Welcome to the Family (New Menu Items)
Over the past few months, we’ve been hard at work testing new possible ingredients and combinations in order to freshen up the Bandidas menu. After several brainstorming sessions, plenty of test batches, and even a fun tasting event, we’ve settled on a few exciting new additions.
A big, warm welcome to Horace “Lefty” and Cecil, and welcome back Estelle & G.L.D.! Read on to find out a bit more about each dish, and to discover the story of the people for which they were named.
Horace “Lefty” (aka the Nacho taco or burrito). Horace “Lefty” was the first gold medal Olympic boxer for Canada, and the dear grandfather of Steph, one of our own dearest line cooks. Steph spearheaded the immense task of managing the recipe testing, so a huge thanks to her for these exciting new additions.
Cecil’s Salad. Cecil was a warm-hearted fisherman from St. Anthony, Newfoundland. His kind and hardworking legacy lives on through his grandchild, Sea, a long-standing server at Bandidas.
A few years ago, during another menu change, we decided to remove pineapple from the menu in order to focus on bringing in more local ingredients. Since then, we’ve consistently heard from customers how much they miss it, and the truth is, we’ve missed it, too. Look for our signature roasted pineapple on these two revived Bandidas classics:
The Estelle (taco or burrito). At 4’10”, Estelle was a tiny, but feisty woman. She fled Nazi oppression in Eastern Europe, and ended up in England where she eventually became an interpreter (in 5 languages) for the UN and NATO. She was the paternal grandmother of Aiyana, co-owner of Bandidas.
The G.L.D. Nachos. During the first month we were open, one of the restaurant’s windows shattered. In the early days, money was extremely tight, and every penny (and every window) counted. Jackie (another co-owner) and her partner slept in the restaurant that night to make sure nothing was stolen, and the next day three friends Geordie, Lucas, and Dan dropped by with a generous surprise: an envelope with enough cash for a replacement. Raise a cheesy chip to these three magnificent dudes!
Happy feasting, everyone!