Tacos might have originated as street food but there’s nothing humble about the three taco specials Sycuan Casino is serving this month.
Modern, innovative and — most importantly — delicious, the Bison Asada, Mole Steak and Surf & Turf tacos were created by three Sycuan chefs who faced off recently in a Taco Takedown at the GameDay Sports Bar & Grill. The chefs were each paired with a bartender who created a tequila cocktail to complement the taco.
The winning duo got bragging rights and the victorious chef got an appropriately kitschy taco trophy presented to him by Sycuan general manager John Dinius. How was the winner chosen? By a three-person , on which I served (file that under “It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it”).
And since all three tacos will be available at GameDay, for $12, through the end of the May, you too can be a be a judge and taste all three.
To help guide you, here are some of my notes and score tallies (categories were graded on a scale of 1-10, with a possible total score of 90).
Bison Asada Taco
What: Mojo-marinated bison flank steak with cilantro lime crema, pickled watermelon radish, chicken chicharrón and shaved manchego on a bacon flour tortilla. Served with heirloom tomato “pico de gallo” salad, dressed in citrus jalapeño vinaigrette and avocado oil.
Chef/bartender: Thomas Rothrock and Dee Dee Valley
Biggest Strength: Colorful, clean, fresh and light, it looked like a food magazine cover, one you’d read while on the beach in Todos Santos. It’s so light, in fact, it’s the only dish served with two tacos.
Best innovation: Homemade bacon flour tortilla — where have you have been my life? And can I have you with huevos and carnitas and … well, everything?
Cocktail: Sweet Chiquit; Avion Silver Tequila, Malibu Rum, pineapple juice and Sierra Mist, on the rocks with a sugar rim. Valley said her inspiration was a tropical vacation and it tasted like something refreshing you’d want with to sip on the beach with those tacos.
My total score: 85
Mole Steak Taco
What: Smoked mole-marinated flank steak in a blue corn tortilla with Oaxaca cheese, pinto beans, heirloom tortilla, cactus pisco, sautéed onions and molcajete salsa
Chef/bartender: Luis Covarubias and J.J. Amores
Biggest Strength: An elegantly rustic presentation — consciously composed to look random — that sent a strong, and accurate, visual cue of the dish’s earthiness and authenticity.
Sycuan CasinoBest innovation: The use of vegetables — pickled carrots and peppers, pepper Jack-stuffed squash blossoms, grilled scallions, lime and various green peppers — as the foundation on which this tasty (and spicy!) tableau was built.
Cocktail: Javi’s Wallbanger; Cazadores Reposado Tequila, orange juice and Galliano on the rocks. A clever take on the name and a clever use of tequila to ramp up the flavor in this classic.
My total score: 84
Surf & Turf Taco
What: Charbroiled steak and Baja shrimp folded into a crisp mazina tortilla with roasted corn and avocado salsa, topped with chipotle crema and accompanied by more shrimp.
Chef/bartender: Tommy Guy and Andrew Lutack
Biggest Strength: As delicious as the taco was, we three judges were wowed by the drink. And it wasn’t because it was our third one.
Best innovation: Chef Guy — who captured the Taco Trophy — created perhaps the best hard taco shell of all time. Mazina is a flavorful blend of corn and flour that helped make the shell crispy until the last bite and kept it from shattering into a million pieces.
Cocktail: Mayan Mule; Avion Anejo Tequila, lime juice, bitters, agave nectar, ginger beer and hint of Grand Marnier. I gave Lutack’s imminently drinkable concoction across the board 10s. It’s a vacation in a mug.
My total score: 86
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