Gratitude Kitchen & Bar Newport Beach has announced an exciting new chapter as it will close for renovations on September 3, 2019 and reopen as Gracias Madre this November. Also a member of the Love Serve Remember restaurant group, Gracias Madre’s original location in West Hollywood has become a staple in the Los Angeles food scene since its launch in 2014 with a focus on plant-based Mexican food and a dedication to delicious cocktails. As a way of celebrating the support and loyalty of the Newport Beach community and all of those who dined at the restaurant over the years, the restaurant will be extending special promotions allowing diners to enjoy every last bit of Gratitude before saying adios, and hola to Gracias Madre this fall. August’s “Month of Gratitude” offers include:
- Thankful Thursday: Happy Hour prices and menus available all day every Thursday (launching August 15th; dine-in only)
- Grateful Prix Fixe Menu: A special tasting menu including some of Gratitude’s most popular dishes for $30 (launching August 13th for lunch and dinner; dine-in only
- Customers who come into to dine at Gratitude this month will also receive a postcard which can be redeemed for two Margaritas on the house when Gracias Madre opens. Guests fill it out, pre-address it and return it to Gratitude by August 30 and they will be mailed out a week before opening.
The exciting, new menu at Gracias Madre Newport Beach will feature favorites from the flagship West Hollywood location including the satisfying Bowl Uno, Jamaica Flautas,
and Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos amongst others, by an array of exclusive items created by award-winning Chef Alan Sánchez Lázaro, who joins the team from Mexico City where he most recently served as Executive Chef of Parcela CDMX. His signature dishes such as the Al Pastor Pineapple Tacos,
refreshing Watermelon Carpaccio
and Churros with Dipping Chocolate 
will also use locally sourced, organic ingredients and pair perfectly with the restaurant’s legendary cocktails.
“I’m drawn to the idea ofadapting the authentic flavors and techniques of traditional Mexican cuisine to create new and innovative dishes that are still largely influenced by the customs, practices and heritage of my culture. Without tradition there is no evolution,” explains Chef Alan. “I want to dispel the notion that Mexican cuisine is just spices and tortillas – there is a whole story to each dish.”
At the helm of the restaurant’s centerpiece bar, craft spirits enthusiast and bar manager Luis “Bowtie Lui” Del Pozo will bring his creative, interactive style to the Newport Beach location along with a new range of notable cocktails. Gracias Madre’s unique cocktail menu showcases organic, artisanal tequila and mezcal craft cocktails that are free of chemically processed spirits that have undergone diffusor production. Quality spirits included in the menu are made exclusively from agave bases, keeping with the brand’s commitment to serving the highest quality ingredients while upholding their dedication to production quality, sustainability, and accountability. The Quinceanera, Purista, and So Fresa So Clean
are just a few of the extensive cocktails featured on the artistic menu – an artistic book beautifully illustrated by Los Angeles-based designer C. Brennan Woo.
Wendy Haworth Studios, who will oversee the design of the interiors and Scott Shrader, who is developing the vision for the remarkable outdoor space, will join forces once again after an award-winning collaboration on the West Hollywood location. The Newport Beach restaurant will evoke the warm, inviting and comfortable atmosphere conducive to lingering, memorable afternoons and evening gatherings inspired by love and celebration. Décor elements include a Mexican tile accented bar, the focal point of the indoor dining area, earth-toned tile flooring, textured palm matting ceilings, heavy draping, iron lantern light fixtures and a perimeter of tall hedges framing the expansive patio canopied by trees.
As Newport Beach’s newest event venue, the restaurant is ideal for events and celebrations for up to 325 standing (215 seated) with a full buyout option for exclusive use of the entire indoor and outdoor space. For more intimate gatherings, Gracias Madre’s private dining room can accommodate for up to 30 (20 seated) guests. Full catering and bar offerings are also available for offsite events.
Gracias Madre Newport Beach is located at 1617 Westcliff Drive in Newport Beach, Calif. and is currently accepting inquiries for private events. For more information visit www.graciasmadre.co.
