Masa y Agave at Rosa Mexicano

More than 30 years—and 17 global locations—after the debut of its Upper East Side flagship in 1984, Rosa Mexicano heads downtown for the first time with a vibrant bi-level outpost, divided into a Guadalajara-inspired dining room upstairs and this lower-level agave cantina. At the marble bar, John McCarthy (Greenwich Project, Cedar Local) stirs concoctions showcasing Latin spirits curated by certified mescalier Courtenay Greenleaf. Cocktails include a fiery cucumber-basil margarita with Pueblo Viejo blanco tequila, a house-infused mescal and tonic, and an Oaxaqueña featuring mescal and hot bitters sweetened with corn milk and agave. Corn pops up frequently on the snack menu as well, with house-ground masa serving as a base for sopes piled with pulled beef and black beans and for tortillas nestling lamb marinated in chili de arbol and steamed in avocado leaves.