If there was one food I could every day, it would be tacos. I love tacos. Scratch that. We love tacos. We love it so much we've travelled here and here and here. Wanna know the best places in Seattle? We got your back.
That said, there's a new Mexican resturaunt in town, Super Bueno, led by a famous local chef, Ethan Stowell aka ESR. We love ESR and have been loyal fans of his for years. He specializes in Italian and like I said, we love him. But, he's recently branched out and into Mexican cuisine with Super Bueno, and to best frank, we're not fans.
We are also trying to figure out why ESR opened Super Bueno after being a successful Italian food resturaunteur. Is it for inspiration? A creative outlet? If so, it seems a far cry from Rene Redzepi's pop-up in Tulum, where he left the #1 resturarunt in the world to be inspired and learn different techniques from another culture. As one of the greatest chefs in the world, he knew that Mexico didn't need him there, but he was there to learn as much as he could.
The answer is unclear, but we'd really like one.
We might ruffle more than one feather but after lengthy debate over said meal, here's a few reasons why the review is harsh.
- The food and drink isn't very good. I would expect more from ESR and was sorely disappointed. Putting "Mom's Taco" on the menu is totally yesterday's hipster (even though we had to try it) and we were completely grossed out by the 3 TBSP of salt on our coconut-lime sorbet. Yuck. Yuck. and Yuck.
- Said food and drink is over-priced, even for happy hour. Our bill was close to $60 for 6 street tacos, chips and guac, 2 drinks, and sorbet. Mind-boggling.
- Mexican food should either be TexMex or authentic, legit Mexican food. This is most certainly not TexMex and clearly misses the mark on authencity. And it's not a fusion joint, so what is it? We're confused.
- The clear sign of a great taco joint are if Mexicans are eating there. In Super Bueno's case, no, they are not.
- Better yet, are there Mexican's in the kitchen? The day we went, there were none. I'm not trying to be rude or impart any stereotypes. Rather, for us it says something of having locals in the kitchen helping others cook the food that is truly their own. It layers in the authencity and the ensures the dishes are true to the origin.
The positives? The design is fun, vibrant, and open.
We're still trying to figure out why this place is ranked as one of the best places to eat tacos in Seattle, because it's not. But if you have a taco craving, here's a few alternatives we'd recommend: