O Cocina’s modern Mexican cuisine and cold-pressed Swami Juice are the newest additions to the Heights Public Market. The two local concepts join the Tampa Heights market’s lineup of tenants — Ichicoro, Union by Commune + Co., Butcher & BBQ, Fine and Dandy, Inside the Box and Ava — inside Armature Works.
A taqueria, featuring a small eat-in bar area that incorporates fresh flavors and the wall of succulent plants that the restaurant’s become known for, is in store from O Cocina. Favorites like house-made guacamole are on the menu, as is an ever-evolving bill of street-style tacos that rotates weekly; crispy pork belly (with pickled red onion and habanero crema) and grilled Caesar (with jalapeño cornbread croutons) are among the taco combinations.
Additional easy-to-eat items are bowls, street corn and Mexican corn dogs, plus beer and wine on tap, sangria slushies and frozen rosé, or frosé.
“Our goal was to find balance between what people expect from us, but also the opportunity to try something totally different; this menu will be much more exploratory and adventurous,” according to a statement from O Cocina owner Bear Galavis.
Next door is where Swami Juice’s second location will take shape. Cold-pressed juice options such as Yo Greens (cucumber, Swiss chard, kale, celery, parsley, sunflower sprouts, ginger, lemon) and Sunscreen (carrot, orange, red apple, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon) are set for the market lineup, in addition to smoothies and acai bowls — the Hang 10 Hemp Bowl, with hemp protein, cacao, berries, coconut flake and almond butter, included.
South Tampa-made goods and a collection of Base Culture almond butters are also planned. And the Heights Public Market outpost for Swami Juice will even double as an order and pick-up spot for the juicery’s signature cleanses.
Alongside their fellow tenants, both Swami Juice and O Cocina are welcome to use the on-site community garden, spearheaded by students of the Metropolitan Ministries Culinary Arts Program, for their menus.
“Being part of Armature Works is really cool because we’re able to utilize the community and our neighbors to enrich our products — the opportunities are virtually endless,” said Swami Juice co-owner Kerry Hanan, a holistic nutritional expert. “For instance, maybe we’ll team up with the coffee people on a new menu item, or create something using the garden. It really opens up a lot of opportunity to collaborate and grow, and that’s what we’re all about.”
