Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Chef Nick Melvin—the man behind Poco Loco burritos and Doux South pickles—is launching a neighborhood-focused Tex-Mex spot called Communidad in Old Fourth Ward. Located in the former Highland Bakery space, it will serve breakfast tacos all day, as well as quesadillas, soups, salads, and Latin pastries. With a name that plays on the word “community” in Spanish, Communidad is intended to be “a place all walks of life can feel comfortable,” Melvin says.
Courtesy of Communidad
Menu items will not overlap with those at Poco Loco. However, the style of food and cooking techniques will be the same. Expect a single menu served from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., featuring five breakfast tacos (such as red chicken chorizo with home fries, farm eggs, and Monterey Jack cheese) and five other tacos, including one with Adobo mushrooms, roasted corn, and goat cheese crema. All tacos are available on house-made flour tortillas, Molino corn tortillas, or as a bowl. There will be quesadillas (chicken asada, brisket, or cauliflower chorizo), brisket chilaquiles, and a guacamole Cobb salad with chicken asada and Pine Street Market bacon. “Side Kicks” include chicken and rice soup, marinated black bean salad, and a Cowboy Cup with fried beans, crema, pico de gallo, pickled onions, and cabbage salad.
Courtesy of Communidad
For dessert, churros and Daydream ice cream sandwiches will be available, as well as conchas and Latin cakes by Teresa Finney of pop-up At Heart Panadería. “She uses traditional Latin American ingredients like hibiscus in masa cakes. We’re giving her a place to showcase her amazing talent,” Melvin says.
Though the restaurant is counter service only, there will be two bars—one for alcohol and the other for dining while watching tortillas being made. Look for four or five beers on tap, including one local and two Mexican brands. There will be margaritas and “light, bright, simple drinks,” Melvin says, including agua frescas and low-ABV cocktails. Options may include chia limeade and horchata.
Courtesy of Communidad
“This is not a place to come to get sideways,” Melvin says. “The drinks are more of an accoutrement for having a good time.”
Light and airy with notes of teal, orange, and green, Communidad will keep the building’s original exterior brick while introducing a colorful mural of walking tacos, talking cactuses, and the actor Bill Murray, who Melvin considers his “spirit animal.”
“We’re huge fans of Bill Murray. We have framed pictures and candles [picturing] him at Poco Loco. It’s just our weird little kink,” he explains.
There will be planters on the patio for growing herbs, chiles, hibiscus, and peppers. The vibe, Melvin says, is that of “grandma’s backyard.”
Communidad will seat 80 guests and feature a retail area with grab-and-go items, including Doux South pickles, house-made tortillas, wine, queso, guacamole, chips, rice and beans, and sundries from local Latin American producers. “We’re trying to keep the focus on Tex-Mex here,” Melvin says.
Though he admits Communidad will have “some coffee shop vibes,” it will not have an espresso machine. Instead, it will serve drip coffee and café de olla (Mexican spiced coffee).
“The idea is fun, with no pretentiousness,” he says. “We hope to be a bright light in people’s lives.”
Look for it to open in late spring.
Courtesy of Comunidad
