Tacology Review – Lush and Colorful Mexican in Brickell
Tacology is an incredible visually pleasing space nestled in the top level of Brickell’s spanking new City Centre. The restaurant draws your attention away from the luxury stores with its verdant ivy overhanging the outer seating area and twinkling lanterns above. The décor is beyond aesthetic with a vibrant blend of traditional Mexican Dia De Los Muertos theme meets refined contemporary urban. The “Mercado style” feature is unique in that inside there are different stations where the food is created right before your eyes. Executive Chef Santiago Gomez presides over the kitchen, gaining inspiration from Miami’s seafood flavors and love of style and fusing it with traditional Mexican dishes.
Once the eyes have feasted on the sumptuous interior, it is then time to satiate the stomach. The food and presentation here is in itself pure art!
The journey of deliciousness began with an innovative new way of ordering the food- through a tablet! This was quite appealing to utilize, as it allowed us to control the timing of the dishes being brought to the table. The interface for ordering the food was very easy to navigate, and even with the use of the tablet, our server was still present and attentive, only adding to the experience!
We started off with a taste of the Red Snapper Ceviche. Tender fresh snapper with quinoa-bulgur, aji Amarillo marinated, and topped with red onion and cilantro. I can just taste the refreshing lime mixed in with the array of flavors. It was quite a treat!
The Aguacate Al Grill was my personal favorite appetizer! I highly recommend this dish. The presentation is just divine, it’s almost so picturesque it’s a shame to eat it. But eat it we did, and it was foodgasmic. The grilled avocado had an excellent flavor to it, topped with perfectly crisped kale and bathed in a yuzu-chipotle sauce with candied hazelnuts sprinkled in. The combination of these flavors and textures is just phenomenal!
There are a plentiful amount of appetizers, tostadas, and salads to choose from, you can definitely return here quite a few times and still have new dishes to try! However, after savoring a few appetizers we dove right into the heart of the menu- THE TACOS.
We ordered two types of tacos. It was extremely difficult to choose just two! There are so many delectable choices, categorized by the type of protein you would like in them. We sampled the shrimp tacos and the vegan tacos for our plant-based foodies.
Hands down the shrimp tacos are a must try! They tasted absolutely amazing, and the quirky shooter style manner in which they were served is quite memorable. The tortillas for the tacos taste like they would as if you were in Mexico city- soft, warm, and of the perfect thickness, you can see also them being freshly prepared in front of you thanks to the Mercado style of the restaurant. The shrimp was battered in quinoa, an excellent explosion of crunchiness coupled with an avocado and tangy agave-chipotle sauce to dip in the bottom of the shooter glass.
Next we tried out the vegan tacos! They had perfectly roasted tri-colored carrots, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, and zucchini all mixed in atop a dollop of jalapeño hummus in a fresh tortilla. Good and filling vegan foods are rare, however these tacos will not disappoint.
Just when you think you may have not room for more, viewing the dessert selections will change your mind in an instant. The guava cheesecake was our choice. Imagine the taste of a traditional guava pastry but 1000 times more delicious with creaminess of the cheesecake and a flaky Maria cracker base. Garnished with edible flowers and dollops of whipped cream, it is a must try!
Of course with such fabulous atmosphere and foods, the drinks at Tacology definitely display flair this restaurant needs to be recognized for. First, there are 5 different 16 oz freshly made juices for you to choose from with a rainbow of combinations of fruit and vegetables. Give the Agave Carrot a try, which has agave, carrot, cactus, orange, and lime. You’ll feel better even as you drink it.
Keeping with the all-around trend of eye-candy, the cocktails are as elegant as the food and not to be passed up. We tasted the “La Catrina” A Take on the Traditional Mexican Street ¨Raspados¨ with a Tamarind Marmalade and Don Julio. It is a Mexican version of a coquito which is a creamy milk based drink similar to eggnog. Sprinkled with cinnamon and chilled over ice in a beautiful sugar skull mug, it was as pleasant to drink as it was to look at.
The “Beso de la Muerte” Smokey Vida Mezcal, Passion Fruit, Organic Agave, Egg Whites, Slice of Jalapeno, Served up with a Halfmoon Rim Mix of Tahin and Sal de Gusano is another stunning concoction to be tried. With a Tahin dipped rim, it is easy to see where its namesake derives from. This cocktail truly captures the authentic Mexican flair that Tacology has flawlessly cultivated.
A savory and fun experience at Tacology awaits you…