Taco Tuesday at Bodega Leicester
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| Rude Cosmopolitan |
The deal is that if you go in on a Tuesday you can get tacos with a tasty tequila cocktail (or a bottle of Sol or soft drink) for £10. The staff have been learning about the cocktails on offer so they will be able to make you the ideal recommendation for what drink goes with which taco and trust me, the combinations are delicious.
We started off sampling some of the cocktails, including the Rude Cosmopolitan, This features Olmeca Resposado tequila, along with agave nectar syrup, cranberry, Cointreau and fresh lime. It’s got a real punch to it from the cranberry and a lovely sweetness that counters the tequila from the agave.
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| Blueberry and Elderflower Margarita |
If that doesn’t float your boat, then the Blueberry and Elderflower Margarita is an unusual twist on a classic, bursting with fruit and floral flavours. If you have a wilder side that needs attending to then of course you will be wanting ‘El Diablo’ where Espolon blanco tequila is mixed with ginger beer, Creme de Cassis and lime to make a spicy, brooding cocktail which is still surprisingly refreshing.
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| Pibil Chicken |
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| Veggie Taco |
And what’s the taco offer? Well, you can pick from the regular taco selection from the menu – including spicy pibil chicken with a peanut gremolata, which I must confess I was not quick enough off the draw to sample. One of my favourites was the veggie taco – with soft sweet potato, creamy avocado, black beans and pico de gallo to add texture. The whole thing was smothered in sour cream which was delicious, however if you’re looking for a vegan option then you can ask for your tacos to be served without the cream.
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| Carnitas |
The regular menu also has pork carnitas, a long term favourite of mine which may well have been the juiciest taco I’ve ever eaten, as well as marinated fish with slaw and pico de gallo. As if this wasn’t enough delicious choice for you to cope with, there will also be special tacos on the menu, developed by the top chef team at Bodega.
We were treated to prawns with mango and lime and also a fiery halloumi and chilli affair. They were both really well thought out recipes that had great texture and taste and it leaves me really hanging on to found out what the new specials will be in the future! If you are feeling particularly hungry I can also recommend the chilli beef nachos which have a stupendous amount of topping on top of proper nachos – deep fried triangles of flour tortilla. Everything the body needs – fried, meat, avocado and sour cream. And cheese. And salsa. And other such things that dreams are made of.
As well as this real feast for the senses, we were also treated to a concise history of tequila, the different types, how it is made and some tequila-lore. It was a real pleasure to hear about a spirit which I’ll confess I did not know a huge amount about, despite having spent a little time with it in Mexico!
We tried some genuinely beautiful tequilas. You can pick yourself up a tasting board if you’d like to try them for yourself. Myself and The Boy both favoured the 1800 Anejo, which had a deeper colour and flavour than the silver tequilas and was really as smooth as you like. Save the salt and lime for seasoning your food – this is a world away from party shots and everything to do with refined sipping of a delicious beverage.
And what better way to round off the evening than with Espresso Martini? Made with Patron I’m starting to think that this could be my favourite cocktail. Sadly there was only one full sized example available to taste. I wasn’t caught napping this time though – much to the chagrin of Priceless Life of Mine – sorry Steph. Something about snoozin’ and losin’ is appropriate here I think.
Thank you to Bodega for inviting us to what was an incredble evening and a real taste adventure! I am loving the Taco Tuesday idea, it’s a great deal and eating the tacos themselves is a hugely fun and social experience.
