Day 3: Takoba on East 7th Street

Everyone knows that Takoba is awesome. The ingredients are fresh and vibrant, the drinks are some of the best in the city, and the meticulously kept gravel patio and grey concrete walls with pops of lime green make for an atmosphere that is a modern, urban, Mexican. 

Eight of us were there for happy hour today and I ordered the shrimp ceviche and a frozen lime margarita. My favorite Mexican flavors are cilantro and lime. At Takoba the shrimp in the ceviche is fresh and the bright lime zaps your tongue with citrus. Cilantro adds an element of herbaceous zest. Red onions and red bell peppers add crunch and freshness and avocado slices contribute a welcome creaminess. 

A couple friends ordered the guacamole. Normally I'm a purist when it comes to guacamole because I think that the whole point of this bright green dish is to highlight the creaminess and substance of the mighty avocado. I want my mashed avocado to be accentuated by a light burst of citrus from lime juice, a fresh pop from cilantro, and just a hint of salt. 

That. Is. All. 

Takoba takes it a step further, but even I can't help but approve. They top their substantial portion of guac with some diced ripe tomatoes. While I can't abide sour cream, onions, or other silliness in my guacamole, I can definitely get down with the way Takoba does it. Gorgeous.

As the group of us were all chatting and eating at happy hour this afternoon I suddenly realized that arguably one of the most critical parts of the Tex-Mex experience is often taken for granted. I've highlighted the wonderful ceviche and guacamole we ate, but what about the crunchy utensil we all use to scoop them up?

The all important chip is plopped down on the table in a basket just as soon as we receive our glasses of cool ice water. We immediately snatch up one after another and plunk them down into tomatoey salsa, creamy guacamole, or, in my case, the vibrant ceviche. Without the chip perhaps we would use a spoon or a fresh tortilla, but we would lack the crunch and the lightly fried flavor of these corn-based confections. 

The chips at Takoba are clearly homemade. The chefs cut tortillas into triangles, deep fry them, and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Sometimes they reach the table piping hot from the frier.  

I suppose today's blog should be read as an ode to the tortilla chip. Without these little guys we would be lost in our attempts to shovel spicy and beautiful Tex-Mex into our mouths.


www.takobarestaurant.com

Takoba - 1411 E 7th St

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