Daisy Margarita Bar

This Mexican restaurant and bar in Sherman Oaks comes from the same team behind Mírate in Los Feliz. Here, Mírate’s award-winning beverage director Max Reis brings that same level of craft and focus to margaritas, which come in both sweet and savory renditions. Whether traditional or inventive, each cocktail is impeccably thought out. There’s a bright purple margarita inspired by a Baja-style fish taco, a verdant slushie that riffs on guacamole and a mangoneada version topped with fruity popping boba. What surprised me the most, however, were Daisy’s standout culinary offerings, which are a solid cut above most of the other Mexican options in the immediate area. Head chef Alan Sanz, formerly of Maisano in Costa Mesa, brings an upscale, modern twist to classic dishes like aguachile and guacamole. I loved the vegan-friendly aguachile de chayote and impeccably grilled branzino. The botanas (bar snacks) were especially clever, including the chicharrón del parque, which uses a puffed wheat cracker as a base for cured yellowfin and macha verde.