Our First Dinner Date With Codi!

So now that Codi is here, we are slowly getting back into the swing of things like my favorite… date night! On this particular Sunday we planned to go somewhere for brunch, but by the time we were up and moving, dressed and ready to go, that window had closed and we were just looking for late lunch options. The requirements were good food, drink specials and as always, it had to be somewhere we had not been!

I looked over my list of places for brunch that we were originally going to try, and tried to skim for places who had ALL DAY Sunday specials, (which isn’t always easy to find). But… after a few google searches we found a winner. Not to far from home we started driving towards Larchmere. From time to time, I go to Yelp to read the reviews and look at food pictures. Not always because people have different taste buds and like different things, so I don’t base what my experience will be off of someone else’s comments. In this instance, after doing so, I was pretty sure we made a good decision. People always text me and send emails about where to go for certain things and while I may know a few options at the top of my head, I don’t shy away from using resources like google and yelp as starting points.

We arrived and could see through the glass that the place was pretty full. Despite the crowd we found street parking right in front! We grabbed Codi in her carseat and walked in. Now I had been to the space MULTIPLE times in the past, it’s changed ownership quite a bit and each time becomes a new style of restaurant. This time, the space didn’t LOOK different but actually FELT incredibly different! The layout was technically the same but the colorful walls and artwork, mixed with the hanging lights throughout– truly enhanced the space! When you walk in, a long bar remains on the left with a few hightop tables close by, and to the right were your normal dining tables. There’s a  platform/stage still directly in front of the entrance but this time it was set for additional seating, so we chose to sit there!

Within seconds of getting situated our server arrived! Her name was Megan and she was literally the best damn server you could ask for! She was so happy go lucky! Like full of life and from the time we were seated to the time we left her mood did not change! She was sooo attentive to our needs, funny, and well educated on the menu! Have you ever gone somewhere and the waiter can’t recommend a meal or drink? like you choose something and they say they aren’t sure they never tried it? I hate that!!!! and that wasn’t her! She told us the best drinks and the best meals to order, recommended appetizers and everything! My husband and I always ask should we try this or try that and her input helped us make the right decisions numerous times. She was just so much fun and our conversations went beyond food, it was like we became friends for the time she was our server and I’m not being extreme!

We browsed the menu for appetizers and originally ordered the Emapanadas which we were told was a favorite item, and she had to be right because they were sold out. We ended with the fresh Guacamole which was served with plaintains and tortilla chips which was really good. I’m always cautious because sometimes guac can be salty, but this time it was perfect! While we decided on our meals we ordered two margaritas that were served in mason jars which I thought was cute! There was so many options and so many different things to try I really had no idea what to get. I ended up with Megan’s favorite item the Ropa Vieja which was slow roasted braised beef, cuban style moro rice and beans, and plantains. My husband went with the Arepa Mexicana, which had chorizo, housemade frijoles, grilled onions, jalapeños guac and cheddar cheese… this was actually my first choice. My food was great, a huge portion, served separately that I mixed together and couldn’t finish… but his Arepa was amazing! Like I probably couldn’t finish mine, because I had so many bites of his. While eating my husband ordered another margarita and I went for the pina colada. Both drinks were really good, and after just those two drinks we could feel the alcohol!

We ended up spending $100 tip included which in my opinion wasn’t bad for 4 drinks, an appetizer and 2 very filling meals. We definitely said we would come back and check out the brunch and the daily drink specials during the week. Mondays they have $5 mojitos all day, Tuesdays  $5 sangria’s all day and half off bottles of wine, Wednesdays they have $5 margaritas all day and Thursdays $5 pina coladas. From 3-6 Monday through Friday they also do $5 cocktails, $4 beers and 1/2 priced appetizers. So really, every day is a good reason to come back! Did I mention they have a cute patio that’s pet friendly? The hanging lights make it perfect for any time of day and almost any occasion. A date or family meal. It’s most certainly also family friendly parents, so don’t hesitate to bring the kids!

So in closing, if you remember going to Boulevard Blue to hear jazz, having an intimate dinner at Menu6, partying for Mardi Gras parties at Jezebel’s Bayou, or attending one of my Talk and Taste Events at Valo …. the location on Larchmere is the same but the restaurant is now Barroco! I encourage you to first ask for Megan, then order an Arepa and Pina Colada… then tell them you read about them on #CourtneyCoversCleveland!

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