New Mexico, USA is known for at least three things: UFOs, adobe houses, and southwestern American art. But it’s the last two that inspired Adelaide couple, Kat Romeo and Jon Di Pinto, to create their Hahndorf Tex-Mex eatery, El Camino.
“Kat had this new obsession with Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico – that sort of vibe. So, she threw the idea out there of doing a Mexican bar,” Di Pinto tells Broadsheet. “I’ve set up new venues a bunch of times (as the founder of Shotgun Willie’s, Memphis Slim’s and Cry Baby), but Kat had the whole say on how this one looks. I think she’s done incredibly well.”
When Broadsheet visits the outdoor bar it’s mid-morning and smoke is wafting from a barbeque behind the counter: meat being prepared for tacos. The haze complements the desert-inspired setting, which is replete with cacti, a wooden bar and pueblo-style walls. “The design is inspired by old adobe mud-houses in Mexico,” says Romeo. Rodrigo Tobar, a fourth-generation artisan plasterer from Chile, was enlisted for the rendering work. “He did it the very traditional way,” explains Di Pinto. “So, no painting. It’s all the colours of the cement mixed with sand.” The result is a collection of stunning, light-coloured seats with in-built garden beds for the cacti.
As for the menu at the bar, it’s short but sweet. There are tacos, charcoal-grilled corn, and nachos that Di Pinto and the team serve with pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa, and chipotle butter. Mexican beers and soft drinks line the fridges, and tequila is the feature of every cocktail served – giving Mexican twists to classics like Espresso Martinis.
Just in front of El Camino – which has a relaxed atmosphere and is both kid- and pet-friendly – is Walden’s General Store, a shop stocking popular American brands like Pendleton and Bradley Mountain. “I’ve always had this fascination growing up, with that sort of [North American] terrain. Mountains and pine trees.” Romeo’s found a kindred spirit in partner Di Pinto, whose love of all things American is evident in his venues.
The store was born when Romeo decided to branch out from the bar scene. The two soon realised there was a gap in the market for a shop stocking American-made products, decked out with a distinctly American feel. Think handmade leather journals, backpacks and “great American novels”. The store is named for Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, which left a lasting impression on Romeo at a young age.
Walden’s General Store & El Camino
84 Mount Barker Road, Hahndorf
Walden’s General Store Hours:
Daily 11am–4pm
El Camino Hours:
Fri to Sun 12pm–dusk
@el_camino_bar
@waldensgeneralstore
waldensgeneralstore.com.au
