Tacos, Tortas & Tequila and Buena Vida, an upcoming restaurant that an international restaurateur is opening in downtown Silver Spring, will open this April.
The Mexican restaurant will be the first Montgomery County establishment for Ivan Iricanin, who is behind popular Balkan restaurant Ambar in Washington, D.C., and founded Street Guys Hospitality, a restaurant group with nine restaurants in the U.S. and Serbia.
Iricanin is planning the restaurant as two separate concepts: Tacos, Tortas & Tequila—or “TTT”—which will sell “authentic meets modern” Mexican dinners, according to a company press release, with seated and grab-and-go service on the first floor; and Buena Vida, which will offer an unlimited small-plates dinner and weekend brunch on the second floor.
The concepts are opening in the former location of 8407 Kitchen Bar, which closed in October, on Ramsey Avenue near the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center.
TTT, which is less expensive and more casual, will offer house-made tacos for $3 to $5 and tortas and quesadillas for $7 to $12. It will have 50 seats, with 10 more at a bar, and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Buena Vida will offer 150 seats and $35 unlimited small-plates dinners and a $39 bottomless brunch. It will be open for lunch on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner weeknights from 4 to 10 p.m. and 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Both will have food and drinks for $5 during weekday happy hours from 4 to 7 p.m.
TTT and Buena Vida will also have extensive beer, wine and cocktails with a variety of tequilas and mezcals.
Iricanin worked as a partner at Richard Sandoval’s Masa 14 and El Centro D.F. restaurants before branching off on his own, and he’s named the former regional executive chef for Richard Sandoval, Graham Bartlett, as the chef de cuisine for TTT and Buena Vida.
A rendering of Buena Vida, which will feature a wrap-around bar and greenery. Via HapstakDemetriou+
A breakfast tostada at Buena Vida (above) and a mezcal-cured organic salmon lox tostada. Via Timothy Yantz of Ardent Vibe