DINING

Viva Taqueria Offers Reasonably Priced Mexican-American Comfort Food

By Henry Stark

If your restaurant is located at the intersection of Aurora Street and e Commons, you’ve got yourself a great head start toward success. row in Mexicaninspired food and a dozen variations of Margaritas in a college town like Ithaca, and you’re now more than half way to success. And that’s exactly what’s been transpiring at Viva Taqueria, a Mexican/American restaurant, since 1995. e menu is deceptively simple: lunch and dinner menus are the same and they don’t o er desserts. ey only serve four entrées: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and fajitas. Somehow, they manage to turn those four Mexican basics into almost three dozen variations. Many of them include the same ingredients and are similar. During recent visits I tried some of those variations. e Chicken Fajita Quesadilla ($15.99) was wrapped in foil with onions, peppers, rice, and refried beans. It was a large quesadilla, cooked well, and made for a quite pleasant lunch. e Chicken Fajita Platter ($19.99) was excellent. When the dish was brought to the table, I was concerned by the seared blackened edges on the thin chicken slices, however the chicken turned out to be tender and juicy and was perfectly complimented by onions, peppers, rice, refried beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomatoes. ree tortillas accompanied the main dish waiting for me to ll them.

I also ordered Vegan Enchiladas ($13.50). e menu didn’t tell me how many I would get. I was hoping for three but received two. e lling included black beans, onions, and some barely discernable spinach. Also on the dish were some thickly sliced, cold, very vinegary picked carrots. ere also were a couple of pieces

Viva Taqueria’s location may give it a head start toward success but its reasonably-priced comfort food is what ensures popularity. (Photo: Josh Baldo) of pickled onions, some rice, and a small dish of guacamole. With several of the dishes you’re asked to choose a sauce—either “red or green.” e green is tart and made with tomatillos. e red is a spicy Ranchero made with tomatoes. Your choice of sauce will be important as many dishes come “smothered” in them. Something to be aware of: At Viva, tortilla chips are not complimentary. ey are a “side” for $1.50. If you want salsa with them it’s $2.99. If you also want sour cream, add another $1.50. e beverage menu makes it clear that their clientele drinks more margaritas (the aforementioned dozen concoctions, $9-$11) than wine (only two total) or beer (six dra and nine in bottles, $5-$8). I want to address a comment I o en hear about Viva. Some Ithacans complain that it doesn’t serve authentic Mexican food. My thought: So what. It’s like Mexican-American comfort food, reasonably priced, served in a pleasing atmosphere, and whenever I eat there I have a pleasant meal and an enjoyable experience. Tid Bit: I couldn’t gure out how to turn on the water in either unisex restroom so I asked an employee. I learned that you must use your right knee to push a lever located on the bottom of the sink. Viva Taqueria, 101 N. Aurora Street, is open for takeout and indoor seating Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can order online at https://www.vivataqueria.com/.