There's nothing more dangerous than a good friend you haven't seen in a while and a long, lazy Saturday afternoon.

That's what I found out today when I met a friend for lunch at Zapoteca. Three hours later....

In between all our gabbing, we had a great lunch and one cocktail each that we only felt guilty about for 10 seconds after ordering them.

Our server informed us that the restaurant has just added some new cocktails to their menu and recommended the Pinarita, which he had tried himself the night before. It's made with grilled pineapple, reposada tequila and lime juice, and is served on the rocks. There's chunks of grilled pineapple floating in it, and it's garnished with a nice fresh chunk of pineapple. Here's what mine looked like:

My friend decided to go with Zapoteca's famous habanero watermelon margarita, which she'd had the last time we were there and has been dreaming about ever since.

Other new cocktails include the La Princesa, made with tequila, fresh strawberry, lime and sparkling cava.

The Ramorita is made with fresh muddled strawberry and jalapeno slices, silver tequila, premium orange liqueur and lime juice.

If you're not into afternoon cocktails, try ending your meal with their amazing Mexican coffee that has hints of chocolate and cinnamon. It's so delicious, I'm considering a campaign to get them to sell it on the side (like some places sell T-shirts with their logo) so I can enjoy a cup on a lazy Sunday morning on the deck this summer. As my friend said, "it's like dessert in a glass."

- Meredith Goad 

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About the Author

Meredith Goad has harvested oysters on the Chesapeake Bay, eaten reindeer in Finland and sipped hot chai in the Himalayas. She writes the weekly Soup to Nuts column and enjoys a good cocktail.

Meredith can be contacted at 791-6332 or mgoad@pressherald.com
On Twitter: @meredithgoad

Susan Axelrod's food writing career began in the kitchen; she owned a restaurant and catering business before turning to journalism more than a decade ago. To relax, she bakes, gardens and hikes with her husband and their two dogs. A newcomer to Portland, she is an online content producer for the Press Herald.

Susan can be contacted at 791-6310 or saxelrod [at] pressherald.com.
On Twitter: @susansaxelrod

Wendy Almeida and her family have a smattering of livestock and a summer garden. After 10 years of her kids being involved in 4-H, she's finally accepted the term "hobby farm" to describe her family's work at sustainable living. These days her morning starts with milking a goat before heading into the office for her day job as an assistant editor for features.

Wendy can be contacted at wea [at] mainetoday.com or on Twitter @wea1021.

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