A good friend at work took me out for lunch to kick off my weekend of birthday celebrating. A treat to have time for lunch with her outside the office, and its a rare occasion that I get time for a social lunch vs. working lunch with sales reps. Yes, I'm spoiled by frequent vendor lunches. No pictures in this one as I left my phone at my desk on purpose, another rare treat for both of us!
It was my first time eating at Bartaco so I was excited to try the new local taco spot that I've heard so much about. My hours (and hours) spent watching Diners Drive Inns and Dives have left me longing for a small hole in the wall taco joint. This is not exactly the same thing but a good fish taco anywhere is worth a try in my book. Also, the over crowded bar scene on a late Friday night was my first impression and I needed to give it another try for a meal.
It wasn't crowded at about 12:15, so we were able to get a seat in the high booth. It took a few minutes for the waiter to stop by but we quickly ordered a few of his suggestions.
- Chips and Guacamole - a must for any tex/mex lunch break
- Grilled Corn - a personal favorite of mine, Ill try it anywhere that its offered
- Baja Fish, Thai Shrimp and Chicken
- Rice - not the rice bowl, but a plain side of rice
- A much needed House Margarita (Rocks/Salt)
The ordering system is cute but the whole "table needs help" card is not necessary in my book, a good waiter should keep an eye out and know when he's needed...a place that small can't be that hard to handle.
The drinks came quickly, a plus for any good restaurant. The guac came next, perfectly spicy, slightly chunky and came with large salty chips to break apart as we ate.
The corn followed and was exactly as I expected, with a kick, good grill marks and the right amount of light cheese.
Tacos arrived next and just in time as the drinks started to kick in. All three were great but the Shrimp stands out as my personal favorite. I would prefer the double tortilla outer layer to ensure there's not tear or sog but the flavor was spot on. A twist of lime and some of the house made Salsa Verde makes for the perfect bite. Fish tacos are my usual favorite as I enjoy the contrast of crunch and soft fish, these were good by no means the best I've had. The slaw lacked the right crunch and kick that usually stands up to the fried fish.
We finished it all off with the churros and a birthday serenade from my lunch mate and the waiter, who had an impressive voice. You can't go wrong with fried dough and chocolate sauce, and Bartaco did a great job with this as well. The right amount of sugar and crunch to finish off our spicy and salty meal.
All in all, very good lunch with a good friend. Ill definitely be back to try the brunch, griddled egg, corn and chorizo sounds pretty amazing.
This "Restaurant" review is a shout out to a friend who's dinner was restaurant worthy! Chris and I took a trip into NYC on a springlike/winter day to visit, check out a museum and of course eat a great meal with great friends. Again, I've lucked out again that my awesome boyfriend has awesome friends that I enjoy spending time with, an added bonus is their adorable son Simon and their shared love of food and wine :)
We took an afternoon trip to the Museum of Natural History, very cool as I haven't been there in about 20 years (or more), Simon showed us the Baboons, we were amazed by the incredibly lifelike animals and huge elephants. After our cultural adventure it was time to mangia.
We started with brine olives (a refreshing change to oil curred), prosciutto and amazing cheese...my personal fave was the hint of truffle oil (told you I was lucky). I was happy to see my red wine selection worked well with the meal, cant go wrong with a rich and fruity Bourdeax. To top it all off, a light bite of caprese with the freshest Mozzarella Burrata made locally and perfectly paired with crusty bread, sweet tomato and basil.
For dinner we were treated to home made ricotta gnocchi and spicy tomato sauce with sausage, topped cheese and fresh herbs. The gnoccihi was amazingly light and fluffy vs. the heavy potato version. Good thing is you can enjoy a big bowl with out internal combustion.
A green and garlicky side of broccoli rabe was a refreshing compliment and is a favorite in our house. Steve out did himself with an additional side of tender lentils and of course lots of crusty bread. (Nature's Spoon)
Dessert was tough to fit in but we powered through and enjoyed (a few) home made brownies.
All in all an amazing meal that forces me to start planning for our next dinner date as Steve has surely upped the ante.
