New Mexican Cantina Will Have Colorful Art Installation
Though it’s still a month or so away from opening, a new fast-casual restaurant, Puralima Cantina, is already drawing attention because of the colorful work being done on the inside.
Artist Eric Rieger, who goes by the name HOTTEA, has been busy wrapping the room’s 10-foot pillars with colorful yarn over the past ten days.
“These are inspired by Mexican blankets,” he said. “And being that I’m a Mexican-American, I really wanted to emphasize the design and that style.”
The new restaurant will be on the street level of the Duffey Lofts building at 6th and Washington, using the same entrance as Stalk & Spade. In job postings, Puralima Cantina describes itself as “a People and Community Oasis, right in your neighborhood. The menu features traditional methods and authentic flavors with a twist. At the heart of our restaurant is a healthy and delicious experience.”
As HOTTEA has been hard at work this month–“finishing about two inches an hour,” he estimates, he’s been getting lots of good feedback.
“A lot of the people who live in the North Loop have been walking by at night or even during the day and giving me a thumbs up through the window,” he said. “Really enthused about it.”
HOTTEA is the same artist who livened up the railing outside Crisp & Green last fall with various shades of green and grey yarn. Puralima is being opened by the same company that owns Crisp & Green and Stalk & Spade, Steele Brands.
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer
Rendering of Puralima Cantina