The holidays can really wreak havoc on getting out and trying some new restaurants. All those parties to go to and all that shopping to do, means little time to just go out and have fun tasting the latest on the scene. Well after several people were asking where my review was for Lime Taqueria in West Village, I decided to make it a priority.
Lime Taqueria has been open for almost two months now and clearly is not your typical Smyrna Vinings restaurant. Rene Diaz and Jesse Diaz wanted to create something that would stand out and picked West Village as the place to ply their trade.
When you think about Mexican food in Smyrna Vinings, you may think of Nuevo Laredo (awesome food without the pretence and with the red and white checked tablecloths) to other local establishments such as Mexico Lindo, Los Bravos, etc. What Lime is trying to create, however, is more of a Buckhead style restaurant with Mexican flair. It’s new-world Mexican.
The restaurant certainly has flair and creates a fun and festive setting, from the large dining room, the vivid greens, yellows and red and the huge lime wedges throughout.
I decided to enlist the help of another couple on our taste sensation journey to Lime. We started out by sampling some of the many tapas and just kept trying more and more. We never made it to the entree side of the menu, which probably isn’t surprising. With such a large assortment of tapas to choose from, I’m sure it will be quite a popular way for many people to sample the fare at Lime the first time.
The tapas included a variety of tacos including the Taco Res, Taco Mole, Taco Chorizo, Taco Carne Asade, Taco Puntas de Puerco and Taco Pollo. In addition we tried out the Asado de Panela, the Ceviche del Dia and the Tamales Nortenos. And since we were in a Mexican restaurant, we did feel obligated to order chips and salsa, which comes in a dish with four completely different salsas from mild to spicy.
Without a doubt, I think everyone’s favorites included the ceviche, which is seafood marinated in lime juice with finely chopped onions, peppers, tomatoes and cilantro. It was very fresh and a nice medley of flavors. Our group also seemed to really enjoy the Asado de Panela, which is queso, but unlike anything you’ve had before. It’s actually a large slice of white cheese, smothered with a tomato and pepper sauce. Very tasty. Our final top pick would be the tamales.
Along with trying out the tapas, we decided that we would be remiss without trying some of Lime’s beverages. We opted for the Sofia Margarita, the El Cubano Lime Mojito and the Raspberry Mojito. By far, the lime Mojito was the table favorite. It was a perfect blend of tart flavors offset by the fresh mint.
To wrap things up, we opted for the Tequila Lime Cheesecake and the Chocolate Souffle to sample for dessert. The Tequila Lime Cheesecake was velvety smooth and creamy with the slightest hint of lime. The Chocolate Souffle’s final preparation occurs at your table. The server pushes through the top layer of the souffle and pours in a vanilla bean sauce. Can’t go wrong there.
I think everyone really enjoyed the food at Lime and were impressed with the restaurant. It certainly does not compare to other local Smyrna Vinings restaurants. The food was good and the presentation and the atmosphere were great. And we’ll definitely have to try the entrees next time.
[tags]Lime Taqueria, Smyrna Vinings Restaurants, West Village[/tags]