NL: Reading over your menu, my mouth was watering: 15 different protein tacos, 4 veggie tacos and so much more. Very impressive! Diners should arrive hungry and adventurous! Who helps develop your menu and where does the inspiration come from?
T&T: A passion for great food runs deep in my family! My great grandmother owned a pub, my brother is an experienced chef, and my sister runs a high-end catering company. Together with my husband, Aldo, we opened Aldos Italian Table & Bar and in 2013, we opened my dream a la carte taco bar, which evolved into the full-service Tacos & Tequila restaurant it is today. In fact, my brother helped me write the first menu for our concept.
I fell in love with Mexican food very early in my life, but when traveling through Mexico the vibrancy of the culture, lifestyle, and flavors had a profound impact. I wanted to recreate that energy when you entered our restaurants and having a large adventurous menu with lots of big flavors and opportunities to explore and discover adds to the fun! I really view tortillas a sort of “blank canvas” allowing us to delivery authentic tacos, healthful Yogi tacos and funky unconventional combinations that are a must try when guests dine with us.
NL: Tell us about the timeline of opening your family of restaurants and why you picked Naples as a home for your business.
T&T: We are very excited to announce that the Estero location opened in May. This completes our reopening process, and we are eager to serve the entire community again and to bring our valued team members back to work! Opening all of our doors has been incredibly emotional, and the support from our Guests has been overwhelming, we are so grateful.
Naples has been my home since I was in high school, and my husband Aldo and I have raised our family here. I always dreamed of owning a Mexican restaurant, and at the time when we opened our first Tacos & Tequila Cantina on Davis St. in 2013, there were very few Mexican concepts in the area. I had hoped it would be a success, and the community really embraced the brand and we were able to grow the business quickly with a lot of local support!
NL: Your tequila program is intense. 72 premium tequila plus 27 VIP bottles!
T&T: I knew that a great taco menu needed a complement of incredible tequilas. I also wanted to make sure this brand always stands for variety and exploration. The opportunity to taste and explore so many different tequilas really differentiates our bar program from other Mexican concepts.
The VIP tequilas …Let's dive in. Herradura, Herradura Suprema was the first bottle of VIP tequila we carried back in 2014. It is an extra anejo tequila that had been aged in a scotch barrel for 49 months. The Don Julio Real was one of the other original VIP bottles, and it is also one of the first extra anejo's released for sale. Another tequila brand we carry, Tanteo invited members of our management team down to Cienenga, Jalisco Mexico to visit the agave fields and distillery. We were able to learn firsthand about how the agave plants are harvested and made into the delicious tequila we all love.
NL: We love Naples! Do you find diners are generally adventurous or creatures of habit?
T&T: Naples is such an amazing place to live with the outdoor lifestyle and beauty we see every day. What I truly love is the tight knit community we have here, and I could not imagine a better to have built our business. The people who live here support each other and come together to do some truly incredible things. We have many residents who are dedicated to charitable works and to giving back which is near and dear to my heart. The environment is one that feels cohesive and supportive, and I thrive on that positive energy. Watching our residents and businesses come together to support our front-line workers and those in need during this current crisis is evidence to this “Naples Strong” dedication and mindset. I am very proud to be a part of this community as both a resident and a business owner.
Our diners are very diverse, so I think the answer to your question is both! We have some guests who have their regular favorites and will not deviate from that favorite Margarita followed by Queso and a few Traditional Tacos. We also have Guests who love to come in and try a different combination of T & T Specialty Tacos, taste different tequilas, and experience an entirely new flavor on each visit. Our local Chefs also feature off-menu special tacos that rotate throughout the year to continue to feed those adventurous cravings!
Order online at TacosAndTequilaNaples.com
4834 Davis Blvd
8971 Tamiami Trail N