PHOTOGRAPH BY CATHERINE VIOX
The latest from Queen City Hospitality Group, the team behind restaurants like Senate and Abigail Street, Golden State creates an oasis inspired by 1960s Palm Springs. It bursts with innovative tacos and a thematic drinks menu that not only quenches your thirst but sparks conversation. Like the octopus. (A surprise hit, according to the staff.)
The wood grilled octopus taco—crispy octo, habanero salsa, pico de gallo, and chorizo—is the eatery’s twist on surf and turf. They say you eat with your eyes first, and this dish definitely inspires social media photoshoots with a long octopus arm waving to greet diners. Surrounded by the vibrant greens and red of the salsa and pico de gallo, it’s unusually pretty. The octopus itself is tender, with a texture similar to lobster or crab sticks, and an understated flavor. It’s pleasant but very mild, and the spice and fat of the chorizo balance the lean seafood with a savory heat. The crisp pico de gallo adds important texture, and the habanero salsa provides the finishing note with enough of a kick to inspire drink refills, not tears.
Hot tip: Getting takeout? Be prepared with your silverware. Golden State loads its tacos past the tortillas’ limits, so if you don’t take a few bites of the filling with a fork before you fold, you’ll use it to collect the half that falls out. The octopus is delicious, but you may not want to shake hands.
Golden State, 704 Wooster Pike, Terrace Park, (513) 831-8226
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