Dia de los Muertos is here, and COPITA in Sausalito has a special menu to celebrate. Dia de los Muertos is all about remembering the dead, but it’s also about celebrating life—part of why it’s such a poignant festival at this time of year. From Friday October 31st until Sunday November 2nd, Copita will have a special menu of orange dishes symbolizing life and black dishes symbolizing death. Orange dishes include a pan-roasted lamb with mole amarillito, fire-roasted root vegetables, smoked onion, and fried chochoyotes; or cochinita pibil with sour orange and achiote adobo with pickled onion and habanero xnipek. Black dishes include a ceviche negro with calamari, scallops, lingcod, lime, prickly pear, and cilantro; or chile relleno with mole prieto, huitlacoche and shredded beef, pickled onion, fried plantains, and queso añejo. You can also try the Smoking Gun cocktail, with mezcal, lime juice, agave, grapefruit juice, and St. Germain. The restaurant will be specially decorated, as well, and a chalk artist will be drawing on the sidewalk. 739 Bridgeway at Anchor, 415-331-7400.
I also have a personal affinity for the holiday because I was born on November 1st, “Il Giorno di Tutti i Santi” (or Ognissanti), and I learned there were even special treats on my birthday when I was living in Venezia. Cool! Gary Rulli at EMPORIO RULLI is keeping the tradition alive by offering “pan dei morti,” a special spice bread with raisins, almonds, orange peel, and pine nuts. You can pick them up for $3, and enjoy them on November 1st and 2nd, All Souls’ Day (Il Giorno dei Morti). Various locations.
Sugar skulls at Copita for Dia de los Muertos. Photo from Facebook.
