T U E S D A Y…is it Friday yet? And what is worse is that I woke up with that gross feeling in my throat that usually means I am overdoing it and “I better pull back the reigns before this turns into a full blown sickness.” Ugh. And I hardly, ever, get sick. It, usually, happens when something BIG is going on – Holiday’s, a few days before running a marathon, throwing a party, etc. Yes, I threw the marathon note in there because I remember coming down with an obnoxious sinus infection/cold one week before running the Disney World “Goofy Challenge.” I ran the half on Saturday, then the full on Sunday. Crazy? Wait, “Goofy?” Yes. Would I do it again? If I could get myself back into marathon shape – dang, that shit is hard – absolutely! Even back then I was working for the tacos & tequila.
I never gave myself the credit I deserved when going through the training of it all. Just something I did. Now, coming off 3 years of not running more than 3 miles on a treadmill, mixed with sprints and power walks, and 6 years since I hung up the running shoes from 26.2, yeah, it is a humbling experience, and I wish I was a little kinder to myself all those years ago. Instead it was, “why cannot I not break a 3:50 marathon?”
Anyway, no more workout talk; let’s chat about FOOD. Last week, I had the ultimate pleasure of checking out La Food Marketa for some tacos & tequila; the sister restaurant to one of my favorites spots in Baltimore – The Food Market. Honestly, I have been wanting to check out this place for a really long time. I have heard some amazing things about it and knew it was the PERFECT time to try it out! Needless to say, the food did NOT disappoint. I know I have said this about every restaurant BUT I really cannot wait to back ASAP.
Okay, where to even start when it comes to tacos & tequila? Before I do, I did have to BORROW this fabulous tag line you can find right on the restaurant’s website. I mean, it is simple, to the point, and I totally give it my stamp of approval!
“LA FOOD MARKETA BRINGS THE SAME HONEST AND APPROACHABLE DINING EXPERIENCE OF HAMPDEN’S THE FOOD MARKET TO QUARRY LAKE.
From the minds of Chefs Chad Gauss and Johntay Bedingfield, La Food Marketa features a blend of flavors from the Americas that is fresh, fun, comforting and easily understood. Dine, drink and enjoy” (www.lafoodmarketa.com)!
One of the biggest decisions to make – besides what food to try – is what are the best cocktails to start with? I don’t have a sweet tooth, nor do I tolerate really sweet drinks either. I know, wtf? While the margaritas sounded interesting, after hearing the ingredients, I knew it would be too sweet for my liking BUT if that is your thing, I hear they are excellent! Instead, I decided to go with the Casamigos flight because HOW COOL IS THAT? This is one of the only places in Baltimore that I know who offer this, and I think it is fantastic. I can get down with a good Mezcal, but tequila has never been one of my things, until I was introduced to this brand. The best way? Let it sit with over ice for a good 10-15 minutes, and sip. No mixing! This is too freaking good to add anything else! My favorite of the 3 (blanco, reposado, and anejo) will, always, be the reposado!
The lunch menu looked fantastic, and the dinner menu looked even better! Heads up, the lunch menu is different Monday-Thursday than Friday-Saturday. I did get to dine here on a Friday, so the options are a little more extensive. My original thought was a couple appetizers, including a la carte tacos, and then trying out one of the delicious salad entrees BUT I ended up digging the tacos so much that I just ordered another round. Another great perk is that they offer both corn and “lettuce” tortillas, in addition to the traditional flour ones too.
To start, I ordered the “Chips and Guacamole” – sans chips and add crudites – as well as the “Queso with added Turkey Chorizo.” Omgosh, I think it was one of the best quesos I have had! The addition of the turkey chorizo just made it that much better, and a great topper to my tacos too! Unfortunately, the picture of the queso was not so appetizing so I decided to leave that one out and just let you go and order for yourself. Take my word…UNBELIEVABLE.
On to the tacos! FYI: You can get these as actual platters but, as I mentioned, they offer them a la carte as well. I love this option because it allows you to try a bunch of other items…or just order more tacos! Ha! I can do without all the extra sides – rice, beans, yada, yada.
Since I wanted to try both the corn and lettuce tortilla, I got the “Pulled Pork Tacos” with the corn and the “Mom’s Turkey Soft Taco” with the lettuce. Both were phenomenal but I think my heart was “pulled” in the the pulled pork direction. This is, exactly, why I went ahead and grabbed another; this time in lettuce. Regardless of corn, lettuce, or flour (if that strikes your fancy), the pulled pork was flipping delicious.
Needless to say, I finished every last bite, and left feeling content, full, and ready to plan my next trip back! Remember, it is all about the tacos & tequila!
Until I get my gig with Casamigos…
xoxo
