A Feast at Tico, Boston

Last night, I had a really fun dining experience at the newly-opened Tico restaurant in the Back Bay.  Tico is the newest of Michael Schlow's restaurants and it only opened earlier this month.  From what I understand, Tico emphasizes that its menu is American in its direction but has strong influences from Mexico, Central America, Spain and South America.  With this in mind, I've read a few different reviews about Tico and I couldn't wait to check it out myself.

I had some great dining companions that included Justin, Kristen, Megan, Meghan and Tania (who I finally got to meet in person)!  We decided to split a bunch of different small plates and tacos so that we could try a lot of different dishes.  But first, I needed a cocktail and the blood orange margarita (no salt) was perfect since yesterday was National Margarita Day!

A potent but delicious Blood Orange Margarita

And then we were onto the food....

Crispy Fried Manchego Cheese with Spicy Pomegranate Honey Sauce

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Kumquats, Jalapenos and Mint
This was one of my favorites because I adore Brussels sprouts!

Shrimp Toast with Avocado, Jalapenos and Lime
This was a greasy but yummy little bite.

Crispy Fried Chicken Tacos with Fennel Slaw and Spicy Buttermilk Sauce
This was my favorite of the tacos we ordered.

Creamy Gigante Beans with Chorizo and Green Onions
I've never had gigante beans before but they were great!
The chorizo was definitely a strong flavor in this dish.

Crispy Sweetbread with Masa Harissa, Endive, Blood Orange and Hazelnuts
The sweetbreads were cooked PERFECTLY but were sadly under seasoned.




Crispy Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions and Jalapenos

 

Octopus with Yellow Peppers, Citrus and Aleppo Pepper
This dish added a nice bright acidity!

Snap Peas with Orange Zest, Tabasco Butter and "Crunchies"
These had a nice kick to them!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Bacon and Avocado

"Creamed" Corn with Bacon, Chiles and Thai Basil
This was, by far, my favorite small plate of the evening.

Despite ordering all of these small plates and sharing them all, we couldn't resist dessert!

A lemon tart with whipped cream and the brightest strawberries.
This was my favorite dessert and I probably ate most of it!

This chocolate pie was way too rich for me but I still had like three bites of it!

Tico's version of a banana split:
Chocolate Gelato, Caramelized Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sauce

It was a night of a lot of laughter as we shared some great bites.  Best of all, the food, cocktail and gratuity came out to about $40 a person.  It was pretty affordable for all of that food and definitely a great scene for a big group!  I'm glad we checked Tico out and I'd love to come back to sit by the kitchen (especially since we spotted Michael Schlow himself there last night) or at the bar for a few cocktails.

Tico is located at 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116.