A Woodrow alum and FBvian tells us some fun facts about Mariano Martinez, inventor of the frozen margarita:
Mariano is Woodrow class of ’63 and his wife, Wanda, is class of ’67. Mariano also claims to be the first Hispanic ever admitted to Lakewood CC. Their estate on Tokalon is somewhat of a mystery–a couple of acres behind a Bel-Air kind of electric gate–but I was actually there while attending SMU 25 years ago. Mariano probably had the first home theater in Dallas, with a bar in the back stocked with a multitude of rare tequilas!
The new Mariano’s Hacienda is a great place and scene but quite different from the old lounge at Mariano’s Old Town. The restaurant and lounge switched locations from one end to the other in the early 1980s. The dark, old lounge was fairly small and had these deep leather barrel chairs that swiveled as you swigged your margarita. I was there then night Lennon died and the mariachis sang “Hey Jude” in tribute. (Yes, we pointed out “Jude” was a McCartney tune.)
