As another pandemic winter descended, the team at Las Gemelas Cocina Mexicana in the trendy Latin market La Cosecha realized they were going to have to make serious changes. Ceviches, toasts, and other breezy offerings dominated this upscale casual Mexican eatery’s menu — not what diners typically crave when temperatures dip. Without a change, they weren’t sure the restaurant would make it through another winter in an industry that’s been hit hard by pandemic closures. Rather than just roll out a new seasonal menu, co-owners Kelly and Josh Phillips and executive chef Robert Aikens decided to rebrand, changing the name and taking a new approach to their culinary offerings (their neighboring taqueria, also called Las Gemelas, is staying put).
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was something we knew we had to do to survive the winter,” Kelly says, whose team is also behind Shaw’s Mexican standout Espita and the pandemic pop-up kitchen Ghostburger.
In early December, the restaurant became Destino, meaning both ‘destination’ and ‘destiny’ in Spanish. Aikens completely revamped the lunch and dinner offerings, which are all executed in the slender kitchen behind the bar. There’s no fryer or gas stove, so the chef has to get creative with the equipment on hand: a plancha, induction stoves, and a rapid cooking TurboChef oven. “Every kitchen I’ve worked in always had some kind of problem,” says Aikens. “You just work with what you’ve got.”
The menu is a mix of shareable small plates and single person entrees, with an emphasis on more comforting compositions than Las Gemelas’s lighter, coastal fare. Vegetarian and vegan options are plentiful at the beginning of the menu, which opens with a selection of salsas, including one thickened with smoked cashews and fired up with chipotle, fresno, and habanero peppers. Appetizers include a salad of roasted and smoked beets accompanied by a beehive of spicy avocado crema and quesadillas that are packed with chile salted brussels sprouts and cheese.
Entrees trend towards meatier fare, like tamales stuffed with blue corn masa dotted with beef cheek and tongue and served with mole sauce on the side. Citrus-glazed pork belly arrives with a rich mole verde that is sweetened with apple, pineapple, and plantain, alongside a tangle of house-made noodles. “Noodles do show up in some northern Mexican cuisine,” says Aikens. “So, I thought, ‘Let’s try pasta with it.’ Turns out it was a very happy marriage.”
When it came time to design desserts, Aikens wanted to experiment a bit. His sundae is “a little bit on the edge, a little different,” he says. Scoops of black sesame ice cream, fudge-like peanut butter sorbet, sparkling pomegranate ice, and chocolate and peanut butter cookie crumbles, are all scattered across a plate. Together, they taste like a peanut butter and jelly bonbon. Another sweet option is a deconstructed coconut mousse with passionfruit curd and a crunchy chia-sesame streusel.
The wine list is dominated by Mexican labels and complemented by varietals from South America. Cocktails are divided between the classics and house creations dubbed “further deviations.” Each menu item displays an icon of the glass it’s served in, the ingredient list, and a one line description. The Rosibel is “tropical vibes with floral aromatics,” while the Sueños de Swizzle is “like a Queen’s Park Swizzle if it were lower ABV and invented in Tulum,” he says of their take on the classic rum cocktail. “In the market setting, we found this approach connects better with the guests,” says beverage director James Simpson. “They want to be able to picture the cocktail in their head.”
The team kept the physical transition simple. They didn’t alter any part of the restaurant, which was designed by Aikens’ wife Rachel Reid Aikens (who is also co-owner Josh Phillips’ sister). The curving speckle-topped bar, clay-tiled back wall, and flurry of potted plants and greenery remain. Only the signs outside and behind the bar flipped. “It’s a happy space, so we wanted to keep it,” says Kelly. “People love taking pictures here.”
The team normally travels to Mexico twice a year for research and to stock up on spirits and wines not available in the States. After missing last year’s trip due to the pandemic, they’re planning to hit Mexico City and the Baja Peninsula this summer.
Their taqueria, Las Gemelas, is humming along after getting a big boost shortly after last year’s opening when President Biden visited the restaurant on Cinco de Mayo to present the owners with the first grant from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. “That was our biggest day ever,” says Kelly, adding that the restaurant had a line the entire night. “It was an honor to have him.”
The taco shop did make one significant change: it’s hosting a wintertime Ghostburger pop-up, which guests can order for delivery or takeout. This outpost adds a Mexican accent to more standard burger joint fare. The Hamburguesa features a 4-ounce patty with Oaxacan cheese, smoked tomatillo, and a peanut-fortified salsa macha. Their Sloppy Joe style sandwich subs in ground chorizo for the usual beef. Fries are reddened with chile salt and chipotle mayo on the side for dipping. Don’t worry — the classic smashburger is still on the menu. Although this Ghostburger is temporary, the partners aim to open a permanent location near Destino sometime next year.
“We like to push ourselves,” says Kelly. “If we’re doing the same thing for too long, we start asking ourselves how we can challenge ourselves. We’re not afraid to change now. We realize that taking those risks have paid off for us.”
Destino is located at 1280 4th St. NE. Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 p.m.-3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
This post has been updated to correct the spelling of James Simpson’s name.
