Tuesday is, by tradition and by design, an unnoticed day of the week. It doesn’t have the excitement of Friday or Saturday. It isn’t hated, like Monday. And it doesn’t have a cool nickname, like Humpday. It just squats there toward the beginning of the work week, unremarkable and seemingly content to be viewed as just another day to get through.
But now — in Columbus, at least — there’s something to really like about Tuesday, for the fine folks at The Kitchen have declared it to be Taco Tuesday.
As readers of this blog know, The Kitchen is designed to offer “participatory dining” experiences and to serve as a venue for weddings and other functions. On Tuesdays, though, they throw open their doors to the public in celebration of the taco. Last night Kish and I paid our first visit to Taco Tuesday, and it was a riot.
First, two words about the ambiance and setting: fun, and fun. Diners go up to an order station to choose from the offerings listed on a big chalkboard. Last night’s bill of fare included tacos (of course!), tamales, side dishes, desserts, and drinks — The Kitchen has an honest-to-god bartender who whips up a specialty cocktail also listed on the board. After you order and pay, you drop your order slip off at the kitchen area, grab a small stanchion with your order number so the waitress can bring your order to you, and then find a seat at one of the long tables.
When you’re sitting at one of the long tables you get a communal dining experience, which adds a lot to the fun quotient. Last night a good local folk singer-songwriter named Carole Walker was performing her music, which she describes as soul with a funky kick, and we sat with a friendly group of women who were there to listen to the tunes and drink a ice-cold pitcher of margaritas. Needless to say, they were enjoying themselves as Ms. Walker rocked the house with her guitar and voice.
The food was really good, too, and affordable. Kish had two tilapia tacos, a cold summer soup, and a ginger rhubarb popsicle (seriously!) made in-house. I had a pork tamale, a flank steak taco, black beans, and a Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat draft that tasted like summer and went well with the Mexican menu. My meal came to $15, and we got the food fast, too.
Tuesday is definitely moving up the list.
Webner House 