Okay, so I’ve been obsessed with Bartaco lately. I mean, who isn’t? Those tiny tacos are just too cute and tasty! I went down a rabbit hole trying to figure out how they make everything so darn good. Turns out, Bartaco was started in 2010 by a couple of guys named Andy Pforzheimer and Sasa Mahr-Batuz. Now they’ve got like 22 spots, mostly on the East Coast. The very first one was in Port Chester, New York. I’ve never been, but maybe one day!
My Taco Experiments
Their tacos are itty-bitty, served on these four-inch tortillas. Our server told us each taco is about three or four bites, which I guess makes it okay to order like a million of them. They also have this lettuce wrap option, which I tried once, but I’m a tortilla girl at heart.
So, I started messing around in my kitchen. I made some with chicken, some with fish, and even tried a veggie one. The chicken ones were pretty easy. I just marinated some chicken in a mix of lime juice, chili powder, and cumin. Then I grilled it and shredded it up. For the fish tacos, I used cod. I coated the fish in a simple batter of flour, cornstarch, and some spices, and then I quickly fried it up until it was golden and crispy. I used some white corn tortillas. Then, I heat them up on a pan and assemble the tacos. I like adding some shredded cabbage, a little bit of salsa, and a squeeze of lime.
The Cucumber Salad
Now, let’s talk about that cucumber salad they have. I noticed it is all bright green and crunchy, with cucumbers, onions, and cilantro. I tried to recreate that. I sliced up some cucumbers super thin, diced some red onion, and chopped up a bunch of cilantro. The dressing was the tricky part. After a few tries, I think I nailed it: rice vinegar, a little bit of sugar, some salt, and a dash of sesame oil. Tossed it all together, and boom! It was pretty close to the real deal. I’m gonna keep trying with different kinds of vinegar and maybe some other herbs to see what happens. I ate it with the tacos I made and some rice, which made me feel like I was eating at Bartaco but without spending too much money.
- Marinate Chicken:
- Mixed lime juice, chili powder, cumin.
- Grilled and shredded chicken.
- Fish Tacos:
- Coated cod in flour, cornstarch, spices.
- Fried until crispy.
- Assemble Tacos:
- Used white corn tortillas.
- Added cabbage, salsa, lime.
- Cucumber Salad:
- Sliced cucumbers, red onion, cilantro.
- Dressing: rice vinegar, sugar, salt, sesame oil.
Anyway, that’s my Bartaco adventure for now. I’m gonna keep experimenting, and maybe I’ll try to make their margaritas next. Who knows? But I’m having a blast trying all these recipes, and my family isn’t complaining about the free food either! We eat tacos like almost every day now. Oh well.
