Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Veranda and Rick's, Hotel Figueroa's poolside restaurant and bar, are serving up a new Mexico City-inspired menu from executive chef Adrian Garcia. Formerly of Red O, Garcia's creations are inspired by his family's recipes and are complemented with tequila tastings, traditional sangrita flights, and other inspired tequila- and mezcal-forward drinks.

Carnitas de puerco, chiles rellenos and enchiladas are braised and baked 'al horno' in the hotel's outdoor brick oven. Guests can select from pescado baja, pollo adobado, and carne asada, with a selection of classic tacos prepared with hand-pressed tortillas and topped with house made salsa, as well as Mexican chiles and cheese.

There's an agave program that spotlights some of Mexico's finest tequila and mezcal distillers, mixing them with house-made ingredients like grapefruit and hibiscus cordials. Relax at the poolside of the urban oases downtown, and toast the sunshine with mango and watermelon margaritas or a flight of tequilas, paired with freshly made seasonal sangritas — such as the Cabeza Tequila Anejo, served alongside a spicy, chocolate mole sangrita .

“I want my guests to come in and leave with a smile of satisfaction on their face,” the 28-year-old Garcia said in a press release. “Dishes I am most excited about are our aguachile with hamachi, serrano lime broth, ginger, citrus segments and hoja santa oil, and the carne brava — an 8 oz. flatiron steak, fresh adobo marinade and chorizo, served with fingerling potatoes.”

Veranda, 939 S. Figueroa St., downtown; (213) 627-8971, hotelfigueroa.com/bars-restaurants/veranda/.

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