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Canyon Cafe at the La-Di-Du Mall

Being a proper gourmand, I headed to Plaza Frontenac's Sur La Table to stock up on kitchen goodies (don't tell a foodie that an herb keeper is not a necessity!). Since I rarely venture out to West County, I thought I'd take advantage of the situation and try the fish tacos at the mall's Canyon Cafe. Serving up Southwestern cuisine, they had two fishy menu options to taste (good thing I brought along a friend!).

The blackened fish tacos come in two colorful crisp taco shells and are topped with chipotle mayonnaise; a crisp Margarita slaw, pico de gallo and fresh limes come on the side. The tacos are served with southwest rice and black beans and are priced at two for $10.95. The fish was excellently prepared and had a lot of flavor. The sauce was tangy and wonderful, but the tacos could have used more of it. I might be a purist, but I was not crazy about the hard taco shells; they did not leave a lot of room for the pico de gallo and slaw. The pico de gallo was tasty but light on the jalapeño. And although we appreciated that the slaw was vinegar-based, it could have used more of it. The beans were decent but unimpressive, and the rice was disappointingly crunchy and undercooked.

The Shrimp Margarita Soft Tacos come in colorful warm tortillas (one corn and one flour). As with the fish tacos, you get two for $10.95. The lightly battered shrimp is topped with a Baja sauce and a crisp Margarita slaw; southwest rice and black beans come on the side. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The tacos were garnished with a firm and crumbly cotija cheese. Here too, the sauce was great but short on quantity.

Overall, the presentation of both was really nice. The blue, yellow, and orange tortillas added a bit of festivity. The same colors and variety were also present in the complimentary basket of chips, which came with a mild salsa. The service was a little lacking, as we had to hunt someone down for a salsa refill. The atmosphere had a suburban feel to it, but it was comfy. At the end of your meal, they bring you homemade white chocolate wrapped in tamale, very refreshing. So the next time you're at the La-Di-Du mall, give these fishy delights a try!

Plaza Frontenac
1707 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63131
(314) 872-3443

http://www.canyoncafe.com/missouri.htm

3.5 out of 5 fishies.

Fish Tacos at the Zoo

The Painted Giraffe cafeteria is located at the North Entrance of the Saint Louis Zoo. Aside from serving your standard cafeteria grub, they offer up a daily special, which just so happened to be fish tacos today. The fish was a battered haddock fried until golden brown, topped with lettuce and Pico de Gallo, all wrapped up in a flour tortilla. The tacos came with chipotle aioli, cole slaw and fries on the side. Most of us switched the latter for a side of mac n' cheese, not that it made any more culinary sense. The fish was quite tasty for cafeteria food, and had a nice crispness to it. The sauce was tangy and flavorful; a splash of Tabasco kicked up the hotness ratio. The Painted Giraffe used to serve these with a side of black bean salad, which added an interesting flavor when thrown in the fish tacos.... bringing that back would earn these another fishy for sure!

Saint Louis Zoo
One Government Drive
Saint Louis, MO 63110
(314) 781-0900

2.5 out of 5 fishies.

Atomic Tacos and Fried Pickles

rThe Atomic Cowboy is located in the heart of the Grove neighborhood. The interior has a funky retro feel and the menu is made up of moderately priced spins on Pan-Caribbean and Mexican grub. There are two varieties of Baja-style fish tacos to choose from, either grilled or fried. In both, the tilapia is topped with Mexican cheese, cabbage, pico de gallo, and a chipotle mayo baja sauce, served on awesome corn tortillas that have those all essential little puffs in between the two sides. A red sauce (which has a nice kick to it) is served on the side, as well as rice and a lovely and delicious assortment of sautéed vegetables. We all agreed that the fried was the better choice, although it could stand to be a little more crisp. The baja sauce was tangy, but perhaps a little lacking in sweetness. And definitely lacking in quantity. The tacos were small, but at $8 for two, the price was very reasonable. Be sure to order the fried plantains on the side. And if you trust our palettes, go ahead and order the fried pickles too!

4140 Manchester
Saint Louis, MO 63110
(314) 775-0775

http://www.atomiccowboystl.com/

3.5 out of 5 fishies.

Fried pickles..... mnyum mnyum!

