Still so many more places to try...

Check out a story Sauce magazine did a while back. Two more to add to the to-taste list! :)

Chimichanga: a Crayola color explosion in South City

Drive way south on Grand until you hit the Carondelet neighborhood and you'll find Chimichanga. Oh trust me, you won't miss it. The exterior palette is bright and bold and the decor is even more festive once you step inside. The service is quick and friendly and as soon as you sit down, you're greeted with complimentary chips and salsa. Although the chips are fresh, they are on the thin and wimpy side. As for the salsa, it has a nice dose of garlic and cilantro, but unfortunately it's completely missing any kick to it. But one can't complain too much about the free stuff. The fish tacos are found off the menu - a bright yellow sign told me to try the Baja Cali tacos today. An irresistible invitation for me! For $7 I got three fried tilapia tacos with lots of lime-spiked cabbage, cilantro, diced tomato and a tomatillo-avocado salsa, all served up on flour tortillas. The fish was crisp and flavorful. The lime notes in the crunchy cabbage were awesome. And although the sauce was delicious, it lacked in tang. But the margaritas made up for that. Here they're as cheap as the food and come in three sizes. I went for the one in the middle ($6) and the portion was just right. These margs are nothing fancy, but they pack a punch. Quality food and strong drinks at a cheap price, with great service to boot. What more can you ask for?

5425 S. Grand Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63111
(314) 352-0202

3.5 out of 5 fishies.

Guest fish taco blogger does Philly

Love fish tacos? Heading to Philly? Here's a review from guest blogger John Lyon!

I made the five-hour drive from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia in order to see the Phillies take on the Mets. Wanting to expand the fish taco blog outside of the Lou, I had to try El Vez, Philly’s most famous Mexican restaurant. 

El Vez is located in the heart of Washington Square West. The colorful exterior is nothing compared to the décor that awaits you inside – think Tijuana meets Vegas glitz. The restaurant is filled with Day of the Dead chachkis, with a random assortment of goodies thrown in, such as Charo’s face painted on the bar stools and a low-rider bike dedicated to the boxer Oscar de la Hoya hoisted above the bar.

We started off with the Indian Red Lopez guacamole and without a doubt, it was the best I’ve ever had. It’s a mixture of fresh avocados, spicy crab, cilantro and salsa roja. Then it was time for the fish tacos; a tough choice between crispy mahi-mahi and sea bass. I went with the sea bass because it was prepared with a sweet potato puree, grilled scallions and fried jalapeno. I was curious, having never had a fish and sweet potato combination. The sweet potato and Baja sauce gave the taco a sweet and sour (yin/yang) taste. The tortilla is on bottom, so it is not eaten like a traditional taco. The taco size is rather small but stacked high and I found it very filling (especially after chowing down on the guacamole). The only downside was a lack of sides to go with the meal (not that I had much room to spare). I was glad to be able to walk off the meal and see the sights of the City of Brotherly Love.

And, oh yeah, the Mets beat the Phillies 4-3.

121 S. 13th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 928-9800

http://www.elvezrestaurant.com/

4 out of 5 fishies.

Cha Cha Chow!!

So when my friend Mike told me there's a taco truck in town and that it's actually good, I admit I was a bit dubious. But I immediately added Cha Cha Chow (@whereschacha) to my twitter feed and waited for a good day to check them out. Recently that day finally came. The bright yellow truck is a ray of sunshine on any street corner and cheerily calls you out to sample its goods. This is "street dining" in keeping with the times - everything is freshly made-from-scratch using natural ingredients. You can peek into the window and see them cooking stuff up in that tiny little kitchen. The menu is made up of a number of different tacos (including a fishy one!), as well as some sandwiches and salads. Tacos are reasonably priced at $3 each a la carte, or you can buy them as a platter that includes a side of beans or fiesta corn salad. The fish taco on the menu that day was a grilled tilapia, served on a nicely charred flour tortilla, topped with a crunchy red cabbage cilantro lime slaw and a creamy house cha cha sauce. Everything was simply wonderful and spiced just right (though definitely not on the hot side for those who require that). And the taco was a little drippy and messy to eat - just the way I like them. I also tried their summer preview special - the Baja Chicken Taco with fresh basil and a roasted tomato salsa. It was so good that I asked for another one, this time with fish. They were very accommodating and made me my special ordered taco whereupon I immediately went into a happy food coma. So don't be a luddite - go to twitter (or facebook) and see when the truck is parked near you next.

a moving target

http://chachachow.com

4.5 out of 5 fishies.

taco truck delight
so fishy and delishy
with a squirt of lime

And so the pursuit for the ultimate fish taco continues...

Rosalita's Cantina is a relatively new addition to the ever-changing Washington Avenue restaurant scene, and the large neon sign at the corner beckoned to me "give our fish tacos a try". The decor was quite lovely - an upscale traditional Mexican theme, complete with a Virgin Mary statue. The staff was friendly, dropped off some complimentary chips and salsa as soon as we sat down, and the happy hour special with $4 margaritas, $3 wells and $3 off all appetizers was well appreciated. Unfortunately the guacamole we ordered was quite bland and watery - the first time I've ever witnessed any guacamole remaining at the end of the meal.  The fish taco platter comes with three tacos (you can choose between hard corn or soft flour tortillas), served with your choice of fried of grilled fish, shredded lettuce and a blend of cheeses. Rice and beans come on the side, but I was allowed to switch them out for grilled zucchini and squash. All for $11. The kitchen staff must have had food truck experience because the food came out at an alarmingly fast rate. The meal felt rather rushed as a result. And the veggies, as well as the fried fish, could certainly both have used a little more time on the stove. The fish was average at best, and I honestly could not tell the difference between the fried and grilled. The sauce was lacking any kick to it. Which all makes for a few too many meh fish tacos in a row for this fish taco blogger (not counting the pleasant Little Apple surprise).

1235 Washington Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63103
(314) 621-2700

http://rosalitascantina.com/

2.5 out of 5 fishies.

This fish taco blogger goes home for the holidays.

The parental units moved to Manhattan, KS a few years back, so heading home for the holidays now means heading six hours west to the Little Apple. Being curious if this Midwestern town could offer up some fishy goodness, I set my mom on a mission - find out who serves the best fish tacos in town. Her investigations led us to the So Long Saloon. This drinking establishment is located in the heart of Aggieville, the name given to campus town by the locals. The centerpiece of the place is the beautiful and lovingly restored mahogany and maple bar. As for the decor, it is a strange collection of Dia de los Muertos skeletons (all decorated with some Holiday cheer this time of year). Upon checking in on foursquare, the following tip popped up on my screen: "get the fish tacos - you won't regret it." They can be found on the Appetizers & Fancy Goods portion of the menu. For $2.50 each, you are served a deep-fried flour tortilla filled with seasoned whitefish, spicy slaw and cheddar cheese. A side of salsa comes on the side. The fish was flavorful, the slaw was tangy and the salsa had a nice little kick to it. Although certainly not traditional, these were some tasty fish tacos. And they went down well with the local brew - a Tallgrass Ale.

Aggieville
1130 Moro
Manhattan, Kansas
(785) 537-9292

http://www.solongsaloon.com

4 out of 5 fishies.