurant. Then we add a kiss of agave and your choice of tequila. We also serve several Latin-inspired cocktails. One of the newer ones is the Old Cuban, made with silver rum, fresh lime juice, fresh mint, orange bitters, and topped with champagne. Our classic Caipirinha is made with cachaça, fresh orange, and lemon and lime juices. Lastly, the Latin Fashion is a play on an Old Fashioned but made with reposado tequila, ancho reyes, smoked chili, and orange bitters. What are the most popular menu items that keep customers coming back? We have a few items that have become favorites. Our local catch of fresh red snapper, served over shishito
Chef Eric has utilized his many years of experience with Mexican and Latin cuisine to showcase traditional Latin flavors and put a twist on classic dishes. He strives to create dishes that highlight coastal cuisine, mainly from Mexico but also from Central and South America. We strive to expose guests to flavors and ingredients they may be unfamiliar with. The freshness and precise execu- tion are what makes our food special. We utilize fresh Gulf seafood, locally sourced grass-fed beef from Tall Pines in Bonifay, Florida, and other regional purveyors. What is the cocktail program like at LaCo? Over the past few years, we have been focused on elevating the specialty cocktails available from our bar. Our fresh-made margaritas and the addition of several
To learn more, visit laco30a.com, or LaCo 30A on Facebook.
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