i had my first visit today for lunch. the margarita WAS bad. so overly sweet that i wasnt able to finish more than half of it.
our service was really awkward and uncomfortable, like the girl had never talked to another human before in her life. she was sweet enough, though.
our food was fantastic, even though it wasnt on the menu. someone i know recommended the fish tacos, which is the only way i would have known that they offered them there. they were delicious, but the portion was huge, and they were $13, which seems high for a lunch entree- even though i will gladly pay $12 for the unbelievable fish tacos at radius 10.
i will be back, just hoping for a different waitress and a better margarita recipe.

The best margarita I ever had was the scratch margarita at Palomino in Seattle, assembled tableside from fresh limes and gently shaken. The only one I ever had as good was at Guero's in Austin, tart as hell with key limes. I'd say if you start with fresh limes, you're halfway there.

The Mumpsimus Forum had this recipe:

1 part controy
1 part agave nectar (simple syrup works too)
1.5 parts lime juice
2 parts tequila

The food on my visit was OK. The chips were stale (but free!). The stuffed portobello appetizer was imposingly presented, but the mix of warm and cool was somewhat off-putting. The mole, which I'd heard so much about, didn't have the richness or kick I expected, and the pork in the inch-thick tamale was a trifle bland. I don't know that I'd go back—except the space is pleasant. A good margarita might do the trick.

The best margarita I've ever had was at Salsa in Asheville. It had a splash of fresh orange juice in it, which was a nice touch.

The usual crimes of bad margaritas are too much sweet and the obvious remnants of some sort of powder mix.

Good tip about fish tacos. Who knew? That said, it's hard to beat Baja Burrito for a cheeeeap and delicious fish taco. It's that sauce.
La Hacienda has been throwing down a good challenge on the weekends lately. The fish in the taco special is not deep-fried, like at Baja, but has a great seasoning.

Baja Burrito fish tacos ARE good, but i cant help feeling like i should go get my cholesterol re-checked after every binge.
these included fresh, seasoned fish, probably pan fried. they were stacked with chopped mango, onions, cilantro, and a big heaping spoonful of guacamole. the seasoning on the fish contrasting with the fresh fruit was quite satisfying (yet not quite as satisfying as the fresh watermelon cubes on the radius 10 version).

But without the jicama fries, I hope. That was weird.

did you say fish tacos?

Did you say you were moving to Nashville? Dude, *I'll* marry you if you need a green card.

Is there a margarita in Nashville that doesn't come from a plastic bottle?

i was blown away by the review of rosario's in the scene. the place is HORRIBLE. how can the fact that they serve margaritas in hot glasses be a minor little point at the end of the article? but not just that-- the mole, the salsa, the chicken... it was all pretty gross. such a shame, too.

best margaritas are at rosepepper, of course.

Let's get back to the Maggie recipes and suggestions. Keep it simple - 2 parts Cuervo Gold (save the fancy stuff for sipping straight), 1 part decent triple sec, 2 parts fresh lime juice, 1 part simple syrup, put on ice for a couple of minutes (don't shake, it'll water it down) and serve "up" in a freezing cold glass or in a high ball (short) glass full of ice, quarter lime on the rim either way. Best done at home, by the big pitcher shared around generously (and call taxis for everyone at the end of the night). Problem with most restaurant Margaritas is volume - people like big ones, so tenders go heavy on the mix to fill the glass, thus the kool-aid taste. Rose Pepper does do it pretty well (too bad about the food), but if you are in the mood for an approximation elsewhere and want to actually taste the liquor, ask for a tequila gimlet.

This might not technically count as a margarita, but Radius10 is scooping up a very smooth and refreshing margarita sorbet made with Patron. Would no doubt be a nice report to the fish tacos.

Rosepepper's margaritas are mix-free and delicious. Their fish tacos don't do a lot for me, though. I could've sworn they gave me ranch dressing instead of a baja sauce last time I ordered them.

I had some great fish & lobster tacos last winter in San Diego. Everything here (even BB's - which I love) pales in comparison.

Which begs the question - why is it so hard to transplant foods from one part of the country to another? Regional foods I've yet to find a good version of in Nashville: Philly Cheesesteak, Chicago Style Pizza, Cuban Sandwich etc....

i think the trick is the same with a margarita as with any prepared food... keep it close to the earth! squeeze those limes! use quality ingredients. not so hard to do really...

