Nada, tome dos (take two)

This week, the book club was at Nada. For some it was the first time and for others it was second or third. Like the last time the food and experience was wonderful. Additionally, the service was fabulous. And I mean that in more ways than one. Rick, our server, was eager to answer all food questions and had superb drinks suggestions.

We started off with chips, guacamole and salsa. Both the guacamole and chips were spot on; the chips were warm and freshly salted. Some shared a ceviche, a light appetizer. It was shrimp and scallops marinated in citrus juice and tomatoes. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but one woman thought it didn’t compare to the one she had in Spain.

The drinks were strong and flavorful. My recommended drink was a tad sweet but still very good. Unfortunately I can’t remember any of the names but if you order anything from the drink menu, you won’t be disappointed.

When everyone’s dinner arrived there was a variety of tacos on the table; vegetarian, mahi mahi, and chicken. I got vegetarian tacos which had sautéed portabella mushrooms topped with beans, rice and chihuahua cheese. The combination of mushrooms and toppings tasted great. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the flour tortillas, again. For me, not only does flour tortilla take away from the authentic taste but it also makes the tacos rubbery because of gluten. Regardless of my personal demands, the ladies raved about their tacos. There was one concern raised for fried mahi mahi tacos; traditionally fish is grilled and at Nada the fish is dipped in a batter and fried. Since I like all things fried, I didn’t mind that when I ordered them during my last visit. Liz was the only person that did not order tacos; instead she got a pork green chile cazuela. And she raved about it after the first bite. Now, I know I said I wouldn’t eat pork after the roast, but I couldn’t resist a bite. It was very good, indeed. I have a feeling there will be many exceptions to the rule in the future. (Don’t judge me, how well did you keep your weight loss goal from January? okay.) We finished dinner with a caramel flan, key lime cheesecake and warm chocolate torte (in lieu of Emma’s birthday). All were decadent; my personal favorite was the torte because of the banana foster gelato from Madison’s. Speaking of Madison’s, Amy’s table did a show about their gelato on CET. And now I really have a craving for it.

Overall, it was a great evening for book club, dinner, and a birthday celebration. As I previously said, Nada’s a hip place for drinks and appetizers or a full fledged dinner. After greeting us, Rick stated “for those that haven’t been here, this is a contemporary Mexican restaurant with twist on some traditional dishes.” That sentence perfectly describes Nada.