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.

This fish taco blogger heads to the burbs.

The word on the street is that the best fish tacos around these parts are actually found out somewhere deep in the county - a scary concept for this city girl. But when my original fish taco compatriot rolled into town, we knew we had to sample the fabled suburban tacos. We however failed to realize that in the county places are usually closed on Sundays. After some aimless driving around we finally stumbled upon another fish taco serving establishment - Mi Lupita in Ballwin, MO. Located in a strip mall - is there anything else in the county? - the interior is surprisingly inviting. The fish tacos, however, are as bland as the burbs themselves. Some random frozen breaded fish topped with iceberg lettuce, yellow cheese and tomato (no sauce!) and served on a flour tortilla. Comes with rice and beans. Reminded us of middle school cafeteria food. Just look at the photo, I have nothing further to write. It will be a while before I brave the county again...

15307 Manchester Road
Ballwin, MO 63011
(636) 394-8686

http://www.milupita.net/

1.5 out of 5 fishies.

In the pursuit of greatness, there are no guarantees.

It was the day after Thanksgiving and we decided to lunch at SqWires in Lafayette Square. Amazingly enough I was actually hungry and hours before our lunch plans I was already perusing the menu online. The Gourmet Grilled Cheese with white cheddar, sliced pears, bacon and almond pesto on sourdough was calling my name. But when I sat down at the restaurant and was presented with the specials of the day, there it was, the Friday Fish Taco. How could I say no, right? I had an obligation as a fish taco blogger. A pursuit for greatness to follow! It certainly sounded appealing on the menu - three tempura Alaskan cod tacos wrapped in warm flour tortillas with shredded cabbage, cheddar and chipotle ranch, served with a black bean salsa and corn chips. For a whopping $14. But what I was served was the blandest version of fish tacos I've tasted to date. The tortillas were stale and wrapped like rolled-up crepes. The fish portion was hardly generous and the chipotle ranch, cabbage and cheddar would have needed magnification to spot. The black bean salsa was really the only edible portion of the meal. I kept drooling at the Gourmet Grilled Cheese that my mom had ordered with pangs of remorse. But fear not, my resolve to find the Holy Grail of fish tacos was tested, but has not faltered.

1415 South 18th Street
Saint Louis, MO 63104
(314) 865-3522

http://sqwires.com/restaurant/

2 out of 5 fishies.

La Esquina del Sabor

La Vallesana is my favorite little Mexican joint on Cherokee Street. The food is delicious and the prices can't be beat! But while everything on the menu - the burrito, torta and quesadilla - comes with a "camarones a la diabla" (spicy shrimp) option, the taco for some reason does not. Since the quesadilla is prepared with cheese, mayonaisse and lettuce, it will have to do for this fish taco blogger review. The spicy shrimp quesadilla is served on a wheat-flour tortilla, which is a little bit crisp here and there, so it's not that far removed from a taco. The spicy shrimp is spicy indeed and is cooked up perfectly. And if the spice factor is not high enough, then you can add one of two salsas - a smoky red with a medium kick to it or the green chile spicy salsa. The quesadilla is served with a side of fresh and chunky guacamole and chips (a bit on the bland and stale side unfortunately). They do not have a liquor licence, but be sure to try one of their fresh and homemade agua frescas. The seating is primarily outdoors on their patio, so this is the first place I head to once the temperatures thaw (something I can only be wistful about seeing as it is mid December). They recently opened up a La Vallesana 2 across the street with indoor seating and a more expansive menu... I'll have to check it out and update the review when I do.

2801 Cherokee St.
Saint Louis, MO 63118
(314) 776-4223

4 out of 5 fishies.