Photo via Daily Taco
Daily Taco + Cantina (105 W. Freistadt Road, Thiensville; 262-302-4030) offers a take on Mexican street food that’s both casual and haute. Although the meals arrive in disposable containers, the food couldn’t be any further from Taco Bell. Lamb and wagyu beef birria fillings for Daily’s tacos—as well as bowls. burritos and salads—make for unusual fare. Other options for omnivores include grilled steak, pulled pork, battered fish and chipotle-accented chicken tinga.
My meatless mood on a recent lunch trip found me gravitating to a trio of tacos filled with seasonal vegetables. The squashes, onion, cilantro, pico de gallo and purple and green cabbage, nestled in soft tortillas made from Wisconsin-sourced corn, were a revelation of what vegetarian Mexican eating can be like without refried beans.
Diners not wanting to forsake legumes should be more than satisfied with a side of Peruano beans topped with cojita cheese crumbles. The cantina’s take on Mexican rice and gluten-free riced cauliflower includes carrots and peas. The dessert worth saving room for is the Xocalatl pot de cream, a chocolate custard, thicker than mouse but lighter than pudding. Inspired by an Aztec beverage, it has underlying flavors of coffee and cinnamon alongside heat from its infusion of ancho chile and is topped with crushed pecan brittle (packaged separately for customers with nut allergies). It’s an indulgence of calories and dollars that may leave you literally crying with flavorful joy.
