Like the CWE's Tortillaria? Check out Milagro in Webster Groves!

Having already been sold on Tortillaria's fish tacos, I next headed to Milagro Modern Mexican in Webster Groves with some friends. Brought to you by the same owner/chef Adam Tilford, Milagro is a higher-end version of the CWE eatery and features a full bar and a more elaborate, upscale menu. The place is all about fresh ingredients and lighter cooking techniques.

There are two fishy options on the menu. The Baja fish tacos - three for $12.95 - come with your choice of grilled or beer battered tilapia, a chipotle lime aioli, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and fresh Mexican cheeses. Or you can go for the Shrimp Diablo tacos - the shrimp is sauteed in a chile de arbol sauce and is topped with micro greens and fresh mango pico de gallo. Both entrees are served on the same handmade corn tortillas found at the Tortillaria and come with your choice of rice (a traditional Mexican rice cooked in tomato broth or a cilantro rice pilaf with great cumin flavors) and beans (pinto beans stewed with house made chorizo, bacon, tomato, onion, garlic, and chile poblano or black beans simmered with epazote, onion, cumin and chile serrano, and topped with fresh Mexican cheese).

Needing some comfort food, we went for the beer battered fish option. The batter was nice, but could have used a bit more crunch. The fish had a spicy kick to it. But what really stood out was the aioli sauce. It was light and creamy and flavorful. Next, we tried the Shrimp Diablo tacos. Although the seasoning was nice, it certainly was no Diablo. The mango was fresh, juicy and lovely in the pico de gallo, but the tacos seemed to be missing something. We all felt a bit of cheese topping might have helped pull it all together. The presentation of both entrees was great - metal stands hold your tacos upright like three little soldiers. That, and the fact that the corn tortillas did not disintegrate as is often the case in the Lou, made the tacos quite a bit less messy to eat. The fish taco was clearly the winner of the two; just as clearly as the pinto beans were the winner of the sides. I don't even like beans, but the smoky flavors were awesome. Or maybe it was all the chorizo and bacon that finally made me devour a plate of beans.

Be sure to grab a margarita while here. Even the cheapest one on the menu contains real limonata and 100% agave tequila. Not bad for $6!

20 Allen Ave.
Webster Groves, MO 63119
(314) 962-4300

http://milagromodernmexican.com/

3.5 out of 5 fishies.

Some fishy good news

Canadian cod makes a comeback!

Taco Bike!

Check out this sweet ride - a mini restaurant on wheels!

What's your favorite taco filling?

See here for slide show.

Psssst, mine is #3. But fried avocado tacos sound quite enticing as well...

Food Truck Friday!!

I am so loving the food truck revolution overtaking the Lou! And what better way to celebrate it than with Sauce Magazine's Food Truck Friday in Tower Grove Park. All the food trucks in one place - which sure is easier than chasing them down one by one via their Twitter feeds! It allowed me to finally try Shell's Coastal Cuisine's grilled fish tacos. The tacos come with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, key lime crema sauce and a tomatillo salsa. You can choose between flour and corn tortillas. Normally, you get two for $7.50, including a side. But they had a Food Truck Friday special going on - one taco for $4.50 and a side of sweet potato chips. Seeing as I had lots of other truck fare to sample, I went for the special.

The fish tasted like tilapia; it had some nice, spicy seasonings and was quite moist and succulent. Shell's Coastal Cuisine advertises itself as providing "Floribian" flavors and this was most apparent in the key lime crema sauce. It was citrusy and very tasty. The onions were slightly caramelized, which added a little bit of sweetness. The iceberg lettuce provided a little crunch. However, the corn tortillas were quite a fail and fell apart at first bite. P.S. Loved the sweet potato chips!

A moving target - follow them on Twitter.

3.5 out of 5 fishies.

This fish taco blogger heads back to the kitchen

It was time to try out a new fish taco recipe and since I'd rather not deep fry anything during a 100+ heat wave, a sautéed fish taco sounded enticing. I found the recipe searching the Food Network index. It comes from the lovely Aarti Sequeira and so it has some interesting Indian elements about it. I bought some flaky cod at Whole Paycheck, picked some fresh mint from the garden and headed over to my favorite co-chef's kitchen for an evening of fish tacos.

The fish was marinated in coriander, ancho chile powder, a dash of cinnamon, salt, pepper and olive oil. The marinade had a lovely smoky Indian aroma due to the coriander, which we mulled by hand, bringing out its nice lemony flavor. The ancho chile powder increased the smokiness of the marinade. Although the seasonings made for a flavorful fish, most of it dissipated into the pool of liquid that the fish disintegrated into. It might be better baked, or perhaps drained of more liquid before sautéing in the pan.

What really rounded out the recipe was the mayonnaise sauce. It too had an Indian kick to it, with plenty of smoky cumin and fresh mint. It was also a little tart from the lime juice and had some pungent spiciness from the garlic, adding to the complexity of flavors.

Stove-top warmed corn tortillas (still looking for a good source in the Lou, as none of the ones I've tried hold together), a handful of scallions and the vinegary crunch of cabbage brought it all together. There was no need for additional lime juice, as the mayo sauce had plenty in it. Skip the suggested banana pepper topping. They made us feel like we were at a Subway restaurant and had to decide whether to order the six inch or the foot long.

A quick, easy and delicious recipe, so go try it today! Although I did not find the suggested Allagash White Ale, I did find a similar beer to pair the fish tacos with -  Avery White Rascal Ale. Spiced with coriander and orange peel, it works perfectly with the tacos and balances their spiciness with its semi-sweet citrus flavors.

4 out of 5 fishies.

Guest fish taco blogger heads to Hotlanta

Prior to the Philly trip and subsequent El Vez review, we went to Atlanta to see the Cardinals take on the Braves. Needing a fish taco fix, we headed to Pure Taqueria. The restaurant has three locations in the Atlanta area, as well as a place in North Carolina. Our destination in Alpharetta, GA started its life as a 1920s era Pure Fuel gas station. The place has large glass garage doors that open up and expose you to the elements. Inside, they play up the gas station feel with cement floors and industrial furniture; 1920s metal ice coolers keep the beers cold.

We ordered the Pescado - three fried fish tacos on corn tortillas for $10.49. The tacos were topped with poblano slaw and chipotle mayo. The platter included arroz Mexicano and your choice of frijoles negros, refritos or churros. To spice things up, two salsas - cruda tomatillo and chile morita - were served on the side. The fried fish was superb and super fresh. They used tilapia, although it was hard to tell as they did not skimp on the batter, resulting in a nice and crunchy fried fish. The chipotle mayo was a nice take on the traditional Baja sauce. It wasn't overly spicy, but had a bit of a kick to it. However, topped with either or both of the side salsas, the fish tacos had some serious Atlanta heat.

Our fish taco cravings were satisfied. Unfortunately the Braves beat the Cardinals.

103 Roswell Street
Alpharetta, GA 30009
(678) 20-0023

http://puretaqueria.com

4 out of 5 fishies.