Erik Mariscal plants himself — and his farm-to-glass drinks — at 801 Fish

This really feels like my first grown-up bartending job,” Erik Marsical tells me, his boyish face fixed in a grin. Last month, he took over as bar manager for the Leawood 801 — but it’s not his first time in charge.

Since moving to Kansas City a little more than two years ago, the Oakland, California, native has helped open a couple of places: Westport’s now-closed Local Pig, and the Homesteader Cafe — both smaller operations than 801 Fish.

But Mariscal insists that he hasn’t gone corporate — at least, not entirely.

“The staff here is so dedicated to what we’re doing,” he says. “What’s great is that, even though this is kind of a corporate-style restaurant group, each restaurant is its own family. Our GM, Michael Holmes, is letting me do what I do because it’ll better the restaurant, and that’s kind of their view. There’s a lot of support here from everyone to make it better.”

And the perks of working in an established restaurant, Mariscal adds, can’t be overstated.

“This job gives me a lot more room and equipment to play,” he says. “There’s a sous vide machine in the kitchen and a vacuum sealer. The chef loves that I can come in and use stuff from the kitchen that they have no need for, or produce that might go to waste.”

This is how Mariscal can create, say, a mulled-cider syrup or a date-stout jam.

As soon as Marsical mentions these ingredients, I clear space in front of me and watch him set about making his Winter Sparkling cocktail — a sophisticated mix of his mulled-Louisburg-apple-cider reduction, a fig-infused vodka and sparkling wine. The golden liquid is served in a champagne flute and garnished with an exaggerated lemon peel; I feel positively royal as I sip it.

Yet, for Mariscal, it’s strangely simple. This is the guy who once served me a drink that combined beet juice, Creme de Cacao and sherry. Is he reining himself at 801 Fish?

“Our style of service is a little more upscale than what I’m used to,” Mariscal says, “The clientele here expects different things, and some of those really wild drinks just don’t pair with the food here. My style has been really raw juices and stuff, but also a lot of homemade things, and I’ll keep doing that. The goal is to refine them further here.”

His sparkling cocktail, he explains, is designed to accompany 801’s raw oysters and fish dishes. He has a few rosé cocktails in mind, too. As he prepares another drink, Mariscal details his plans for the rest of his menu.

“We’ll have a seasonal cocktail list, which will be more before- or after-dinner drinks,” he tells me. “I’m also redoing all the classic drinks with a twist, and we’re going to revamp the beer list. There’s a lot of room for improvement, and I’m excited. We’re a really nice restaurant, and we give fantastic service, and I want to make sure our bar measures up to that.”  

What I’m excited for is the warm, wood-colored, frothy concoction that Mariscal has just placed in front of me. He calls it the Date Night: Plantation 3-Star rum, Allspice Dram (a rum-based liqueur), orange juice, egg white and that date-stout jam of his.

“For the jam, I cook a bunch of dates in Guinness stout with some orange peel, and I puree it all together,” he says. “It’s pretty tasty on its own.” He passes me a spoonful. He’s very right.

Having shaken the mixture and strained it into a fat snifter for me, I feel the aroma — rich raisin, cozy spices — confront me. The flavor is bolder still, the texture luxurious as heavy velvet. No, this guy’s not corporate yet. He clasps his hands together, pleased by my response to his work. “What’s next?” he asks.