Something to Taco ‘Bout
By Rick Dakan
on the town
Tacos, burritos, and other Latin and Tex-Mex cuisine have
never been more popular in Sarasota than today, but the sad
fact is many of us still end up getting our Taco Tuesday fix
from mass-produced fast food joints. It doesn’t have to be
that way! For about the same price you and your family can
eat a whole lot better than that reheated, microwaved junk.
Two new taquerias have opened in Sarasota, each offering a
unique and flavorful spin on traditional Latin street food.
SCREAMING GOAT TAQUERIA
6606 Superior Ave., Sarasota
That’s quite a name. Chef and owner Malin Parker had it in
mind for years before he opened the restaurant. The veteran
chef had wanted to open a taqueria for at least two decades,
and when the name “Screaming Goat” came up as joke with
friends, he was in love with it. “I had the name before the
goat on the menu,” Parker says. “My wife and friends were
dubious, but I loved it. It was funny, creative, and memorable,
everything I want our restaurant to be.”
At first, he wasn’t even sure he could get a good source of
goat meat, but he found it. Now it’s not only going into tacos,
but the restaurant serves an Ecuadorian-inspired Slow-Braised
82 SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2018
Goat Barbacoa Stew, a dish you’re not likely to find many
places in Sarasota. “People come here and want an adventure in
food,” Parker explains. “The more out of the box, the better the
response has been.”
Screaming Goat is as casual and friendly as a restaurant can get.
Order at the counter and build your own delicious creations
from the restaurant’s stunning array of fresh, locally sourced
ingredients, including beef barbacoa, chorizo, mesquite
chicken, and sweet potato, quinoa & lentils. Then make it your
own with toppings like pickled red onions, sweet corn relish,
spicy mushrooms, cactus paddle-roasted onion, and some of
the great, fresh house-made sauces. Or if you prefer, the chefs
have six specialty tacos carefully balanced and full of flavor.
I particularly loved the Masa-Dusted Cauliflower (a
spicy, wonderful vegetarian option) and the
rich and flavorful slow-cooked pork of the
Cochinita Pibil with avocado-tomatillo
salsa, arugula, pickled onion and queso
fresco. Although Screaming Goat
leans in on the adventure, more
traditional taco fans can find
plenty to enjoy here as well.