"I'm really excited about this," Danilo di Nardo, vice president of operations at Lombardi Family Concepts told me months back, over drinks at Nick & Sam's. "It will be beautiful and unique."
Fast forward to this July. The long approach envelops you in wood and Earth tones, setting the stage for what's ahead: a main dining room with a centerpiece bar, where twigs curve up to the ceiling. Light browns and beige dominate. The staff are decked out in khaki and, I believe, linen. Di Nardo was right.
Here in North Texas, colors dominate at most Mexican — and beyond — restaurants. This is not most restaurants, and it's not only Mexican, with influences stretching from our neighbors next door to Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Argentina.
But what connects them all? "These are obviously different countries, but there are similarities in approach," Executive Chef Ty Thaxton tells me. "It's the culture that ties them all together — this mentality of sharing is all over Latin America." Thaxton lived and worked in Latin America for a decade, and his oldest son was born in Mexico. Of course, there are regional variations on dishes and also similar ingredients, but the idea of that food is shared among those at the table, and the restaurant experience itself, including live-music Saturday nights, is shared among everyone. That desire is at the restaurant's core.
"Mar Y Sol is a gateway to my love of Latin American cuisine," says Thaxton. "I'm excited to share things you don't usually see on menus here in Dallas. I am proud of what we got on the menu."
Perusing it, there are things you do see, like yellowtail ceviche. But at Mar Y Sol, it's all about the influences — which ones are used and why. Their yellowtail ceviche draws upon influences from Peru's Japanese community and eschews the more prevalent acidic and spicy notes for savory and spicy ones. It's delicious, taking its place among the best ceviche in Dallas. Then, there are other things you typically don't see like king crab causa, a symphony of marinated king crab, avocado, olives and extra virgin olive oil on a bed of mashed potatoes flavored with aji amarillo chili.
The through line is how Mar Y Sol harnesses different approaches to dishes. For example, meat is done in an Argentinian style, but rice dishes, such as shrimp chaufa, look to Peru for inspiration. The guacamole tips its hat to Mexico.
"I've tried to do the same with beverages," says Beverage Manager Andrew Stofko. Besides a massive and impressive wine list, there's the cocktail showmanship you'd expect from Lombardi Family Concepts with the la diabla (Herradura Silver, mango, yerba mate, lime, agave, aji amarillo salt), which is engulfed by flames during the presentation.
A more subtle, yet equally delicious drink, is el sabio. This is Mar Y Sol's version of a smoked old fashioned, made with Tres Generaciones Añejo, génépi, black pepper cordial and dark cocoa bitters. The twist is that palo santo, a wood used in religious ceremonies, provides the smoked note as a piece is lit during the cocktail’s presentation. The delicate aroma is sweet and citrusy, yet reminiscent of licorice. It's little, thoughtful touches like this, seen across the food and drink menu, that make Mar Y Sol special and, like di Nardo said, unique.
But those little touches do more. They are inspired. They are evocative. On the back wall, there's an objet-adorned bookshelf. One book title stands out: Sense of Place. That, I think, Mar Y Sol most certainly has.
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