Rose Pepper does have great Maragaritas to complement their bustling bar scene. The only problem is the sub-awful food they serve. I can't believe people honestly eat there.

A few of us have been going on about Rosario's - making plans to go and the like. However, when we call the number listed on the web site and downloadable menu, it is disconnected(?) Huh?

p.s. - Is the any better way of getting scoops to the editors than via this here blog??

Thanks for the heads up. I'll check it out now.
You can always email food stuff to me at cfox@nashvillescene.com

Just tried 329-1977 and they are open for business.

try this recipe:

6oz - Minute Maid frozen concentrated limeade
6oz water
4oz Jose Cuervo Traditional
2oz Cointreau, Triple Sec or Grand Marnier

you can;t go wrong except if you want to go cheap on the tequila and orange liqueur.

you can find this one and others at my favorite margarita website. margaritatexas.com

Regarding the earlier question about why certain regionally indigious dishes cannot be successfully exported to other regions, the prevailing theory is, ITBS. It's the bread stupid. You can throw some thin-sliced beef on a grease topped flatgrill in Brentwood and push it around with some fried onions and throw some provolone on it, but the minute you put on local bread, it loses its authenticity. No longer a Philly Cheesesteakm, it is simplty beef on bread. Same with Cuban, lobster roll, muffaletta, po boy, pizza---anthing to do with dough.

It was suggested earlier today, as we all sampled/lamented a few different local pizzas, that it's the water--which in turn influences the dough.

I happen to think it's really a matter of what you can get away with in a market with little or no competition, where few people know what the real thing is.

Maybe it's a combination of the water and no competition. After all, there's no competition for the water, so maybe we're drinking not-good-for-bread water and we just don't know it?

Oh God, not the cheesesteak authenticity argument again. Next thing we know, Lee Stabert'll be in here all up in our grill. And I'll have to listen to her and P.J. go off on Philadelphia chow.

You know, it's just not an authentic Sloppy Joe without Manwich. Discuss.

I think Rosario's should host a margarita taste-off, with the winner becoming the Maggie of permanence.

I'd be interested to hear the native Philladelphians' opinion on cheesesteak cheese. Provolone or Cheezwhiz?

The one time I went to Pats it was cheezewhiz, so thats what I like...

Hey Philly:
Pat's Steaks, or Gino's? Discuss....

and pretty sure cheezewhiz wins out.

Hand's down the best margarita in town is Alley Cat's Top Shelf margartia. You will not be disappointed AND they have delicous food too...even Brunch.

pats wins best steaks because they are not racist assholes. who cares if their steaks are good?

im hardly a philly native, but i think other natives would insist on the whiz, while i insist on provolone, and onions.

err i meant who cares if ginos steaks are good?

Here's the thing about cheesesteaks. A good steak has nothing to do with Wiz or provolone or American (or Swiss if you're John Kerry.) A good cheesesteak is a good cheesesteak because of the roll that it sits on. In Philly and surrounding environs (known as the Delaware Valley) the good steaks rest greasily on a roll made by the Amoroso bread company. The best steak-makers outside of Philly know that Amoroso rolls are the key and have the soft, doughy torpedoes imported. There's a place in San Francisco that actually flies the rolls in daily. The steaks available there taste just as good as anything you'll find on Broad Street and the reason is the rolls.

Yeah, but if they soaked the rolls in SF water first, they wouldn't be as good.

They should offer Vampiros, too. Even yummier than margaritas in my opinion.

tequila and sangrita (a mix of tomato and orange juice with chili)

Tan bueno.

Does anybody around here serve these? I confess that it sounds disgusting, but I'm curious. It couldn't be worse than Clamato.

The cheesesteaks in San Francisco are pretty darned good...(esp the one on divisadero)

how about flying in dough from new york to make some decent pizza? anyone doing this? or water?

Oh, and I prefer Pat's...but I've only had the good fortune to choose a couple times.

Rose Pepper's margarita's are good, but Jonda at Lipstick Lounge makes better ones. As they are my favorite summer drink, it's been a hard struggle to find a decent one in this danged town

I hear Rumba's has a good one, but I can't ever bring myself to skip the caipirinhas.