Monday, December 21, 2009
Restaurants Review: Lupe Taqueria
Posted by Besha Rodell @BeshaRodell on Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 3:00 PM
What is it, Atlanta? What is it about tacos? A restaurateur can put tacos into just about any space, anywhere in the city, and practically be guaranteed success. Why tacos? Why?
OK, I get it. Tacos are the perfect food. Portable. Cheap. Extremely compatible with tequila and/or beer. Available in a variety of flavors and textures. I love a good taco as much as the next gringa with a penchant for corn, meat and alcohol-laced lime juice. I personally prefer my tacos from a truck or dinky stand, firstly because they're generally cheaper, and secondly because – surprise! – Mexican food is most often made delicious by actual Mexican people. I'm not totally against putting the taco in a more refined setting, even if it smacks of making ethnic food safe and palatable for the non-adventurous among us. But as a city, we're getting close to taco saturation. With no lack of taco eateries, in the past year alone we've seen the openings of the Original El Taco and Pure on North Highland Avenue, and now Riccardo Ullio's Lupe in the old Cuerno location on Juniper Street.
And frankly, what's going down on Juniper Street is mildly depressing. When I think back a couple of years, to when Ullio first occupied the two spaces between Seventh and Eighth streets, I remember excitement, creativity and potential: Beleza, an upscale health food and tropical juice-fueled cocktail lounge, and Cuerno, our city's first serious attempt at Spanish cuisine. There were problems. Finicky Atlantans didn't like having to park a block away in a lot, they like valet, dammit. Despite its bold, creative, raw and organic menu, Beleza quickly turned into more of a Midtown party scene than a restaurant. Now, Beleza doesn't serve food at all, and the static cocktails have gone steeply downhill in quality. The place is a shadow of its former self. And Cuerno has become Lupe, as if to hammer home the point that Atlantans aren't as sophisticated as we like to claim. We won't eat regional Spanish food. But, boy, do we love tacos!
Continue Reading "Review: Lupe Taqueria"
(Photo by James Camp)
Comments (5)
Showing 1-5 of 5
Who would buy tacos on Juniper Street or North Highland anyway? Oh yeah, yuppies.
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@smitty Such a childish approach.. making fun of people just for where they live? Grow up.
Seriously, people should make fun of you for where you eat, not where you live. Take for example Kingfish...she eats a Big Montana at Arby's everyday at 11:30. That's something to make fun of.
Call me finicky if you'd like. Make fun of where I live (near Fat Matt's, btw, I get to smell the ribs all day long. Delish!) but regarding Beleza: when I pay over a $100 for a meal on a datenight and I'm still hungry, i'm not going to go back for more. Atmosphere is my favorite datenight place...great food at a reasonable price...and the awesome feeling of satiation.
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