The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

El Meson, at 35th and Lyndale Ave. S., and its sister restaurant, Cafe Ena  at 46th and Grand, have both started offering happy hours. The details are a little different: El Meson is Sunday to Thursday 4-6, while Cafe Ena's is Sunday to Friday 3-5. but the basic deal is the same: glasses of wine for $3, sangria for $4 and Mexican beers for $2.50, plus reduced prices on starters. It's a chance to sample some of the new tapas on El Meson's menu, like the patatas, chorizo, potatoes, onions and peppers in a sherry glaze, $4 (regularly $7.95). Chef Hector Ruiz has also added half a dozen new entrees to the menu, ranging from a chicken breast with tomato-asparagus-saffron risotto to Serrano-ham wrapped scallops with Manchego-caper mashed potatoes in a lemon butter sauce. 

Ruiz and his wife/partner, Erin Ungerman plan to open a taqueria, Los Indios,at 910 W. Lake Street sometime next spring. Ruiz says he'll serve the kind of food he grew up on in Axochiapan, Morelos, with recipes from his mother, Victorina Ruiz. The menu doesn't really sound very different from what's available at other local taquerias: tacos, tortas, chicken adobo, pork in tomatillo sauce, bistek encebollado, but it's a safe bet that Ruiz, who trained at Brown Institute's Cordon Bleu program, and interned with Alain Senderens in Paris, will add a few creative twists to those classics.