The Dogpatch is the place to be, and chef Michael Gaines has come at the right time.

Gaines, previously of Manresa and Khin Kao, is a long-time chef but a first-time restaurateur. Never mind his novice status—the chef has combined nods to his childhood days on the Balboa coast with his mad skills in the kitchen to cook up a restaurant that evokes all the relaxed vibes we could want out of a Mexican eatery.

Here jungle-green tiles and turquoise woodwork just barely camouflage against an assortment of lush palm fronds and ferns; and mountainous blended margaritas and a smorgasbord of tacos make for the ultimate vacation-inspired dinner. You can all but feel the sand between your toes.

// Open daily; 632 20th St. (Dogpatch), glenassf.com