Cuisine Review

Don’t you wish you could be a child again? To be able to sleep at a moment’s notice and completely go into a coma, and then wake up to your desired meal?

My son mentioned endlessly after a recent Saturday afternoon soccer game that he wanted a burrito. We then came home to watch football, and I had a plan for us to go out to eat and watch the Auburn-Arkansas game. He immediately hogged up the entire sofa to begin watching what would turn out to be an incredible LSU-Kentucky match-up. I decided to lay on my bed with an ear to the television and an eye to the newspaper.

I had hoped to meet a friend of mine and tried to schedule an early rendezvous for dinner, but his family declined. After I got off the phone, and as I noticed the game began to get really exciting, it was also pretty quiet in the den. My son had racked out, cold. I could not shake him up, and I was hungry.

He did not stir a bit as I jumped up and down, yelling at the screen in amazement at the game going into triple overtime. No going out. I thought to myself he would never wake up. I had so wanted to eat Mexican, and real, authentic Mexican food was just blocks away.

Recently, the Bike Shop, on Dauphin at Washington Avenue in LoDa, opened up the Dauphin Taqueria inside the bar on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

There was nothing to eat at my place, I would only be gone two minutes, and it was just 6:30. I left him a note, my phone and the number to the Bike Shop. A quick 30 minutes later I returned with an armload of hot food and a just-awoken son.

Historically, the Bike Shop has been my favorite bar in town. The people are friendly, the clientele mixed, the bar well-stocked and it has a good vibe. The windows were open to the street, with an ever-so-slight breeze flowing and about 20 or so people watching the Auburn game. The menu was written on a chalkboard to the left of the bar, with no prices. In fact, I did not even ask about them, but I do remember that my bill came to $27.25. I quickly sized up the menu and made my selections so I could enjoy a beverage and watch the game while I waited.

I am assuming the Taqueria shares the same kitchen with Liquid, their Asian neighbor. Most of the preparation is out front in Liquid, but I have walked through the kitchen a time or two when eating out in their courtyard. I know they can handle a crowd in both. Liquid and the Bike Shop are bars, so prepare for no nice white tablecloths or fancy service. They are comfortable, easy places to relax – not hurry, have a few drinks and enjoy your meal. The menu is basic and only in the sense that it is brief. Salsa, guacamole, chips, tacos and a quesadilla are scribbled on the board.

Guacamole is my favorite snack, spread or accompaniment. An order of guacamole immediately shot from my mouth before I looked anywhere else. There are four tacos, served on either corn or flour tortillas. Shredded beef, pork, mahi mahi and seared tuna. Two beef for my son and a tuna for me (all on flour tortillas) along with two of their smoked chorizo sausage and potato quesadillas. I leisurely waited through the last minutes of Auburn’s first half, laughing to myself at the scowls and taunts of patrons made to each other, the refs and the television. My order arrived and I jetted out the door, but not before realizing that I had left my wallet and was 25 cents short less the cash in my pocket. Someone loaned me the change and I promised to return soon with a tip.

Yawning, stretched out and hungry sat my son when I entered the door. He had just opened his eyes. I jealously put down the bags and told him that while he was not going to have a burrito for dinner, his majesty was getting a pretty close substitute. I pulled out some salsa and extra chips as I brought out our bounty.

He is a pretty adventuresome eater so I was not too worried when I saw that the heartily shredded beef taco contained nice globs of feta with what looked to be a mole sauce. He mauled into them and while I would love to say I had a full taste, all that was left for me was a quick grab of meat from one of them before they disappeared. He raved about them – that is the most descriptive superlative you can expect from an 11-year-old.

My seared tuna was toward the medium rare, with a mild sour cream based sauce – tame but nice. The guacamole was made with fresh ripe avocados chunky with soft slices sticking up from the mash. The warm salty chips scooped up the crevices of the container. Usually I leave some for my meal, but not this time, and I was glad my son does not eat guacamole.

The tacos are all that, but what kills is the smoked chorizo sausage and potato quesadilla. Chopped sausage and cubed potato are melded together with cheese, mounded into a corn tortilla and topped with a salsa verde. Spicy is the first word that comes to mind, sublime the second.

After the hit, you taste the smoothness of the sausage and mild potato. The green salsa is delicious and not heavy on the cilantro. Forget the tuna I thought to myself. This is all that I am going to order from now on. The food is filling and plentiful. In fact, we could not eat the other quesadilla and I served it as an appetizer two nights later to great acclaim.

Next time, my plan is to eat in to have the full enjoyment, but even take-out here is a pleasant, and welcome addition to local dining. Oh and to remind me of childhood, as I began falling asleep, my son’s nap and sustenance created an excited, happy young man eager to stay up all night with his father.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

Archives