Dining: Paloma Taco & Tequila Has Both in Abundance

Paloma Taco Tequila. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson. Paloma Taco Tequila was hopping both times I came for a weekday lunch. It’s a colorful restaurant where orange walls with blue accents and bright multicolored chairs set the mood for a south-of-the-border lunch that mainly featured lots of tacos, plus a variety of starters, entrees, brunch entrees and desserts. There are two locations; we went to the one in Bay View. The other is in the Washington Heights neighborhood. Before my companion and I ordered lunch, we turned the menu over to study the multifaceted drink menu. We found, for example, a list of 35 kinds of tequila — appropriate when tequila is part of the name of the restaurant. The most familiar tequila, at least for us, was Don Julio, and there were five varieties that ranged in price from $10 to $30 for a single shot. Noon seemed too early for a shot, so instead we ordered a garden bloody Mary made with a house-made bloody mix and an Aperol margarita. Both drinks were ju