What I Got: Conquistador Beer Mac and Cheese, Vegan Tacos

Price: $$$

Location: Dalton, MA

Review:

I typically do NYC reviews, but I had to include this favorite Massachusetts’s restaurant of mine that I visited recently!

Conquistador Beer Mac and Cheese – The Conquistador Mac and Cheese includes house-made beer cheese sauce (or should I say hous-made?) with chorizo, shrimp, saffron, garlic, tomatoes, caramelized onion, seasoned panko, and scallions.  It is like mac and cheese with paella flavors.  It is my favorite mac and cheese I have ever had.  I have gotten it more times than I can count because I love it so much.  The cheese sauce is made with slightly sharp cheese with saffron mixed in. The saffron flavor gives it that paella taste.  I have never been able to taste any beer flavor though.  The sauce is creamy and delicious without being overly heavy.  I find it to be perfect.  The chorizo is my favorite part.  It is delightfully salty, savory, and slightly spicy.  The shrimp are JUMBO and cooked perfectly.  The tomatoes add great fresh flavor.  The caramelized onion adds wonderful sweetness that compliments the savory ingredients.   It adds an interesting complexity to the flavors.  The panko adds amazing texture.  The cheese sauce compliments all the ingredients incredibly.  This mac and cheese is so unique and delicious!

Vegan Tacos – The vegan tacos include minced portabella mushrooms sauteed with olive oil, garlic, thyme, sea salt, and Chardonnay and topped with caramelized onions, sliced sundried tomatoes, pickled cabbage, and guacamole on a flour tortilla.  The mushrooms are tender and have amazing umami flavor.  The Chardonnay flavor comes through wonderfully.  The caramelized onions add a great sweetness to balance out the other savory flavors.  The sun dried tomatoes are slightly salty while the pickled cabbage and guacamole is fresh and delicious.  Everything comes together to make a delicious taco with an amazing harmony of flavors. The mushrooms are so delicious you will not miss the meat.  They come with fresh tortilla chips which is a bonus!