LEO's Eats with Robin Garr
So, just how wild are the 'ritas at Wild Rita's?
Well, this new spot just east of downtown, within the noise penumbra and particulates shadow of the Great Bridge Boondoggle, offers 10, count 'em 10, variations on the margarita, not to mention tequila cocktails, tequila tastings and nearly 100 fine tequilas by the bottle or drink. It would take more effort than I'm willing to expend to answer this question definitively.
But I'm willing to bet that my pal the Bar Belle figured it out with her report on the eponymous signature cocktail, the Wild Rita. It's made with a blend of Maestro Dobel (a fancy clear blend of Reposado, Añejo and extra Añejo tequilas aged in oak) with orange-scented Grand Marnier liqueur, grain alcohol infused with lime, and sweet agave nectar. And then, ay carumba, they set it on fire!
We didn't succumb to its fiery delights, but did sample a decent if rather sweet straight-up casa (house) margarita ($7, but you can get it for $4 during Wild Rita's happy hours, which are 4-7 p.m. weekdays in the bar and lounge sections only).
You can also get a full liter of the Casa Rita - that's a quart plus, for the metric-impaired - for $18, but thank you, no, I'm still a little wary of tequila after that unfortunate youthful experience. (Don't we all have one of those hiding in our Scare Closets?)
Looking for something a little milder, without the alarming memory echoes, I opted for a michelada ($6), which is definitely my kind of drink. Call it a Mexican bloody mary, it's a shot of tomato juice seasoned with a spicy shot of Tabasco and a shake of celery salt, filled up with Tecate beer on oversized ice cubes in a tall glass with a salty rim.
The bar staff is friendly and efficient, the drinks are fine and fairly priced, and the mood of the place is fun and welcoming, a bright Latino-look re-do of the historic Cobalt Building corner space that previously housed the lamented Primo and the somewhat less-lamented Mozz. Primo's majestic old cylindrical-tile pizza oven remains in a rear corner; it appears to be cold now, though, although there is a Mexican pizza on the menu. ...
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/the-r ... wild-ritas
and in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/%E2%80%99ri ... %E2%80%99s
Wild Rita's
445 E. Market St.
584-7482
http://wildritas.com
Robin Garr's rating: 84 points