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Review: Red Mesa Mercado is a solid addition to St. Petersburg's taco scene

 
Lunch choices at Red Mesa Mercado, 1100 First Ave. N, include, clockwise from top left, taquitos with guacamole, a ground beef empanada, a chicken chimichanga and a Cali burrito stuffed with ground beef, french fries, beans, cheese and more.
Lunch choices at Red Mesa Mercado, 1100 First Ave. N, include, clockwise from top left, taquitos with guacamole, a ground beef empanada, a chicken chimichanga and a Cali burrito stuffed with ground beef, french fries, beans, cheese and more.
Published Dec. 19, 2014

ST. PETERSBURG

It's a growing menace. Without vigilance, St. Petersburg may soon be overrun. The peril? Tacos. And burritos. Also, very solid salsa and chips. St. Petersburg already had Tijuana Flats, Chipotle, Burrito Boarder, Nitally's, Red Mesa and its Cantina, and then Casita Taqueria and Taco Bus crowded in, along with El Gallo Grande. California Tacos is on the horizon, and in November, Red Mesa Mercado debuted in the EDGE District. The interesting thing is that each of these fills a slightly different niche, from the spicy Thai-Mex combos at Nitally's to the San Diego-style fish tacos of Cali Tacos.

Red Mesa Mercado, an indoor-outdoor, order-at-the-window sprawl adjacent to Green Bench Brewing, is the third project of Peter Veytia and crew, one meant to dovetail with the flagship upscale Red Mesa up on Fourth Street as well as the lively and more casual Red Mesa Cantina in downtown's McNulty Station. Once the market part of the "mercado" is fully operational (the cafe side opened first; the market joined it on Monday) it will supply the other restaurants with fresh corn and flour tortillas, moles, salsas and other sauces, all of which will be available for the public to whisk homeward as well.

The Davidson Fine Art space underwent a major overhaul, with murals by local artists John and Paul Vitale, its side yard kitted out with picnic tables and a flat roof providing shade for another 64 seats on the patio. A wall-mounted menu makes for a scintillating short read: eight sides, two chimichangas, five specialty burritos, three tacos, some combos and a couple of desserts, most items ringing in between $4 and $8. It's a very similar price point and aesthetic to the nearby Casita Taqueria (which offers nine fillings as taco, sandwich or bowl), but with enough unique items that one can imagine strong EDGE District taqueria factions emerging.

On a couple of recent forays, the cheese chile rellenos burrito ($6.95) was a top offering, its gooey filling with just enough habanero heat to get your attention. These aren't big-as-your-head burritos, their flour tortilla exteriors pliable and bouncy, the fillings rolled tightly. Pair that with an order of chips and salsa ($2.95), a very generous pile of crisp, flavorful tortilla chips with a plastic ramekin of a nearly smooth puree with good flavor balance but not a lot of heat (I'm guessing more salsas are on the horizon), or a guilty-pleasure serving of queso and chips ($4.85).

A pork tamale ($2.95) and beef empanada ($3.95) both read as more of an accompaniment than a meal, very homemade tasting and rather small, their fillings simple but lively. Share one of each so there's room left over for a moist, sweet, puddingy-cakey tres leches ($3.95) or a stack of cinnamon sugar-dappled fried flour tortilla wedge sopapillas ($2).

For now, Red Mesa Mercado has a fairly limited number of filling options for burritos and tacos: a straightforward ground beef, shredded chicken with a flavorful oomph, softly cooked beans and a couple of slow-cooked pork preparations. It would be nice to see a seafood option or two, as well as something else veggie-friendly (but don't be thinking butternut squash — that's Taco Bus territory).

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I can see real synergy emerging between Green Bench and the Mercado (although, interestingly, one of the featured local crafts on the Mercado menu is 3 Daughters Beach Blonde Ale, which is emerging as the thinking man's everyday pint). As we move toward the weather sweet spot and high season, I can see the patios of each crowded with St. Pete diners enjoying a beer in one hand and a burrito in the other.

And I have high hopes for the market — even with the much-heralded Locale Market just opened downtown. A place to stop in for grab-and-go freshly made tortillas and ceviches is a boon to home cooks and entertainers. With the Veytia family's long history of professionalism and consistency, this westward move is bound to anchor the EDGE District's increasingly bounteous dining options.

Contact Laura Reiley at lreiley@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2293. Follow @lreiley on Twitter. She dines anonymously and unannounced; the Times pays all expenses.