Dateline>City of Angels

For Cinco de Mayo happy houring, there’s nothing more satisfying than an icy Margarita complete with salt! But where can you find the best? Certainly everyone has an opinion, but the following are my personal Top 3 Favorite L.A. Margarita Establishments, today and all year round…

No. 1: El Conquistador Restaurant, Silver Lake. Don’t let the heavy syrup fool you. These Margaritas have a bite. Even better, the place is pure Silver Lake the way it used to be before the hipster invasion: Offbeat, casual and neighborhoody, straight, gay and Latino, where singles and families, young and old, bohemians and urban professionals happily mingle. (Yes, there’s even a few celebrity sightings every now and then…)

No. 2: Malo, Silver Lake. Hey, can I help it if I prefer restaurants close to home? At the other end of the spectrum, Malo represents “New Silver Lake” — hip, trendy, pricey and undeservedly pretentious. (They’re notably rude to customers without reservations, even when the dining room’s half empty.) Despite these flaws, a vast selection of fine aged tequilas offers unrivaled Margarita customization. Oh yeah — and the salsa flights are great too.

No. 3: La Golondrina, Olvera Street. Situated at the “Birthplace of Los Angeles” in the city’s oldest brick building, this restaurant has a proud claim to fame: It’s officially the first authentic Mexican restaurant in town. (Up until its 1930 opening, Mexican restaurants used the then-politically-correct term “Spanish” to describe themselves and their cuisine.) The open-air patio offers a perfect vantage point for Olvera Street’s touristy kitsch. Skip the California Margarita and go straight for the Cadillac, rocks and salt. And keep your eye out for the one or two spirits of the paranormal kind also said to haunt the building.

Whether you choose to imbibe at any of the above, or some other place, here’s a little cocktail-party trivia to mull over between swigs:

Just who invented the drink and why they named it Margarita remain unknown, with several bars in Mexico and the American Southwest claiming to be the concoction’s birthplace.

According to Lisa Morrison of kirovtv.com, the most popular story involves:

“…a showgirl named Marjorie King, who was allergic to all alcohol except tequila — poor dear. In 1938, King was visiting the Rancho Del Gloria Bar in Rosarita Beach, Mexico, when she asked one of the bartenders to mix her a cocktail with tequila. The bartender, a chap by the name of Danny Herrera, poured tequila over shaved ice then added lemon and triple sec. He translated Majorie’s name to its Spanish equivalent, Margarita.”

No doubt I’ll hear arguments on that one. The Wikipedia offers several alternative explanations. Regardless, it seems only appropriate that a drink whose past is so shrouded in mystery should be linked with a holiday whose origins are also frequently confused, at least here in the U.S.

Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, but rather a commemoration of the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. That day, volunteer forces under the command of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin scored a decisive victory over Napoleon III’s French army, ultimately leading to the expulsion of the foreign invaders and the return of constitutional democracy to Mexico. The country’s actual Independence Day is celebrated Sept. 16.

Of course, as you’re sharing all this with friends and toasting the General’s achievement, you’ll want to use the Spanish version of “cheers” — Salud!