READ ALL ABOUT IT

The opening of ix tapa Cantina is IN THE NEWS.

From LA Weekly, Amy Scattergood and Jonathan Gold waxed poetic. (Amy thinks our blog is "cute, eh?" And YES, we ARE flattered!).

From the lovely Carrie Kravetz Missenscene blog.

From Mr. T @ NY Mag's Grub Street blog.

"Jack Huang is not only the owner of Pasadena's popular Villa Sorriso and Bar Celona eateries, he is clearly the restaurant-saturated town's favorite pun-meister too. Humor snobs, beware, and dining snobs, rejoice, because Jack's at it again with IX Tapa, his coming cantina that reconquesta'd the Moose McGillycuddy's Pub/Fred's Cantina space on Colorado Blvd....In any case, we rejoice that Pasadena is to have one more non-chain, non-frat heavy location. IX Tapa currently plans to cut ribbon come fall."

...AND LATER THIS POST FROM GRUB STREET:

"Pasadena restaurateur Jack Huang is a brave man. Not only is he opening a third restaurant next Tuesday amid yesterday's frosty forecast, he's named it Ix-Tapa, reminding our inner old fogies of the various puns put together to slam Ishtar (e.g. "Ishtar ish-tarrible!") Helping us move on, Mr. Huang is giving away a trip to Ix Tapa, Mexico via their Twitter page to celebrate the restaurant's grand-opening. The contest begins today, with prizes like free dinners given away every day until December 11th, when the Mexico trip will be awarded. IX-Tapa will grand-open on Tuesday, December 1st with a private party followed by a public opening at 9 p.m.

Urban Daddy offered up sheer poetry...and invites to our Opening Party for 25, as well as a chance to win our trip to Ix Tapa, Mexico!

"In Mexico, there's a beachside oasis called Ixtapa. Some might call it paradise.And you can find it…in Pasadena.Welcome to ix tapa Cantina, bringing wild nights of tacos, margaritas and dancing to a stretch of road not known for any of those things. The grand opening is Tuesday, right when Thursday's leftovers will run out.This is the kind of place where the sidewalk bleeds into the indoor-outdoor bar, where Watermelon Margaritas and Coconut Mojitos accompany the beautiful Pasadena sunset.And the bar bleeds into the dining room, where you'll start with Roast Corn and Tomato Salad, then move on to the classics—tacos, enchiladas, tequila-lime chicken—and maybe finish up with a Banana Split in a Deep-Fried Tortilla.And beyond that, there's a dance floor with a DJ and sunroof. All the way at the back is a balcony with a view of it all, and a second bar.This is the latest spot from the owners of Bar Celona and Villa Sorriso, both now bustling neighborhood institutions, so it's a safe assumption that this one will be around for a while. And if you're not quite convinced this all holds up to the actual Ixtapa, they're giving away a trip for two to the real thing.But trust us, it's exactly the same. "
Note:
ix tapa Cantina, opens this Tuesday, 9pm, 626-304-1000, follow on Twitter for a chance to win prizesUD HOOKUP: The first 25 people to RSVP here will be added to the list for the VIP private party (Dec 1, 6-8pm) and automatically entered into the vacation giveaway.

And, Thrillist opined to the gentlman readers, offering up free dinners to a dozen lucky souls...

Eat: ix tapa
119 E Colorado; Pasadena; 626.304.1000
"This two-story, brightly-colored cantina from the guy behind Bar Celona's bedecked with two bars, a dance floor, and a massive dining room serving up traditional Mex deliciousness like grilled fish tacos w/ red cabbage, cucumber, mango, and cilantro; carnitas w/ guacamole, onions, and cilantro, and a jalapenos/tomato/onion/Veracruz sauce'd grilled red snapper, which firmly believes all fish should control the means of production. The 50-62nd people to email ixtapaContest@gmail.com get free dinner for two at the restaurant; there's also a contest for a trip to Mexico and more info at ixtapapasadena.blogspot.com."

From our friends at the Los Angeles Times...

"Two newcomers to the same stretch of Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena's Old Town are Mexican restaurant Ix Tapa Cantina and Peruvian spot Choza Mama. The 7,500-square-foot Ix Tapa has a full bar, DJs, dancing, live entertainment and -- need it be said? -- flat-screen TVs. To facilitate what owner Jack Huang calls the “fun factor,” the restaurant is celebrating its opening with giveaways, such as a drawing for a vacation to Ixtapa, Mexico. Ix Tapa, 119 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 304-1000; http://www.ixtapapasadena.blogspot.com. "
-- Betty Hallock

And SO. MUCH. MORE...which we will proudly share with you this week, as we approach our FINAL DAYS UNTIL THE MEXICAN IX TAPA RESORT VACATION HAS BEEN AWARDED on Friday, Dec 11, 2009...LIVE at ix tapa Cantina!!

Thanks for following along! And we do hope to see you at ix tapa soon!!

Press? Hungry? Love a taco? TALK TO US AT DAN@DANCOXPR.COM. AND our most sincere apologies to each writer that is included in this post for the untidy presentation...Blogger simply will NOT cooperate! Please forgive us! We're buying pitchers at the bar!