Tarasque Cucina — Restaurant in Oxford

Listen to me: RUN. Don’t walk. RUN. Run to Tarasque if you’re hungry, slightly hungry, moderately hungry or anticipate being hungry. This place is a gem. Go. Run. Like listen to me. Goooo.

So you walk in to a house in the back of the parking lot. You notice some adorable lights and a perfect little alley for seating. You wonder - what’s this about? You’re greeted by some incredibly friendly humans. You will likely hear “welcome” and “thank you for coming” three or four times. These people know hospitality. You’ll likely notice the aromas. Good. Wonderful. Fantastic aromas. Just wait until you get the food.

I chose the spaghetti with the giant meatball - and did this darling appetizer with blueberries. Order it. It’s good. Like really good.

Then the big show arrived. Wesley. First, he’s so freaking cute. Like the kind of person you want to be friends with immediately but also glad that he’s in your group photos. He was one of the best waiters I have ever had at any restaurant in the country! Kind. Attentive but not “too much.” Never hovering. Wanted to learn about us. We talked shoes. He’s a Nike shoe expert. Big fan of Wesley.

The rest of the team - probably as cool as Wesley. When others stopped by to refill drinks and talk — equally darling. As a shoe hound myself, I appreciated Wesley. My advice - find your own Wesley at Tarasque. Whether it be him or anyone else —- you’ll love these people.

Sitting in the alley can be a tad cozy - it is June/July in Oxford after all. But the lights, the ambiance and eating a tad later will solve that. It’s a great spot.

Support this local business. Not because it’s just a local business. Support this local business because the food is awesome, the outdoor alley is darling, the people are wonderful and you might get the chance to have Wesley as your server. That one is an add-on bonus.

Run on over to...

Tarasque, you are simply the best. If I could only pick 1 restraunt in Oxford to eat at for the rest of my life I would choose you...I dont know how you've gone unknown to me in the time that I've lived here. I actually first happened upon you in my quarantine days when I contracted covid back in December, we had just got our sense of taste and smell back and we wanted something good. I called and told yall the "situation" and you graciously agreed to set our meal on the hood of my truck where we could collect it after yall were a safe distance back.. little did I know I would leave your parking lot with much more than a tasty meal that night....when we pulled up a bouncy little ball of joy came out with our food, recognizing the description of our truck, and confirmed with a hand wave that yes, we were the "the covid girls". She set our meal on the hood and further proceeded to shower us with love, dancing around with heart hands and pulled her mask down to tell us she loved us and hoped we got well soon. On the way home I became overwhelmed by the kindness shown to us from a complete stranger who had never laid eyes on me before. I cried.. Yes, I could have been starved of human interaction in those days of quarantine or it may of been the awakened realization that we don't have, and need more people like that in this world. I still cry thinking about it. I later learned through social media that it was none other than Lauren Stokes herself, who I believe is a truly beautiful soul. I didnt know love had an actual taste until I ordered from Tarasque Cucina, its in every bite. I now frequently stop by to grab dinner and we have never ordered something that we didn't want more of. Everyone is friendly, John is truly a culinary genius, and y'all give a brand new meaning to a 5...

Tarasque is a great place to try out and then go back over and over again. They serve a rotating menu that changes every so often (every week?) so make sure to check out their Instagram to keep up to date with their freshest dishes. Of course they also serve some staple dishes, certain salads and pastas. While we were there we ordered the Gnudi with pearl onions and criminology mushrooms in basil cream sauce, Amberjack over herbed white beans and spinach in cream, zaatar spiced cucumber and basil salad, and a rigatoni with homemade sausage, onions, bell peppers, and pecorino. Let me tell you, there are some mighty fine chefs in Tarasque who know how to build great flavor with the local ingredients they’re working with. Everything is cooked very well so you get to experience good flavor, texture, and aroma. The whole team is hard at work at Tarasque, as the servers and cashiers are also great at their job. They are very accommodating and make sure that everything’s alright. You order at the front, and the cashiers there are well prepared to get you in the restaurant and get your...