Ledger

A velvet-curtained dark atmosphere with chic servers dressed in black, their slicked back hair shining with the glow of the open-pit gas fireplace… it was like something one might imagine they’d find in a sexy Hollywood vampire’s lair. Heck when I looked up into the enormous, carved wood mirrors bolted to the walls of The Matador, I was worried the patrons and staff may not cast a reflection. It certainly wasn’t what I’d expected to find when I was asked if I would review a new Tex-Mex restaurant in downtown Tacoma. I think when someone first brought it to my attention they didn’t know what they were talking about either and used Azteca as a comparison point. Wow, were they wrong.

We nestled into a booth that held ample seating for a party of six and after a brief, yet dismaying, wait our hipper-than-thou server arrived with a bowl of freshly made warm chips and an amazing salsa. I decided I would be remiss if I didn’t sample a beverage from the well appointed tequila selection at their bar, so I ordered a Tamarindo which was simply one of the best frufru drinks I’ve ever had. It was spicy yet sweet and had ample alcohol-a-licious-ness.

Our nacho plate would have been nice if I’d finished four or five of the Tamarindos, otherwise, the chicken was dry and flavorless with only the saving grace of copious cheese quantities to save it.

My dinner companion choked down a mildly appetizing bowl of roasted tomato chicken soup after shaking the pepper shaker over it for a few minutes, while I tore into the chipotle baby back ribs. The ribs were amazing a shining diamond in an otherwise dull pile of dirt. They too had tamarind flavoring in their sauce leaving my entire face and head throbbing from the fiery spices. Sadly, the side dishes that came with my ribs were so lacking that I hardly even remember them.

This is not the place you want to go for a grotesquely large burrito. This place is much hipper than I am (which is not hard) so I suppose that it will appeal to a younger and sexier crowd. I can imagine that the Matador will develop into one of Tacoma’s hipper happy hour hangs and will be a hot spot for trendsetters on dates. I can’t wait to visit this place in the summer. The Matador is going to be an amazing place to go for drinks with its huge windows and gorgeous alfresco dining area.

All in all, The Matador has potential and I am glad to see that hipper spots are cropping up in that part of town. The menu has amazing flashes of brilliance amongst the heaping piles of blandularity. I will go back for froufrou drinks, chips and salsa, and more importantly to watch the beautiful people.