The One Thing Your Cinco de Mayo Party Should Never Be Without

Elotes. Photo credit: Both, courtesy La Condesa

Elotes, or grilled corn. This traditional street munchie can be found on any plaza in Mexico on Sundays—it’s an after-church snack—and on West 2nd between Guadalupe and San Antonio streets in Austin this weekend. The folks at La Condesa restaurant are throwing a block party there on Sunday for Cinco de Mayo.

"We really think of Cinco de Mayo as less of a Mexican freedom day and more as a time to celebrate Mexican culture," says Alexis Lanman, who’s managing the event. This means music, this means tequila, and this means elotes. La Condesa’s chefs grill the corn and then top it with a light coating of mayonnaise, a dash of aleppo pepper, grated cotija cheese, and a touch of lime juice.

Do try this at home.

Okay, there are two things your Cinco de Mayo party shouldn’t be without… Here’s La Condesa’s margarita recipe.

La Condesa Classica Margarita
by Nate Wales
Makes 1

1 1/4 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. organic agave nectar
2 oz. blanco tequila
3/4 oz. orange liqueur

Mix lime juice and agave nectar until dissolved. Pour into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add tequila and orange liqueur. Shake hard and strain or pour into a glass (salt-rimmed, if you like). Garnish with a lime wheel.