While it’s easy to talk about the unfulfilled promise of downtown development and Rio Nuevo, Mercado San Agustin, in the 900 block of West Congress Street, continues to evolve as a Westside diamond in the rough.
With 15,000 square feet of expansive retail space appearing cavernous at times, much of that is about to change with the coming of Agustin, a new Mediterranean bistro style restaurant and grill.
Mercado’s Executive Director Kira Dixon-Weinstein and Mercado’s Restaurant Partner Glen Stosius are set for a “soft opening” in early December with a more formal grand opening tentatively set to coincide with the Mercado’s Holiday Bizarre on December 16.
The restaurant, slated to feature indoor and outdoor seating with a courtyard extension, will serve up seafood entrees, a raw oyster bar, a variety of organic salads and what Stosius describes as “traditional handmade cocktails.”
With four star restaurant experiences in Miami and New York, he goes on to say that Agustin will distinguish itself “with the quality and simplicity of its ingredients and with its casual but professional service standards.”
Hopefully Agustin will serve as a much needed anchor business that can provide a steadier flow of foot traffic into the Mercado seven days a week. With that kind of exposure, the Mercado’s several other creative endeavors - the Community Food Bank sponsored Santa Cruz Farmers Market (Thursday afternoons), the Sunday morning brunch market, and the soon to arrive Café Libra Coffee Cart, along with special events - can begin to flourish not only on their own but as part of a larger development.
And speaking of the bigger picture, Agustin (the restaurant) is but one of three major projects that Stosius and Dixon-Weinstein are simultaneously working on. Adjacent to the restaurant, come February or March, will be the Cabinet Room. A mezzanine bar with dark mood lighting and lots of leather, Stosius describes this throwback style watering hole with words like “mysterious, a gentleman’s club.” (Perhaps ' la AMC’s hit show “Mad Men?”)
Completing the north end development of the Mercado will be the Four Mile Market. Described as a European-style market, this will also give more purpose and substance to a space crying out to be seen and experienced. “This is an exciting time,” says Stosius. “We’ll have coffee and cocktails within the month and as you can see there is a lot going on.”
Complimenting the new in-house construction and the current businesses, which include a Mexican bakery, taqueria and a sno-cone stand, is the Mercado’s 3800 square feet of enclosed courtyard. “I’m a mom of three,” says Dixon-Weinstein, “and I want a place where kids can be free to safely wander around.”
Further details about Mercado San Agustin are online at MercadoSanAgustin.com.
