This past week, two friends and I had the privilege of attending a very special event hosted by local restaurant owner Liz Sanchez of CDT Cocina. We had such a fantastic time—the event was unique, and we learned she’s planning to host more like it! I had to hop on the blog to tell you all about it so you can snag a spot when the next one is announced.
The experience was a private, themed dinner and cooking demonstration for ticketed guests, with the entire restaurant decked out in theme décor. Liz loves the Beetlejuice movies, so in honor of spooky season, this event was called The Beetlejuice Dinner.
The night kicked off with a warm welcome to our specially decorated table, followed by appetizers and a starter drink. We had two margarita options to choose from—a mango margarita and a spicy cucumber margarita—along with shrimp cocktail served with two incredible dipping sauces.
Once we settled in, Liz introduced her co-hosts for the evening, who were in character as “Adam” and “Lydia” from Beetlejuice. She then guided us to CDT Cocina’s margarita bar, where she demonstrated how to prepare a signature craft margarita step by step. We each got to try making our own, and not only was it fun, but the drink was delicious—surprisingly, it was made with fresh beets and thyme simple syrup! And –it was amazing. (To be honest, I didn’t even think I liked beets, but this experience proved me wrong!)
After enjoying our margaritas and mingling with the other guests, Lydia showed us how to make an arugula salad with toasted maple-chipotle nuts, crispy prosciutto, and an apple chipotle vinaigrette. She walked us through the process and prepared the salad right in front of us.
Next, we headed to Adam’s station, where we learned how to make tamales. Using a masa spreader, we spread masa onto corn husks, then filled and wrapped a few tamales each. (Our tamales were steamed while we ate and then packaged for us to take home for lunch the next day.) We also got to make a second margarita with a fresh passion fruit infusion, sweetened with agave and served with a tajin rim—it was super refreshing.
Our next culinary adventure was learning to make a cilantro chimichurri. Liz and her team were preparing steaks on a flat iron grill (she also offered chicken or a meatless option) while she taught us how to customize a chimichurri based on our spice preferences. Throughout the evening, Liz showcased local products as we used them like Enzo’s Olive Oil and wagyu flat iron steaks from The Meat Up. I added a mix of habanero and jalapeno to my chimichurri—it was the perfect level of spice for me.
Once our chimichurri was ready, we sat down to enjoy our seared steaks with the arugula salad. It was a truly delicious meal, and we savored every bite. The evening wrapped up with a themed “worms & dirt” dessert featuring a chocolate tamale with cream, chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, and toasted pepitas.
The entire night was a blast! Not only did we have a great time, but we also learned some new cooking techniques and ingredient combinations that I’ll definitely be trying out at home. Plus, we even left with lunch for the next day!
Liz has more themed dinners planned in the coming months, leading into the holiday season. If you get a chance to attend, I highly recommend snagging tickets! To keep up with upcoming events at CDT Cocina, follow them on Instagram at @cdt.cocina.
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