The long awaited opening of BäcoShop took place without me knowing it. I heard about Josef Centeno (Baco, Bar Ama, Orsa & Winston and Ledlow) taking over Chop Daddy’s space in Culver City last June and I was on the lookout for its opening.
Last weekend, I decided to visit a particular restaurant in Culver City and instead of going there, I checked on the status of BäcoShop. A sign on the window said “Open”, but despite circling, I could not find available street parking. Fortunately, I found a parking structure just north of BäcoShop.
Centeno is using the counter service model for BäcoShop. I was welcomed by an enthusiastic staff. Due to the number of items on the menu, it took me quite awhile to read it. Sandwiches are available in the signature bäco bread or you can order a bacorrito which uses a version of their flatbread wrapped to make a burrito.
Since I went solo, I purchased everything to go: Chile Shrimp, Slow Roasted Pork and the Grilled Steak bäcos. Since they had a special price on veggies, three for $12, I ordered the beets, the buttermilk cucumbers and the eggplant and garbanzo.
Chile Shrimp, Slow Roasted Pork and the Grilled Steak bäcos
Because the bäco bread is thicker than a tortilla, it doesn’t lay flat. Consequently, I wondered how everything would look after I made the drive home. Fortunately, it was wrapped in such a way that the sandwich contents remained inside of the bäco bread and retained its original appearance. People that don’t like their food touching other food may not be happy about how they packed the veggie trio. There were no separators in the container of the three veggie offerings.
The sandwiches were very good. The Slow Roasted Pork contained cotija cheese, green peppercorn mustard and paprika aioli. What made it fun to eat was the addition of dill pickles, as I wasn’t expecting to have an occasional crunch with the sandwich.
Sriracha hot sauce was the seasoning for the chile shrimp bäco. Buttermilk cabbage slaw, mint and sliced radish gave it both some texture and a southeast Asian influence. Steak with a coffee rub was grilled to make the steak bäco. A chimichurri escarole was added to give it a South American taste.
trio of veggies
BäcoShop has a number of prepared salads and veggie sides
Of the sides, I really thought the eggplant and garbanzo was a tasty offering. It was similar to an eggplant ragout with roasted red peppers and garbanzo beans. The buttermilk cucumbers blended with mint & dill, but were a bit too spicy for me. The beets were in a turmeric vinaigrette, but they seemed bland.
Agua Fresca – Pina Lime and an Blood Orange Lime
Beer and wine is also available. I drank a nonalcoholic pina colada agua fresca while I waited for my order. They also had a blood orange with lime agua fresca as well.
If you are looking for a sandwich and would like something that is delightful to the tastebuds, I highly recommend the bäcosandwiches. BäcoShop does a great job in pairing tasty proteins with spices and great sauce combinations.
BäcoShop, 9552 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA
https://www.baco-shop.com/