If you've driven down Skillman you may have noticed some changes at Mariano's. The building's exterior used to be painted a garish red, orange and blue so blinding it was capable of causing accidents out in the nearby intersection. Now the walls are lapped in a subtle creamy color that's safer, and inconsequentially, a lot more stylish.
The inside got a new coat of paint as well, but it's the garnish on the new premium margarita they're pouring that will grab your visual cortex for the evening. Meet the lime daisy: coming soon to super-premium margaritas everywhere.
There is absolutely no way to sip from the drink with this work of art on your glass, just as there is no way to avert your gaze as is glides through the dining room on a cocktail tray. It is mesmerizing, and it is horrifying -- there are better uses for half a lime.
The kitchen employees cut a lime in half, shave a thin sliver from each piece, and cut the inside of the sliver like a pizza while leaving the crust intact. The slice is then turned inside out and stretched over the lime half to look like flower petals. And then you are astounded.
The margarita itself is a good one. Made with Herradura and fresh lime juice, it's boozed up just shy of rocket fuel. Drink two and you'll be needing a cab or designated driver.
