Review: Como, Truckee CA

My husband and I enjoyed a fun day of gallery hopping and meeting artists in Truckee. One of them suggested I stop by Como, a trendy Restaurant with the best Mexican food in Truckee. In addition to the delicious cuisine, the eatery interior features beautiful murals on its walls. I absolutely love dining in restaurants exhibiting art. For me, this element of creativity adds to the culinary experience. As I stood staring at the works of art, owner Ryan Dierks approached me. He told me a bit about the artist, Bryce Chisholm, and directed me to another dining space with an additional mural. Both were fabulous. Ryan and I got to talking about the food of course, and we decided to set up a time for me to review his restaurant. 

Como Best Mexican Food in Truckee CA

I returned later in the week with my husband for the review, and I am so glad I did. Richard and I knew Tahoe had amazing restaurants, but Truckee (which was less than 20 minutes from our hotel) has several as well. Soon we discovered that Como is one of the best. To get us started, Ryan suggested two of his signature cocktails as well as a few of his personal favorite dishes. We could tell how passionate he was about his menu, so we decided to let him choose everything for us. Ryan travels annually to sample the culinary offerings of top restaurants across America. He is always searching for ways to improve the menus at his four restaurants. Plus, like many of us, he loves to experience fine dining. He enjoys sampling what others are creating.

Ryan told us about a unique and popular Como cocktail named after Tepache. It is made in-house with organic pineapples and sugar water. The yeast from the pineapple mixes with the sugar which then becomes an alcohol called tepache. 

Tepache is a sweet and complex cocktail which features the house-made liquor, along with tequila, mezcal, pineapple, lime and nutmeg. The lovely pineapple flavor was the first to hit my palate. Then the nutmeg redirected my tastebuds to a whole new place. Finally, the lime brought a freshness to the drink. What a delicious concoction!

Non Alcoholic Drink

My husband ordered a non-alcoholic drink, the Mango sin Tango (mango, lime, ginger, chamoy, soda). Of course, I took a sip. It was scrumptious and refreshing as well. The chamoy stood out, as it was a bit thick and sweet (made in-house with apricot). It mixed beautifully with the mango, ginger and lime. Plus the addition of the soda caused the carbonated bubbles to tingle on my tongue. I just had to take another sip, while Richie wasn’t looking. 

Tasty Appetizers

Soon enough, three lovely appetizers arrived. The Chips and House Made Salsa (salsa de tomatillo, salsa roja) were fresh with varying degrees of spice. The Queso Dip (chopped jalapeño) was among the best I’ve ever tasted. I absolutely adored it and kept it with me throughout the entire meal. I added a bit to almost every bite of everything. Then there was the Guacamole which was excellent as well. It was beautifully displayed, covered with pumpkin seeds and giant chunks of avocado. 

Entrees

For our main course, we enjoyed three delightful tacos. The Carne Asada (marinated beef, onion, avocado, cotija cheese, salsa ranchera) was tender and flavorful. The Carnitas taco with braised pork, salsa roja, cilantro, and onion was equally tasty. The Salsa Negra Pork was my clear favorite however. It was sweet, tangy, filled with flavor and amazingly tender. The pork was braised and marinated in a salsa negra (smokey Mexican bbq style salsa). Then it was embellished with leeks, cilantro and onion. Yum! Yum!!

After those fabulous cocktail, I ordered a Cabernet Sauvignon (Brea, Paso Robles) which had notes of oak and chocolate. I tasted dark berry on the palate with an overall earthy medium finish. It was lovely. Sorry folks, red wine is my personal drink of choice. That being said, the Tepache cocktail was amazing, but if I had a second, I may have ended up under the table.

Our second entree was a shrimp burrito (onion, cilantro, salsa verde, jack cheese, rice, beans, poblano cream sauce, and cotija cheese). It was jam packed with shrimp and filled with flavor. The poblano cream took it to another level. My tastebuds were jumping for joy! 

Our tummies were happy and full of queso, as we staggered out of Como with leftovers in tow. If you love Mexican food, you will love Como. It brings a whole new slant to the spicy cuisine. Como, 10164 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, CA 96161; https://www.comotruckee.com

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