nada

nada is a new "upscale" mexican restaurant here in cincinnati. it is exciting because it is in a good location downtown and will hopefully help with the "revitalization" that is going on down there. i don't know why i am putting all this in quotes. i am not trying to make fun of anything. i guess i just feel that mexican is best when not upscale and true revitalization is going to take a hell of a lot more than a couple new "trendy" restaurants. and trendy re: anything generally just makes me want to puke.

all of which is not meant to say that i don't like nada. i do. it is a really fun, visually interesting place. the color scheme is reds and yellows, with lots of woods and candles and things like that. you could go dressed up or in jeans and a t-shirt. the service was great - our server seemed to have tried everything we asked about on the menu, was very friendly, and checked up on us regularly. i would have liked for her to be a little more personal in giving advice about food though. she just kind of told us what the menu already did about items. however, she gave a great tip in telling us to order the pink grapefruit margarita, which was delicious and did not give me heartburn as margaritas often do. (yes, i am a grandma and carry tums around in my bag).

the food was good and definitely tried to be authentic but also creative. i would say they mostly succeeded. however, i have just had some truly amazing food from taco stands and carts in latin america and california, and it just was not as good as much of that food. but it is way more authentic than most other places around here (with the except of a few, hardly known to the average cincinnatian type hole in the wall places run by assorted latino immigrants).

i had the barbacoa tacos. the barbacoa was very good and tender and flavorful. the corn tortillas were authentic, but i have had better. the taco (in my opinion) had too much meat and not enough onions/cilantro/etc., but that is a personal thing. they did give a lime to squeeze. however, 2 tacos for $7 is just a silly price. i also ordered the mexican macaroni and cheese, because i read a review raving about it. it was actually really good except for the fact that it was so salty that after like 3 bites, i could not eat any more, and plus i was getting full from it.

i went with tom and linnae, and tom got the pork which was good and he really liked, and linnae got a salad with i forget exactly what and also the chicken taquitos. everyone was very happy with their food. nada does a good job of using fresh, quality ingredients in traditional yet updated ways, but i still feel like it is a little overpriced. at the same time, i really liked the atmosphere and it felt like a fun, interesting, but relaxed place that you could just hang out and have drinks for hours.

despite my qualms about the price, i really do think that it is a great addition to the cincinnati restaurant scene and if you have to pay a little more than you think might be worth it for just the food, you are getting friendly and informed service, a somewhat upscale yet fun atmosphere, great drinks, and food that is much better than most other "mexican" places in the area, and more creative and interesting than most other restaurants of any type in the area. so i think it is worth it and i hope nada is here to stay.