By Sharon Wilson
We've overeaten! Mr Bite and I have treated ourselves to a takeaway from Los Cardos
(Spanish for thistles), and it looks like it's going to feed us for a week. No bad thing.
When I chose tortilla soup, I didn't realise the portion would serve two or three people. It didn't get a look-in at our first sitting. We instead saved it for lunch the next day; super hot and tasty it was just the thing to take the edge off a frosty winter day.
The soup is one of three new items on the menu at Los Cardos. The second (we ordered them all) was adobe lamb which was the size of a new-born. Succulent, smoky mince (care had been taken to chop the meat finely), black beans, rice, salsa and cheese are swaddled in a floury tortilla. It's also 'scorchio' and a dish I may kill for.
A taco trio stretched to three meals. MacSween's veggie haggis is smothered with fixings of freshly smashed guacamole, cheese, sour cream and salsa. Note: salsas Roastin' Red and Verde are available to buy in jars.
Home-made nachos with cheese sauce is the third new dish on the chalkboard. Tortilla chips at Los Cardos are made in-house too, and it is the freshness of all the food that distinguishes this vibrant Mexican fayre.
Los Cardos is an unpretentious takeaway at the bottom of Leith Walk. Still, the passion for authentic food shines strong as the Mexican sun.
Irvine Welsh is famously a fan of the haggis burrito, and I think the late and much-loved, much-missed Anthony Bourdain also had a thing for them. This particular fusion of Scottish/Mexican street food has captured hearts as well as bellies.
As for mine and Mr Bite's bellies, our eyes are definitely bigger, well, maybe not. (S. Wilson)
Los Cardos
224 Leith Walk
Call 0131 555 4411
Open 7 days 12 noon - 9pm
Delivery.