Corner Cantina Chatter
by Cate Murway
“New establishment coming to Bristol. Mill Street Cantina. Just had the tour. Very impressive. Every tequila and beer offering you could ever want. The food will be off the charts. Ain't no taco stand for sure. Late hours. Extremely reasonable pricing. Much needed.”
Gary Bodner, from Bristol
So..... what exactly is a “cantina”?
The word is similar in etymology to "canteen", derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault. It is a type of bar popular in Italy, Mexico and Spain and, the chatter being correct, the Mill Street Cantina is opening next Monday, November 9th, on the corner of Mill and Radcliffe Streets.
Cantina proprietor, Timothy “Tim” McGinty shares, “I’m excited to be a part. A lot is happening in Bristol.”
Tim has been a chef in several different locations. He started washing dishes when he was 14.
“I love food. It’s a great equalizer. It brings everyone together. Food triggers a lot of great memories for everyone.”
He promises fine, solidly legit Mexican fare, potent margaritas and an authentic rustic-chic atmosphere with a lively vibe. “We describe ourselves as organized roughness with the stucco, exposed wood beams, wrought iron metal on the front of the bar, bulb lights and it all just makes sense. Tiny details that will separate it from other restaurants; I’m having fun with it.”
It really is the little things that will make the Mill Street Cantina a popular, staple, very cool, improptu hookup; a perfect location for everything from chilling evenings and lazy weekend brunches to fast-paced weekday lunches.
“I love Mexican food. It’s really simple food. It’s unique. I like things simple. If you can take a few simple ingredients and make it taste like it’s never tasted before, you’ve got something special.”
Tim’s goal is to ensure that everyone will have a memorable experience. “Not just about the food or the service. We want to deliver an unparalleled experience. I have a great team in general; just a bunch of hard workers.”
Everything is in-house; everything from scratch using local ingredients and fresh vegetables from local farms. Their empanadas, pastries filled with meat, seafood, cheese or chorizo [cured spiced pork sausage], are baked to perfection. Versatile empanadas can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, served as appetizers or snacks, or they can easily make a not to be missed, full and satisfying meal.
“We’ll have fun with it. We’ll have goat cooked in beer. We make everything in house, including our tortillas, we do all our own butchery and curing too!!”
Atmosphere is approachable, just the place for a quick drink or a snack, always with complimentary tortilla chips. “Gotta have the chips!”
Tim will run “features”, food and drinks that will be featured for 2 weeks.
Some of the Cantina dining experiences will be way more than a meal, much more like an event! Reserve your seats for a Whole Roast Suckling Pig. This true delicacy must be ordered three days in advance, notice needed to guarantee availability, for a party of at least 4 people.
Mix it up and enjoy! Take it with a grain of salt… on the rim.
The spacious bar area, reminiscent of a typical Spanish bodega, is an ideal spot to savor a margarita; “one can never go wrong with a good old fashioned margarita”, made with fresh limes, nothing processed.
"Margarita: It’s more than a girl's name."
A commonly accepted origin story of the Margarita is that it was invented in October 1941, at Hussong's Cantina in Ensenada, Mexico, by bartender Don Carlos Orozco. Margarita Henkel, the daughter of the then German ambassador, visited the cantina and Don Carlos who had been experimenting with drinks offered her one. The cocktail consisted of equal parts of tequila, Mexican orange liqueur called Controy [A.K.A. Naranja in the USA], and lime, shaken and served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. As she was the first to try the drink, Don Carlos decided to name it after her and the "Margarita" was born.
Seasonal choices will include Prickly Pear, Guava, Fresh White Peach, Blackberry, Strawberry and Blood Orange Margaritas. Explore the collection of fun recipes. They come in so many varieties you could have a substantially different one every day for well over a month.
If you are a fan of robust, exotic flavors, there will also be a type of tequila for you.
“We’ll have 40 types of tequila,” Tim assured.
More of a Beer buddy?
Get your Growlers on! Purchase a 64- oz. air-tight Growler [a great way to take draft beer with you on the go] and receive 10% off when you return with it for a refill. Every beer geek should own one!
Or stop in to the Cantina “Bottle Shop”. It will house 100-150 different types of beers.
Mix and match a six pack or buy single bottles of your favorite brew to take out.
“Our official open date is set for Monday, November 9th!! Even though we are open for both lunch and dinner 7 days a week, the first week we will be serving dinner only, starting at 5pm!!”
Only dinner will be served at the Mill Street Cantina their opening week of Monday, 11.9.15.
“Family is important. We’re actually closed on Thanksgiving Day.”
Hey! GOOD FOOD... FAIR PRICES ……Tenga un bueno dia!
Mill Street Cantina
Open 11:00 am- 2:00 am daily
101 Mill Street
Bristol Borough, PA 19007
215.788.0969
Recommend a "Spotlight". E-mail vjmrun@yahoo.com
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note from artist:
“My latest project is now complete. Thank you to Tim and the gang at Mill Street Cantina! You were a pleasure to work with.
This project was a lot of fun. I enjoyed talking with everyone that walked by while I was working on this. I usually work by myself in the studio- so this was a nice change of pace.
Mill Street Cantina will be opening on November 9th. They are located at 101 Mill Street in Bristol Borough, PA.”
Jennifer E. Renshaw, Artist
Artist: Jennifer E. Renshaw