Flaco's Cocina - Home of the Pink Taco

Flaco’s Cocina is located in a University City strip mall and office complex at Delmar and I-170. It may not look like much from the outside, but once inside you'll find it has a South Beach diner feel to it. The name is a tribute to the beloved and long-departed Flaco’s Tacos, which according to local legend first introduced the Lou to the fish taco. Flaco’s has five different fish tacos to sample on their menu – tempura baja, grilled mahi mahi, blackened tilapia, shrimp, and seared tuna – all priced at $3.75. The fish tacos are served with a tart cabbage slaw inside a pink soft flour tortilla. Yes, that's right, pink. Don’t ask me why. They come with a side of pico de gallo, sour cream and ensalada de masa (a lovely corn relish). We tried all five. The tempura and shrimp tacos were awesome. The tempura fish was tender and the batter nice and crisp. The sauce had a pleasant kick to it. The shrimp tacos were especially scrumptious, with a tangy sauce that left a fiery taste in your mouth. The remaining three fish tacos were average. Aside from fish tacos and other Mexican staples, the menu also features a variety of Mediterranean and Caribbean dishes. And the first round of house-made tortilla chips is free. Be sure to order one of the Mexican lagers or a margarita.

8400 Delmar Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63124
(314) 395-4343

http://www.flacoscocina.com/

4 out of 5 fishies.

Loco Tacos

El Burrito Loco, located in South City, is offering fish tacos as part of their Lent Specials menu. And since we were getting take-out from there for Lost night, I had no choice but to try them! El Burrito Loco is the home of the scrumptious El Primo (a vegetarian burrito with spicy potatoes, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and beans), so my expectations were high. But the fish taco was quite disappointing. A bland fish deep-fried in a flour tortilla and served with cabbage, tomatoes, salsa and guacamole on the side. At least they were cheap at $2.50 a pop. Next time I'll stick with the El Primo - probably with a cheese and chorizo dip on the side (as deliciously sinful as it sounds).

3611 Bates St.
St Louis, MO 63116
(314) 457-8600

http://elburritoloco.biz/index.html

2 out of 5 fishies.

Tortillaria - Home of the Salsa Bar

Tortillaria is located in the Central West End. Tortillaria means "tortilla shop," and their homemade tortillas make them worthy of the name. When you arrive, they serve you complimentary chips that are fresh and still warm. If the salsa they come with is a little bland for your taste buds, be sure to check out their salsa bar (just look for the cheesy straw cabana roof). There are six fresh, homemade salsas to choose from, with smoky chipotle being our favorite. The menu has two fish tacos to select from. The Original Fish Tacos come with XX Amber Ale battered tilapia wrapped in a yellow corn tortilla and served with chipotle baja sauce, lettuce, pico de gallo, and queso fresco. Two for $5.95 or three for $8.50. The Baja Fish Tacos have grilled tilapia wrapped in a flour tortilla and come with chipotle baja sauce, avocado (yum!), lettuce, pico de gallo and queso fresco. Two for $7.50 or three for $10.95. Both are quite delightful. The fish is well fried/grilled, not greasy and quite flavorful. They are savory without being over-seasoned. And be sure to check out the Caribbean Shrimp Tacos - definitely our favorites by far. The tempura shrimp is wrapped in a flour tortilla and comes with a mango salsa, avocado and lettuce. Two for $7.50 or three for $10.95. They have both a sweet taste and a little kick to them. For an even better deal, head to Tortillaria during their happy hour (4-6pm Mon-Fri or 3-5pm weekends). Along with drink specials, you can get 1/2 price guacamole, $2.50 Original Fish Tacos and $3 Baja Fish Tacos. Too bad the shrimp tacos are not on the happy hour menu! If there's any weakness to this locale, it lies with the margaritas. They taste like plastic. Now if they tasted like plastic and were strong, that would be fine... but unfortunately they taste like plastic and are weak, which is definitely not ok in our book. The service is inconsistent, but tends to be on the good side. Check them out and let us know what you think. Just be prepared for the place to be crowded with med students stopping by for a bite to eat to and from Barnes-Jewish. Let's just hope they're not indulging in those margaritas pre work shift!

8 1/2 S. Euclid Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63108
(314) 361-4443

http://www.tortillaria.net/

4 out of 5 fishies.