The Original, The Taco, The Scoop

There is a new Mexican place in the location previously occupied by Sala in the Highlands/Morningside area called The Original El Taco, which I guess translates to The Original The Taco. I am not aware of any new El Taco restaurants so I am not too sure what "The Original" refers to. This is the latest Fifth Group concept, and at first I was scared (actually, I was petrified), that this would follow the same mistakes as The Original The Sala, which meant overdone and overpriced Mexican. But fear not, this is not the case with El Taco.

When you first walk into the restaurant, you realize right away this is supposed to be a casual neighborhood place. Cool, fun colors, star chandeliers, and my favorite- a prize wheel, which among other things, awards free pitchers of margaritas for 15 minutes if it lands on that space and you hold the winning number. Gambling, tequila and tacos- you know this is a Steakhead kind of place!

The menu is pretty standard for the modern taqueria these days. The queso royale includes japapenos, and chunks of chorizo sausage. Other items include fajitas, mexican pizza, enchiladas, etc. But given the name, I went for the tacos. There are 8different tacos on the regular menu, including the fried tilapia (don't be scared off by the salsa habenero, it is not spicy at all), fried chicken, mexican chorizo and the pork carnitas tacos. But the best taco I had this night was the Red Chili Steak taco (of course, you say). The chili rubbed steak was tender and extremely flavorful. There is a salsa bar towards the back which has some decent concoctions, though nothing overly spicy if you are into that sort of thing. The great thing about the taco menu is that they all are about $3 each. So with the change you save on food, you can direct that toward the drink menus. Speaking of which, the margarita list is impressive and I've heard good things about the frozen mojito (though I will not admit to having one of those).

I think El Taco should do very well. They offer decent food, at a good price, in a fun atmosphere. Its both kid-friendly and singles-friendly. The front porch will be a popular spot in the Spring and Summer months. They do need to run that prize wheel a little more often- they didn't spin it once when I was there. I want to be like that guy in the KENO commercial when my number hits winning free pitchers of margaritas for all my friends!

El Taco Veloz May Benefit From the New Prado

As the construction around the Prado will likely bring more of the same chain-type restaurants, visitors may want to venture just North of the new Sembler complex for lunch to the El Taco Veloz, an authentic Mexican taqueria. You will need to look past the exterior and the fact that its situated right next to a Love Shack adult store. Come to think of it, the inside won't win any Architectural Digest award either. But the fact that the Dora episode they were showing on the two TVs was in Spanish led me to believe I wouldn't be disappointed. And I wasn't. The food here will make you look past any burrito you have ever had at Moe's or Chipotle.

The menu is relatively simple- mainly tacos and burritos. There are carne asada versions of both, with the meat tender and full of flavor. Lady Steakhead had a chile relleno taco, which was also outstanding. She is a big fan of corn tortillas, which is how the tacos are served (you can request either). There is a salsa bar with some wonderful selections including a particularly spicy salsa verde. The pico served with the side order of chips is outstanding.

As I was leaving, I requested a to-go menu and was ecstatic to see they serve breakfast. I just love me some huevos rancheros! And breakfast places are what I have missed the most since move from Cabbagetown. May have to do that next weekend.

Tequilas and Ceviches in Roswell

I am a big fan of ceviches, the tangy Latin American marinated seafood dish. When in Cozumel earlier this year, we made a specific trip to the east side of the island where beach bars without electricity serve up ceviches and cold margaritas. When I heard about a restaurant in Roswell with the same name, you could imagine how excited I was.

Lady Steakhead and I kicked off the holiday weekend with a much anticipated visit to Ceviche last night. Located in historic Roswell on Canton Rd., Ceviche seems to be quite the popular place these days. By a little after 6, all the inside tables were full, and by 6:30 the few outside tables on the sidewalk were occupied as well. The place feels very Mexican beach authentic in terms of the lack of decor. A ratty tapestry nailed into a barely-painted white cinderblock wall constitutes the only "art" in the place. Dont worry about getting too comfy in the plastic chairs. And as for worrying about Little Steakhead making too much noise? No worries about that either since its so loud that no one would ever hear her.

In looking at the menu, a part of me felt this place was misnamed. There are only 3 cevishes on the menu, but there is a completely seperate menu with 15 or so different tequilas. But maybe the name "Tequila" would frighten off the family-friendly crowd they have definitely attracted, so scratch that. My first order was for a Patron Silver 'rita on the rocks with the shrimp ceviche. Being the beginning of the holiday weekend, I felt compelled to go pseudo- top shelf with the liqour, though at a price of $12, I wasn't counting on too many of them. And unfortunately, its not like some big Lulu's fish bowl of a glass, only a medium size lowball glass. Probably good for the crowd, but at $12, I should have gone house brand for $5.

The ceviche was not quite what I expected either. It was served in the same lowball glass as the margarita, and served with a red tomato juice that completely overpowered the conventional tastes of lime and peppers. And, while I can't verify this, but the shrimp had the taste and texture of being cooked and chilled, as opposed to being marinated. Probably wouldn't order this again.

For a main course, I went with the steak tacos, which were served with corn tortillas. Man I love corn tortillas, so much better than their flour siblings. This was decent, and about what you would expect.

In the end, I enjoyed several elements of our trip to Ceviche. Not an expensive meal, good margaritas, and a real hole in the wall ambiance. I lalso love the fact that it is a family run business (the family actually has two other restaurants on the same block). But will it stand out from the run-of-the-mill fare at El Azteca? Work on the ceviche offerings (since that is your name), and absolutely.