Restaurants
La Carnita
La Carnita has permanently "popped up" in the former location of Briscola near the corner of College and Palmerston. The restaurant unites the talents of Andrew Richmond, a designer turned chef, and entrepreneur Amin Todai, both of whom have been at the forefront of the culinary zeitgeist that is the pop-up food craze. Over the last year or so, they've been sending Toronto's food enthusiasts into a frenzy with their series of one-off appearances that marry top notch tacos with street art and a general party vibe.
Upon entering, it's hard to imagine how the space was once an upscale Italian eatery, especially considering the saucy 'Gringo' spelled out in the entranceway tiles. Not content to entirely forego the "get-it-while-it's-here" mentality of its previous life, the restaurant is currently not accepting reservations, but seating about 80 people and featuring a sizeable bar, La Carnita's vibe and atmosphere are only seconded by the food itself. Where else can you grab a forty of O.E. ($13.50 for a litre) and listen to R. Kelly blaring on the speakers?
Richmond has stated that authenticity isn't La Carnita's main objective. Rather, it's his own interpretation of Mexican Street Food, which drops in a few Asian accents. This is perfectly apparent in his signature dish, In Cod We Trust ($5). Hints of lemongrass permeate the famous Voltron Sauce that's drizzled over a beer-battered cod, then topped with refreshingly crisp cabbage and tart julienned green apple.
The house-made duo of chorizo (red and green) was outstanding at $5, and was my personal favourite to boot. This isn't the same chorizo you'd find in Little Portugal; hints of clove round out the heat in the crumbled meat that's topped with escabeche (pickled onion), sweet mango and queso cotija (similar to a mild feta). It's a dish that draws on Mexican flavours.
The Pollo Frito ($5), paired with a mouth searing peanut mole was another crowd favourite. The tender chicken was enhanced by the peanut sauce--another Asian influence with hint of sambal or sriracha. All tacos are $5 each, which may seem a bit steep, but the portions more than justify the cost. Two tacos each were more than enough to satisfy our hunger.
The sweet and charred Mexican Corn (2 for $7), with a drizzle of crema and spicy kick of arbol/ancho powder, was a great complement to our meal. The knotted husk of the corn, which was fashioned into a handle, was also an inventive touch that saved us from a messy situation.
Sadly, we missed out on the churros with cajeta (caramel) as they were sold out by the time we finished our tacos (something that pop-up attendees will recall happening with some regularity), but the lime paleta crusted with salted graham crackers was a nice play on a classic key lime pie. Creamy yet tart, the popsicle balanced sweet, sour and salty wonderfully: a great palate cleanser to end our meal.
Photos by Peter Henderson
Discussion
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I just got back from LA and had Kogi (Haven't had it in almost 2 years) once again. 3 Tacos and a drink for 8 bucks... And they are pretty damn tasty.
In Toronto, I'd much rather hit up El Trompo and spend $10 for this.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimu/5127823750/lightbox/
I was at the UNO event. The Fish taco was tasty, but the wait and the $5.00 turned me off.
I would like to try the corn, so maybe I'll give it a go.
punk!
they make the tacos in the grocery store?
if so how would you compare to grand electric?
The food, mood and ambiance at La Carnita definitely make it amazing. I too love cheap food, but I would suggest that all the naysayers go in to La Carnita and order two tacos - I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Eat & enjoy!
They serve similar fare, and la carnita popped up FIRST on King street in One Method
GE jumped on the wagon first and did it very very well. A ton of others are doing it poorly.
- And lets not forget La Carnita is owned by the same couple who invented TUM, which is paving the way for innovative street foods, trucks, etc.
Before anyone makes a comment, they really need to walk through the doors of these places and experience what they're commenting about. Some of you sound like complete uneducated idiots.
I don't see anything wrong with that. So let's enjoy this new taco trend.
The music is good but too loud = no conversation, no staying longer than necessary.
Best part = the churros, yeah they're good.
Oh and the "limited edition" print of 5000 was the extra laugh.
Overall vibe = nothing genuine about it, wank-fest.
We were there this weekend and unfortunately it, cynically, has dropped to the standards of its clientele. It's crowded all the time so why bother making the effort?
The margueritas were tasteless, the fish taco was overdone and overbattered. The chorizo was greasy. The corn was tough and unappealing. Very disappointing.
It's a real shame. La Esquina in NYC and its take out Corner has been in business for 7 years and still puts out a great taco and an excellent marguerita. There are all kinds of people there, lots who don't care but I feel that they get that there are enough that do and that its important to keep things on the up and up.
So sadly I would say the promise of a great taco joint in TO is still unfulfilled.
Please someone pick up the slack.
In regards to some of the comments about decor and environment....I mean these guys have created a great atmosphere a fun night out. A tremendous amount of creativity has gone into this restaurant and I'm surprised that anyone could have a problem with it! La Carnita are not claiming to be an 'authentic Mexican restaurant' by the way. It's a Mexican theme with an urban twist. Spot on.
This ridiculous argument about Grand Electric vs La Carnita...give it a break. I was at GE last week and it's all down to preference. Personally, La Carnita does it for me. Toronto is big enough for two great taco restaurants isn't it?
$5 for a gourmet taco is too much?! How much should it be?
Well done Andrew and crew for getting it right. Cheers!