I know what you’re thinking – this doesn’t sound like a restaurant. And, at face value, you’d be correct – it’s a tequila library, and it boasts somewhere between 400 and 500 different types of tequila. But with their unique reincarnations of childhood treats as adult beverages and stellar “antojitos,” i.e. Mexican street food, I felt compelled to include my review here on Bits and Bites.
Located within the cavernous basement of Zengo, entering into this lounge feels as if you’ve walked into some 15th century Spanish conquistador’s study. It’s dark, adorned in rough-hewn wood, black leather, red velvet, and is dimly lit by a flickering amber glow. It manages to be chill, sexy, swanky, and masculine all at once. It is also somewhat reminiscent of the ever-popular speakeasies, except the space is very large and there’s no stuck-up door man or secret password. 
Along all of the walls are “tequila lockers,” which resemble tiny little prisons for your personal collection of tequila, which you pay to store and can then go and enjoy at your leisure. You can even rent a group locker if you don’t feel comfortable drinking $500 tequila alone…
What initially attracted me to La Biblioteca was their summer special (which sadly ended Labor Day) – tequila snow cones. Growing up in hot and balmy New Orleans, snow cones were a fixture during my childhood, and something which I still have a great deal of fondness for. My favorites as a kid ranged from chocolate topped with condensed milk to nectar soda to wedding cake. The idea of my beloved treat mixed with tequila was just too enticing – I had to try it out. So I went with a group of co-workers one Friday at the end of August for happy hour.
Much to my delight, we were informed that when you order the tequila snow cone, you actually get three full-sized snow cones, each made with hand shaved ice and each soaked with a different flavor syrup made from actual fruit. The three which they were offering were tamarind, hibiscus, and strawberry. We decided to get several orders of snow cones and then some of their happy hour cocktails – which weren’t limited to their most boring drinks. In fact, one person got a fresh strawberry margarita (over ice, thank god), while I got some kind of hibiscus mojito.
The happy hour drinks were all very fresh, light, only moderately sweet, and had a sufficient amount of alcohol – certainly not overpowering, but definitely noticeable. However, it took quite a bit longer to find out if we liked the snow cones, as the whole “hand-shaved” part means that producing 12-15 snow cones can take a looooong time.
In the meantime, we all checked out the antojitos menu by the light of our tabletop candles. I’m a sucker for contemporary interpretations of traditional Mexican street foods, so this “bar menu” – if I can even call it that without sounding derogatory – was right up my alley. There were so many things I wanted to try – the Mojarra Crujiente tacos, the Atun, the Churros, etc. Ultimately, I decided on an order of the fresh guacamole with house made chips and the Steamed Buns al Pastor. Now, I had high expectations for these items solely based on their mouth-watering descriptions, so I was actually mentally preparing myself to be let down the entire time I was waiting for them to arrive.
Once they did arrive though, I was blown away. Though the guacamole was no Dos Caminos guac, it was still discernibly fresh and zesty. My biggest complaints were that it was overly creamy and that the tomato wasn’t chunky enough – but these aren’t terrible complaints to have, as a lot of people like their guac that way. The chips were thick, crunchy, and well-salted – a nice counterbalance to the freshness and creaminess of the guacamole.
The steamed buns, however, stole the show. They were so delectable that I must have eaten all three within a matter of a minute and a half, max – which is sad, because once they were all gone, I wished I had savored them for longer instead of inhaling them. But I couldn’t help myself, they were just THAT good.
Each bun is about the size of half a tennis ball and is stuffed with braised pork belly, pickled pineapple, avocado, and chile fresno – and together, these ingredients combine to make one incredible flavor profile. Furthermore, the bun itself is heaven. Oh man, I’m getting so excited thinking about these pork buns as I write this that I almost want to rush through the description as fast as I snarfed down the buns themselves – so let me back up and describe the inside of the steamed buns.
The pork was perfectly cooked – it had been seared just enough that the ends of the pulled pork were crispy, but then it had been steamed so that it was incredibly moist and tender throughout with a minimal amount of fat that gave it a smoothness and pleasant mouthfeel without becoming slimy. The pickled pineapple was fabulous – the pickling was just enough to cut some of the sweetness, but it wasn’t too vinegar-y. And the avocado and chile fresco together provided the perfect balance of spicy and cool/creamy. Then there’s the bun. Oh, the glorious, delightful steamed bun. It’s not at all the type of bun you’d think of – it’s not bready like a hot dog bun. Rather, it’s more like a thin pancake/thick injera – just perfectly fluffy, soft, and warm. It doesn’t have a lot of flavor in and of itself, but it provides the perfect outer layer – like an extra-plush down comforter, but for your food. Eating these steamed pork buns is like being that teddy bear in the fabric softener commercials who gets to dive in slow-mo onto that feather-stuffed quilt. It’s like being that puppy in the Cottonelle commercials who gets to bounce around in a field of super soft bath tissue. Mmmm, so good.
Now – let’s not forget about those tequila snow cones. Even though they are no longer offered, they are worth noting, as I think they demonstrate A) the creativity of La Biblioteca and B) their attention to detail and commitment to creating really thoughtful, complex flavors. The syrups are simply wonderful – never before have I seen tamarind or hibiscus flavored syrups, and even their strawberry is nice, as it is far less sweet and artificial than most strawberry syrups. The tamarind was by far the best – it was the sweetest, but not in a saccharin way, and it best masked the taste of tequila (which some people might say is a bad thing). I was not a huge fan of the hibiscus – it had more of the essence of hibiscus than an actual hibiscus-y flavor, though I’m not sure what that would be. It was just generally very mild, and was quickly overpowered by tequila.
Overall, I would say that this truly is the saving grace in a neighborhood where after work drinks, or drinks period, means going somewhere with Mc- or O’- in the name. Furthermore, instead of $4 well drinks and $7 pitchers of Bud Light, you can actually get delicious, creative cocktails – and instead of quesadillas, chicken tenders, and potato skins, you can get delicious Mexican street food. This is one big thumbs up from me
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