If you are of a certain age, you will remember the "New Coke" fiasco of the 1980s. Why do companies need to fiddle with what works? Consistency is what brings you back to your favorite products time after time. The same principle holds true in the restaurant world. That's not to say that innovation isn't welcome. I know chefs get bored. I'm not talking about five-star dining experiences. I'm referring to the places in your town or your neighborhood that you return to again and again. For us, one of those spots is Fiesta del Mar in Mountain View. For nearly fifteen years, we have visited this local favorite for excellent, flavorful Mexican dishes and warm, friendly service. More on that another time. Those memorable meals are always accompanied by frosty glasses of blended margaritas that struck an artful balance of tequila bite and citrus tartness that many family restaurants find hard to achieve.
Imagine our surprise when we settled in for a meal, with out-of-town company in tow, and took a big sip of what tasted like a tequila slurpee. Yikes. Had we dropped into some alternate universe where it looked like Fiesta del Mar, but our restaurant had actually been taken over by aliens without bartending skills? After quickly summoning our waiter, we learned that our precious elixir had been replaced in the interest of margarita gentrification. Out with the house-enhanced commercial sour mix and in with an all homemade version. Apparently, this "New Coke" works okay with the "rocks" margaritas, however all but disappears in the frozen version.
We are not the only old-timers to express our concern with this new recipe. Hopefully our pleas will be heard and the people at the top will revert to the original recipe as our friends at Coca-Cola so wisely did.
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