Django to expand; Bakersfield's sister restaurant in the works

Two restaurants known for tacos are moving beyond their core strengths.
Django Western Tacos, on Hamilton Avenue in Northside, already has added several more adventurous dishes to the menu, including a grilled salmon entree -- a steal at $12 00 that my friend pronounced "the best salmon dish I've ever had." Within the next few months, they'll head further in the direction of a restaurant that also serves tacos rather than a taco-centric place, according to the manager.

Django: tacos and more

This move becomes possible due to physical expansion -- wherein they'll have room for a walk-in freezer and the ability to offer a greater variety of foods -- and for strategic reasons, given that the 'hood already has two other tacos places (Barrio and Tacocracy).
Meanwhile, the best (IMHO) tacos slinger in town -- Bakersfield in OTR -- is developing their second restaurant across Vine Street, called Eagle. (This has been in the works for a few months.) According to a hostess at an eatery near Bakersfield, Eagle will be "more of a restaurant with a bar [instead of] the bar with food that Bakersfield now is." (Don't tell that to me -- I love their tacos, in large part because they make their tortillas in house. Of course, they also make one or two of my favorite bourbon drinks.)

Best cocktails in town?

I definitely have a few favorite bartenders, and cocktails. Some of the best are:

--Molly Wellman at Japp's (and a bourbon bar in Covington KY), OTR

Molly Wellman, Japp's

--Rommel Wells at Rookwood Restaurant, Mt. Adams

Rommel Wells, Rookwood

--Nikki at La Poste, Clifton

Nikki, La Poste

--Whoever's behind the bar, Bakersfield, OTR

Bakersfield

--The folks at Local 127, downtown






Of late, I've been especially wowed by the craft cocktails at Bakersfield. You have to ask for the cocktail list; otherwise, the menu includes only margaritas (boring, sugar-laden drinks, IMHO) and sangria. One of their standards is a spicy bourbon concoction called the "Red-headed Stranger," which stays on the cocktail list everlastingly. And we can all be grateful for that. Among the newer offerings is a delicious, tequila-based delight called "The Drifter."
Up at Rookwood, the house made tonic is usually available to brighten up your gin, and there's often house made ginger beer or ginger ale.
I haven't tried the bar at the new Metropole, downtown -- or the restaurant, for that matter. I'm betting it's going to jump right onto my list of Cincinnati's great places to imbibe.