To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.

As a dish that originated in Texas in the 60s, the taco salad has seen every type of iteration under the sun. But when you come across a good one, the results are glorious – like in this week’s feature. Sure, it has lots of familiar friends at the table, but it also throws in a few unexpected guests.

The salad consists of a host of ingredients, all occupying their own space, waiting for you to mix things up as you wish: Romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, pickled red onions, black bean and corn salad (a salad within a salad!), queso fresco, house-made Azul guac, and a crispy flour tortilla. It’s served with a side of chipotle ranch dressing, and you have your choice of protein with either roasted chicken, carnitas (pork), shredded beef, sweet potato, or veggie chili. If you want to ramp up the flavor just a bit, add in some pickled jalapenos – you won’t regret it.

Part of the fun of eating this salad is where to start. You can easily dip into each item and create unique bite after unique bite, but for me, I have to have it all so I take the bull in a China shop approach and just start mixing everything together, finishing with the breaking up of the fried tortilla to give me those crispy textures.

Each one of the ingredients brings something to the party. Whether is sweet, salty, or a hint of sour, you get plenty of options to go around the palette. The protein, in my case chicken, packs its own flavor punch and is juicy enough to eat on its own.

I know some of you may have your own preference when it comes to taco salad, but if you’re a fan of the dish, you really should give this one a shot. It also doesn’t hurt to wash it down with one of their amazing margaritas. It is summer after all.

Azul Latin Kitchen is located at 1001 Heavenly Village Way in South Lake Tahoe. For food and drink information visit them online at azullatinkitchen.com or reach them by phone at 530-541-2985.