I didn’t know it, but I’ve always been on a search for the perfect taco.
You know what I mean. A taco has so much promise. Done right, it’s everything you need, right there in your hand. What I’m looking for is a great soft tortilla, wrapped around fillings that pack a punch of flavor with a little heat, too.
But there’s such a range. I’ve had soggy tacos with a scoop of slopped-on meat and a careless handful of sad lettuce, tired tomatoes and tiny shreds of cheese. Then I’ve had stellar tacos with tender chicken and a hint of smoke, crisp shredded lettuce and cool tomatoes, a swirl of avocado ranch and an interesting cheese, with a tease of heat from fancy truffle hot sauce (five points if you can guess this last restaurant!).
The other night, the perfect taco came at just the right time. A friend and I had just had a disappointing dinner — small portions and expensive — and worst of all, we were still hungry. It was getting late, and as we were thinking where else we might try, Tricia suggested, “What about TacoCat?”
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Neither of us had been. Inside the music was thumping, and I loved the retro vibe, with its tones of cream, mustard, orange and gray. A projector was screening a movie on one wall, and there were lights strung everywhere, with TACOCAT in lights above the bar.
We could have sat outside, but with the heat, it was a relief to be indoors. We were there on a Thursday, but I saw that we could have also enjoyed live music if it had been Tuesday, Friday or Saturday. And Tuesday is their taco night, with 2 for $7 tacos.
While the menu has lots of “Not Tacos” — chips and dips, loaded fries, wings, quesadillas, nachos, a big salad, burritos and tostadas — we decided a single taco each was all we wanted. Trica went for the Crispy Pork Belly, but on that hot night, the Chipotle Cauliflower looked right up my alley. (The menu also includes seafood, chicken and beef tacos.)
Our server was perfect, checking in on us but giving us plenty of time to decide since we kept getting distracted by catching up. And when she slid our plates onto the table, I knew I’d made the right choice.
A vegetarian taco wouldn’t normally be my go-to. But I’ve also been on a kick of trying to add in more veggies and fruit into my diet — I feel lighter and more energetic when I do. The taco was presented on a metal tray on a sheet of brown paper, open-faced so you can admire all the filling. It was loaded, with chipotle spiced cauliflower drizzled with what looked like a bang-bang sauce (I believe that was the spicy almond salsa, which is kind of genius). It had feta cheese, which I adore, and lots of cilantro and scallions, all on a bed of crisp shredded red cabbage.
It tasted terrific. The cabbage was crisp, the feta added a tang that married perfectly with the spiced cauliflower—which was cooked til it was tender but still had some bite — and chef’s kiss to that spicy sauce.
On that Thursday night, all I was hoping was for a slap-bang finish to what had been a humdrum night foodwise. TacoCat delivered. It was, in short, the perfect taco.
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Make your reservation
TacoCat
1813 Kissingbower Rd.
Entrée cost: $4.5 to $6 for a single taco (plus 2 for $7 tacos on Taco Tuesday)
Cantina Locale (for the Truffalo Taco described above…five points if you guessed right!)
2803 Wrightsboro Rd. (Daniel Village Shopping Center)
Entrée cost: $4 to $6 for a single taco
