Take Your Soul to Sol – The Kierland Quarter Crawl

The Dish: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Taco & Beer Battered Shrimp Taco
The Place: Sol Cocina
The Location: Scottsdale Quarter, Scottsdale Road and Hayden

By: Linda Binnendyk Kondrosky

For those of us who have been, Scottsdale Quarter is an entirely different experience from Kierland Commons. Although it is right across the street, it is, as it states, quartered so you feel like you are in the heart of a metropolis. The Shopping is fantastic (although I would not be upset if they added a shoe store or two) and the restaurants range from pizza (Grimaldis) and sushi (Stingray) to Mexican (Sol) and fine dining (Dominicks) satisfying any taste. But if there is one thing I crave from Scottsdale Quarter it is the tacos at Sol Mexican Cocina.
This upscale Mexican restaurant with its Baja flair had me at hello. To begin your dining experience, you have to go big or go home. The Bulldog or as I call it ‘the Beerguerita’ is an experience all unto itself. If the oversized glass wasn’t impressive enough as it is makes it’s way to your table with two hands, it’s made with Agavales Blanco tequila, fresh lime, a touch of grapefruit soda served with an overturned Coronita. I could go on and on about their extensive and impressive list of signature drinks but that’s not what I’m here to talk about…from here on in it’s all about the tacos. Oh wait…. The Guacamole Sol absolutely has to be mentioned to enjoy with your Bulldog. Guacamole, mango, tequila, onions, goat cheese, pepitas & cilantro coupled with their unique corn chips will keep you coming back. But lets get back to tacos. From meaty and spicy to flavorful vegetarian tacos there’s something for everyone. However there are two tacos that keep me up at night…. In a good way. The sweet potato and black bean taco, and the beer battered shrimp. After enjoying every morsel of the aforementioned, two tacos are usually all I can handle. I’ve mentioned the sweet potato and black bean taco to many a turned up nose but once they’ve had one bite their minds are soon changed. The flavor combination which includes caramelized onions, poblano, Mexican cheese and chipotle is, in a word, amazing. The beer battered shrimp, accompanied with creamy lime, pico and cabbage, takes shrimp taco to a whole new level. The combination of the two is a match made in heaven.
Writing about food is like food shopping when you’re hungry. Get dressed honey…. We’re going out to Sol tonight!!