With 10 locations from Williamsburg to Bleecker Street, Tacombi has become a part of the fabric of New York in the 12 years since the first location opened in Nolita. But according to the brand’s director of communications, Ali DiEmidio, Tacombi is Mexican by birth. It all started in 2005, when founder Dario Wolos purchased a vintage VW Kombi bus and slowly toured it down to Playa del Carmen. When he arrived, he converted the bus into a taco stand, using the culinary expertise he’d gathered on his road trip. This fall, Tacombi will make another stop, this time in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington.
“We were drawn to Crystal City’s evolving identity, and to its own journey from a largely industrial zone in the ’60s to today’s quickly developing community that possesses a warm neighborhood quality,” says DiEmidio. The Arlington taqueria, along with one in Bethesda which will debut around the same time, will be the first time Wolos’s company will serve outside of Mexico or New York.
It’s not exactly parking a bus on the beach, but DiEmidio promises an airy feel from the 3,000-square-foot space. An open kitchen will turn out a menu that includes al pastor, carne asada, and Baja-style crispy fish tacos. Quesadillas and burritos also fill the bill of fare, with high-class ingredients like heritage pork and free-range chicken. Watermelon and pineapple aguas frescas are made daily, and there are also homemade, fruit-flavored sodas.
“Our aim is to create Arlington’s new neighborhood taqueria where people can meet and enjoy warm hospitality and authentic taco culture, and we look forward to bringing a little piece of Mexico to northern Virginia,” says DiEmidio. 1550 Crystal Dr., Arlington
Feature image courtesy of Tacombi
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