Linda Falkenstein
A plate with garlic shrimp, rice, fried plantains and salad.
There are many dishes to love at La Taguara, Madison’s Venezuelan restaurant. The reina pepiada (chicken and potato salad) arepa has many devotees, but it’s a sandwich. At dinner, the camarones al ajillo, or garlic shrimp, is a lighter option on a menu that tends to feature meat-heavy plates. The shrimp are good already in garlic sauce, but add guasacaca, the avocado/cilantro based salsa that’s a little tart and a little spicy, and it’s not like any other garlic shrimp. The dinner comes with a picadillo salad that’s really more of a pico de gallo relish, white rice, and fried plantains. Mix it all up for a casserole approach, or keep everything separate — each forkful will present a different balance of flavors. And La Taguara now has two locations — on the east side at 3502 E. Washington Ave. and even farther east at 3010 Crossroads Drive (sorry, west siders).
