A tasting menu at Tahona Bar in Old Town, San Diego

Many pictures because there were many foods and drinks!  We got the tasting menu at Tahona with the drink pairings.  There were four courses with four cocktails.  The food portions were perfect!  The cocktail pairings were excellent, but a little too generous.  We started with guacamole for the table, which was served with chicharrones, one of my favorite guilty pleasures.  The first cocktail - a Collins was refreshing and light.  The first course was a ceviche with lots of flavor and great citrus notes.  The duck sopesito was rich and satisfying.  It was served with a sparkling wine.  We all chose the same main course of beef barbacoa, which was buttery soft and rich.  I missed a photo of the mezcal cocktail, which was strong, sweet and smoky.  The last course was a dense bread pudding served with a Mexican corn liquor.  This was a great pairing, because the dessert wasn't overly sweet and the liquor tasted like a vanilla cookie, to me.

We knew Tahona was open for table service because we are on their email list.  The social distancing actually made dining more pleasant, because the tables were spaced widely.  Most other restaurants in Old Town are open for in-person dining, as well.  Most of the shops are still closed.  It was eerie to see the Park so empty.

I like the upscale vibe of Tahona a lot.  The food is updated Oaxacan-influenced with a clean, fresh palate.  I like their background music as much as the food.  It is a good addition to Old Town, which suffers from some very generic Mexican restaurants.