Santa Monica: Tacos Every Day at Socalo
When I was a kid I used to watch a lot of cooking shows and one of my favorites was Two Hot Tamales hosted by chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. I was delighted when I grew up and realized I could go to their Border Grill restaurants. My old office was next to the one in Downtown Los Angeles but I was very fond of the Santa Monica location. I was very sad when that one closed.
I am very happy to say their new Socalo in Santa Monica is excellent! They opened before the pandemic and I’m so glad they thrived with takeout and special menus.
We checked them out a couple of weeks ago and had the very delicious vampiro steak and shrimp tacos and drinks. I could have tacos every day and you should start with these! Let’s take a tour of what they else they have!
I started with the Chinola margarita and my friend had the Oaxacan old fashioned. These two might be the most popular drinks on the menu. I love the light touch of passionfruit in my margie.
Chinola Margarita – Altos plata tequila, passionfruit liqueur, fresh mint, lime, tajin
Oaxacan Old Fashioned – Union Uno mezcal, Oaxacan chocolate, Xocolatl and grapefruit bitters
Is it a Mexican food meal without chips, salsa and guacamole? I loved that the chips were served warm and that we had atypical salsas. Loved the macha oil!
I love a good salad and the baby gem Caesar didn’t disappoint. They didn’t skimp on the dressing either. The pickled chiles were an added surprise and crunch.
I wondered what the tomahawk pork carnitas were about and it turned out it was a very juicy, nicely seared with a great crust pork chop! Yum, my favorite of the night. It came with mojo sauce, salad and crispy shallots.
1920 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404 — (310) 451-1655
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