At first we thought Velvet Taco was an odd name. It became clearer when we went inside and found that they served tacos and red velvet cake. We didn’t try the cake, but we’ll have more opportunities, as I’m sure that we’ll be returning.

The chicken tikka taco was superb. Also, very fun to say. The chicken was good, but for me, the rice made it stand out. A lot of people think rice doesn’t have much of a taste, but when I first bit into this, it was all I tasted.

I did not like the Cuban pig. The taste of the meat was overpowering, and not in a good way. It blocked out all the other flavors, leaving the taco both boring and aggressive. 

The Annatto shredded pork, on the other hand, was the best taco I’ve ever had. Admittedly, I’ve never been to a fusion taqueria before, but it was still to die for. Grilled pineapple balanced with pickled onion, and the pork…. Oh, the pork. I do not have words that can accurately describe the pork, but I will try. Succulent and tender, sweet and tangy. If ambrosia were a meat, it would be this.

And for a taqueria, they had surprisingly delicious tater tots. The base tots were the same preprocessed ones you find in bowling alleys or school cafeterias, but the cheese, bacon, and avocado crema really made them pop. A fried egg on top kept it warm, as well as adding its own flavor.

We weren’t planning on desert, but when we spotted a gelato stand in Mariano square across the street, we couldn’t resist. We shared a scoop of white chocolate raspberry, and another scoop of toasted almond coconut fudge. The flavors complemented each other well, with just the right mix of fruit, nuts, and chocolate. In one spectacular bite, I got a raspberry, an almond, and bits of fudge and white chocolate. They really need to make a raspberry almond fudge flavor.

If you’re ever in Chicago, go to Velvet Taco at 1110 North State Street. Seriously, just go there.