This is inaccurate based on my 10-12 visits.
I donât know if high end Mexican works based on this thread. People are talking about value, price and portion size. I think Mexican food is very much pigeonholed and high end Mexican is an oxymoron to many. Rivera never really made it but maybe it was the location even though the food was very good. Nobody would bat an eye if the same portion size and ingredients were served in a French restaurant for 2x or 3x the price - yes youâd have a better atmosphere and nice stemware but whatever.
Personally if Taco Maria moved into a beautiful building with higher end service, a real wine program, etc⌠but the price increased 2x I would probably go once per year maybe instead of my once/twice per quarter.
For what itâs worth (and it might not be worth much) I went to Cosme in NYC which is Enrique Olveraâs first US spot. He is the chef of Pujol, the wildly acclaimed Mexico City place, ranked 16 in the world by San Pellegrino. Anyways, Cosme was mediocre. In my opinion, it wasnât half the restaurant that Taco Maria. It was also considerably more expensive⌠I really felt that Olvera was mellowing the spices for an NYC crowd.
Iâm pretty sure he wasnât there during lunch service but I digress. I think others might have reported that the chef is there for dinner but not during lunch service ??? just a thought.
I still like it for lunch even at the $25 to $30 price point for the aguachile plus a taco because it really seems to hit the spot and I do get the dishes I want.
and my proverbial fucking two cents.
And in all honesty, Iâd much rather have the price stay similar so I can go a few times each seasonâŚ
It is a shame that people dismiss modern Mexican because tacos are cheap. It was a shame to see Rivera fail. Curious how Broken Spanish ultimately does in its place.
Ditto. $65 isnât cheap by any means but its reasonable for very high end michelin level cooking. I spend considerably less here for a date night with the wife than almost 99% of the other places weâd go - sushi, Animal, Playground, Bestia, etcâŚ
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yes, Le Comptoir. 6 courses + amuse bouche for $69. Granted their tasting menu is vegetarian focused, but I would still say itâs a better value than TM.
The old Hatfields also had a 4 course dinner for $67 which was maybe one of the best deals in the city for higher end dining.
Thatâs the problem with Le Comptoir. Vegetables vs abalone, giant clam, Santa Barbara prawns in the aquachile, the crab in the rice, the huge rib eye protein courseâŚLe Comptoir probably clears way more profit so I disagree itâs a better value.
Excellent point.
A dungeness crab supplement for 3rd course at Le Comptoir is $16, bringing it up to $85. A wagyu supplement would be another $22, up to $107. Then it would be comparable to Taco Maria, and it would be $42 MORE.
You donât happen to have any ownership stake in the fucking joint ???
I wish. I would be the happiest person on the planet if I owned one of the best restaurants on the West Coast of the US.
Maybe you were asking Porthos though⌠who knows, maybe s/he does.
My good friendâs just went last week, and said it remains their #2 restaurant in California (they like it more than, for example, Benu, but I guess slightly less than The French Laundry). The place is getting pretty packed nowâŚitâs been completely slammed all night this Tuesday.
I will hopefully go somewhat soon and report back.
When I first went I think it was $49 for 4 courses. A 50% increase is very high considering they havenât added more expensive ingredients like uni, truffles, etcâŚ, changed portion sizes or added more courses.
BUT we go back all the time because its still a great deal relative to many of the other tasting menus in LA/OC.
I wish theyâd add dessert but think that train has left the station.
Tuesday nights are pleasant.
Scallop aguachile is spot on, zinging with spice, and great scallop
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCb849_k0Fl/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
Brussel sprouts were very tangy, and totally roasted to the point of having zero bitterness. The pork powder on it was kind of crazy, very light, yet crispyâŚ
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCb8YDfE0E8/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
Broccolini and Chorizo was just kind of well-cooked over fire, pleasant with tempranillo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCb8ugFk0Fa/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
Wines are no longer Mexican, but all from Spain/France now lol
Pacing was horribleâŚall the dishes hit me at once, and no half glasses of wine. Kind of odd.
$72 for this. Hews closer to Otiumâs claims of rustic wood-fire cooking than Otium though shrugs
I was going to get the tasting menu tonight, but was pissed they took the costilles off the menu.
Interesting. These are the same small plates that are available a la cart for lunch at the moment. And they made for a really great lunch when I went last weekend. Maybe not so much for dinner though? I could see wanting a bit more for dinner.
72 bucks for an appetizer and two fucking sides??? Were there caviar and truffles hiding under the brussels sprouts???
Not sure if prices change for dinner, but at lunch, here was the breakdown:
- Aguachile - $12
- Brocoli con chorizo - $9
- Brussels - $9
Thanks @Aesthete. I would agree with @PorkyBelly.
Was it seriously $72 for just 1 appetizer and those 2 vegetable side dishes? Did you order Wine / Drinks?
Because if not, that sounds like a total ripoff.
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Wines were never âMexicanâ. It was always a tight list with wines from Cali, Germany, Spain, France, etc. Since the beginning. Nicely curated and nicely priced. You might be thinking about VACA which is all Spanish.
Also, is the tasting available on Tuesdays now?
Sorry, I shouldâve clarified that that includes 2 glasses of wine haha.
The food portion was roughly $42 of the $72.
My bad.