Fans of Garces alums Brian Sirhal and Tim Spinner eagerly await the debut of their third restaurant, Taqueria Feliz, slated to debut later this month along Main Street in Manayunk. Only weeks away, locals will soon be able to escape into this delightfully kitschy, mod-Mexican kitchen—dressed in neon yellows and blues, Day of the Dead-esque art, tin paneling and Talavera tiles.
In honor of the freshest restaurant to hit Main Street, we chit-chatted with 35-year-old Sirhal on his latest project, why he and Tim hand-picked Manayunk, what we can expect from the food menu and beverage program, and so much more.
Manayunk Dish: What led you to explore Manayunk for the location of your third restaurant?
Brian Sirhal: We flirted with the idea of Manayunk ever since our first restaurant. We were just waiting for the right opportunity.
Timing is everything in the restaurant business—and now’s the time, right?
Absolutely, timing was right and we seized the opportunity. We love the vibrancy and locale of this location—it’s smack dab in between our restaurant in Fairmount [La Calaca Feliz] and our restaurant in Fort Washington [Cantina Feliz].
Can you describe the setup of this restaurant? Is it similar to the other Felizes (space-wise)?
The size of the Manayunk restaurant is similar to our downtown space—it has 60 seats, 15 bar seats and a small private dining area. [Click here to see teases of the restaurant coming together.]
How will you differentiate the menu at Taqueria Feliz from your other restaurants?
We’re scaling down the menu and making it more casual. We’ll have more tacos and a few more traditional dishes that are modern interpretation-focused. We’re taking a more rustic approach.
Name one Feliz group dish that you can’t stop eating—and that we should definitely order soon.
There’s something special about our nachos—it’s the combination of the flour tortillas and the spices with a hint of sweetness. I love them!
What’s the history of you and Tim Spinner’s working relationship? What made you two decide to collaborate over a series of restaurants?
Tim and I went to high school together. We’ve known each other for over 20 years. Tim was briefly in insurance before he took the culinary path [he is graduate of Philadelphia’s Restaurant School]. He had hooked up with chef Jose Garces at El Vez and Jose became a mentor to him, helping him develop his cooking career to becoming a chef.
What were you doing while Tim was rubbing kitchen elbows with Garces?
I was working in finance for about five years and it wasn’t my dream job; I wasn’t passionate. I left that industry and started working at Rosa Mexicano in New York—doing everything from server and busing and eventually, management. At this time, Distrito was on the horizon and I was asked to join the project previously meeting Jose at Amada. I accepted and opened Distrito, working with Tim.
What led you two to branch off from the Garces Group and debut your own restaurants?
We both had aspirations for opening restaurants of our own. Tim and I had similar ideas and dreams, offsetting one another with our strengths and weaknesses. We both knew food, knew cost structure and wanted to go our own thing.
Each of your restaurants, and even your past restaurant experience delves heavily into mod-Mexican cuisine. Simply, why Mexican?
I’ve always been interested in the cuisine and culture that hails from Mexico. It just so happens that we know the food so well, and the nature of it was euphoric, so it felt natural for us to focus on Mexican cuisine and creative interpretations of it as our own.
What can we expect from the beverage program?
We’ll have six draft taps, with one line dedicated to Dos Equis and the rest rotating craft beers. Our wine list will have a Spanish focus with three to four reds and three to four whites, and a well-curated tequila list with about 30 varieties. We’ve also carefully selected a whiskey list; mezcal too.
What philosophies back the Feliz brand?
We want to create a lively and fun atmosphere, hence the “feliz” name [which means happy]. We want to cultivate a clientele base that is happy to be here and wants to come back.
How soon can we expect Taqueria Feliz open on Main Street?
We’re just waiting for our liquor license approval and aiming for a late September opening.
What’s your final Taqueria Feliz plug for Manayunk locals?
With the combination of our food quality and price point, we’ll be hard to beat. We feel we will bring something much different to the dining scene of Manayunk.
For those particularly eager to get their hungry paws on the edibles at Taqueria Feliz, Brian and Tim will be running a preview tasting at sister restaurant Cantina Feliz next week, starting Sun., Sept. 9. Taqueria Feliz will be located at 4400 Main Street in Manayunk. Like them on Facebook by clicking here and visit ‘em on the web here.
Photographs credited to Nina Lea Photography. Day of Dead wall art, shot of Brian & Tim, and margarita image credited to Taqueria Feliz.
