Southside Deli, 1825 Hillview Street, Sarasota, 941-330-9302

Would it be safe to say at this point that Mexican cuisine has officially been appropriated by the U.S.? Beyond the actual history of cultural pollination between us and our Southern neighbors, it just seems like Mexican-influenced cuisine has quietly become, well, American—taco Tuesdays aren’t going anywhere, and neither are Tex-Mex chains. And at Southside Deli, that trustworthy institution of the almighty sandwich, the kind of place where everything on the menu is good because nothing on the menu tries to be more than it should be, the taco joins the pantheon of the American deli as another safe, recognizable choice.

Southside Deli’s breakfast taco concept is not original, nor can it be said to have a standard preparation like, say, an Italian sandwich or a Reuben. But Southside, in its simple genius, manages to give its breakfast tacos the same kind of appeal. To pull this off they employed the same formula as they do to the rest of the menu: simple ingredients + starchy vessel. Avocado slices, halved cherry tomatoes, onions, potatoes, scrambled eggs, cotija cheese and mildly spicy chorizo sausage sit inside two lightly toasted flour tortillas. And that’s it. No magic ingredients, no stamp of kitsch, just the kind of simple preparation that makes a deli sandwich delightful. Unlike the average breakfast scramble, the tacos are light and fresh, with the humble ingredients all contributing to a clean feeling of satisfaction. Hello, taco, and welcome to the American deli.

Southside Deli, 1825 Hillview Street, Sarasota, 941-330-9302

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