Tuesday is the targeted opening of El Camino Real, the "Mexican border bar" at 1040 N. Second St. (215-925-1110) in Northern Liberties, in the Liberties Walk space that previously housed Deuce.
Owen Kamihira also owns Bar Ferdinand, the Spanish tapas bar, across the way. Before getting into restaurants, Kamihira had a hand in some of Stephen Starr's designs, including the Buddakan Buddha and the iconic martini olive at the Continental.
ECR's atmosphere will be rustic, supposedly evoking a dusty, low-lit, turn-of-the-20th-century cowboy-bar setting, down to the oak flooring. Artist Murf Sherman carved an eight-foot longhorn skull from a pine tree for one wall. Joe Brenman created a wooden Virgin of Guadalupe, enshrined in a steel bathtub illuminated by Christmas lights. The bar was pieced together from reclaimed oak from a covered bridge in Lancaster; the backs of the vinyl seats were hand-sewn from Mexican falsa blankets.