Tacoteca
Santa Monica, California
Grilled octopus taco with spicy peanut sauce
In the de facto American taco capitol, nary a head would turn or eye bat at the opening of another high-end taqueria, but with the house specialty being Mexican alcoholic beverages such as tejuno, pulque, tepache, and a plethora of craft mescals, Tacoteca has transformed the former Charleston space into the definitive destination for craft Mexican consumables. In a no-holds-barred attempt to rework south of the border gastronomic culture into a unique yet accessible Mexican party in Santa Monica, restaurateur Adam Fleischman has assembled the crack team of Chef Ricardo Diaz, Mixologist Gilbert Marquez and beer expert Bradley Japhe.
A numbered bottle of Ilegal Mezcal’s Mezcal Joven
Entomophagists will delight in the creative use of insects in Tacoteca’s beverage offerings (oddly enough they don’t make an appearance in the cuisine) – the fine mezcals and cocktails are accompanied by crushed, stacked and skewered chapulines (Oaxacan grasshoppers) and a tiny dune of maguey worms pulverized in salt; orange slices provide a sweet citrus alternative to the typical lime wedge. Each shot of mezcal is served in a clay copita, which allows the spirit to come to life and breathe. Some cocktails are downright strange – the La Bruxa (“witch” in Spanish) employs a jalapeño-infused mezcal with blended banana, lime and cilantro, but is then muddied with activated charcoal simply to give the drink a murky black tinge.
Duck tamal with guayaba salsa and mole
Aside from the tacos, most of the other plates are shareable – a row of corn coblets are treated with cotua cheese, lime mayo, cayenne powder and tamarindo in a playful attempt to mimic elote; a tamal stuffed with chunks of moist duck meat is given the two-tone treatment with a split topping of rich chocolate mole and guayaba salsa. Other dishes are tributes or plays on non-Mexican dishes (such as the Shrimp Luis, a Mexicanized version of shrimp Louie). Seafood features prominently on the menu, and for vegetarians there’s even a veggie tostada that employs hearts of palm as a suitable substitute for scallops in a ceviche-like blend.
Aguacatero with avocado-infused mezcal, skewered grasshoppers
The tacos are exemplary – meaty chucks of tender lamb and carne asada are in ample supply, topped with mildly spicy yet flavorful sauces such as Mexican chimichurri and mint garlic salsa; the stand-out open-faced taco features thick, grilled octopus tentacles and a satay-like serrano-peanut sauce, a combination that came to Chef Diaz as in a dream. Quality and taste are priorities, although some may find the tacos a bit steep at around 6 bucks a pop, but where the fare and bar offerings combine playful artistry with tradition, Tacoteca is changing the face of Taco Land one menu item at a time.
Tacoteca
2460 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica CA 90403
GPS Coordinates: 34° 2’6.50″N 118°28’41.90″W
GALLERY: See images from Val’s visit to Tacoteca in Santa Monica, California
NOTE: The cost for the food was provided by Tacoteca. The content provided in this article was not influenced whatsoever by the organizer of the event.
