AlyssaWalking into Tacoart, the latest restaurant concept from local owner Adriana Llano, caused me to feel true excitement for the dining experience ahead of me. Colorful and Warhol-esque art covered the walls from ceiling to floor. It’s difficult to withhold any problems from the day thus far when you’re surrounded by cartoon avocados and corn chips.
You might be thinking to yourself, “This artistic style looks quite familiar.” That’s because award-winning local artist Joseph Silvas of Broseph’s Goods partnered with Llano to create a stunning recipe for art and cuisine. Tacoart has the art covered, but what about the tacos?
We kicked off our first course with Esquites Gomez, aka fancy corn in a cup, and El Mecate Queso with chorizo – a oaxaca and mozarella cheese mix with chorizo and poblano rajas. I’ll confess to you all that after the flour tortillas were gone, I ate a spoonful of the queso by itself. I’ll also confess that I’d do it all over again.
Taco time! Tacoart features a plethora of options ranging from seafood to vegan tacos. You can choose a corn tortilla, flour tortilla or lettuce to encompass your taco ingredients. We went with corn for all four of our tacos. My first choice was the West Coast Taco – grilled shrimp on a base of black beans drizzled with our creamy chipotle sauce and topped with avocado, onions and cilantro. Hands down my favorite taco. The large pieces of shrimp are what make this taco so worthwhile. I can still recall the crunch of each bite. Next up, the Garlic Mojo Red Snapper taco – red snapper marinated in white wine, lime and garlic sauce topped with lettuce, capers, fresh avocado slices and green salsa.
My dining partner ordered the Pila Blanca (vegetarian) filled with poblano chile, corn, mexican crema, oaxaca cheese and onion topped with pumpkin seeds and cilantro, and the spicy We spoke with Llano about the unique taco combinations and she told us many of her customers and friends have helped with the creation of the menu.
“I’m not a vegetarian, so my vegetarian and vegan friends helped come up with the concepts for our vegetarian and vegan tacos.”
We did not leave without dessert! The caramel crepes were fantastic. Very sweet, so you can definitely share it with a couple people.
Tacoart, located in the Quarry Village, features breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, as well as an outdoor patio space for children’s parties and fun while parents dine.