The Taco Tour of Bal-Ti-More

Welcome!

2009-04-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ready to see Charm City through a brand new lens? While most Baltimoreans associate living in this city with eating crabs rather than tacos, the influx of new taco establishments in the last five years has provided our city’s residents with deliciously abundant options!

The Taco Tour of Baltimore was a collaborative project between 14 Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) illustration students, their Professor, Rebecca Bradley, and Chef Megan Ryan. This blog was created during the Spring semester of 2009 and represents a snapshot of Baltimore taco offerings during that time period. To qualify for this blog, taco establishments needed meet the following criteria:

* Located in the neighborhoods surrounding the Inner Harbor, including: South Baltimore, Federal Hill, Harbor East, Upper and Lower Fells Point, and Canton.

* Accessible via public transportation.

* Either independently operated or locally-owned regional chains which operate consistently and reliably.

* Priced at a level affordable for students.

We offer our sincere apologies to any establishment which was overlooked, opened or closed during this 4 month period. We have made every attempt to be inclusive, but are confident that that goal likely was not met, due to the changing nature of the restaurant industry and the current economic climate.

While this bog will not include new updates from our team, we look forward to reading your comments and encourage you to send your feedback and ideas for future projects to our common email account:
MICAedible@gmail.com

Happy taco eating!

“Illustrating the Edible”
Course taught by Rebecca Bradley, Spring 2009.

The illustrated food market is strong and healthy, and the ability to make mouth-watering, thoughtful illustrations is a marketable skill. This course explores the nature, preparation, tasting, presentation and culture of food. Students sketch and paint ingredients, as well as cook and draw the food, visiting restaurants, cafés, farms, markets and kitchens. In addition, guests may come and prepare food in the classroom as students draw. The work created is part reportage, part still life, part personal expression and an overall exploration and illustration of the senses. Homework may include visits to specific sites, buying and drawing ingredients and working on articles and assignments. Students experience local food and ethnic cuisines, appreciating the role that food plays in economics, society, family, culture and history.

This is an elective class taught as part of the Illustration department of the

Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), 1300 Mount Royal Ave, Baltimore MD 21217

T : 410 6693177
To see other projects from this class and others visit www.micaillustration.com

Megan H. Ryan

Taco Eater / Writer

Megan Ryan has been a resident of Charm City for 8 years, which represents the longest amount of time she has ever lived in one locale. She enjoys dragging friends and acquaintances to explore the city’s culinary offerings, often by foot or public transport. Megan received her culinary training just outside of Lyon, France at L’Institut Paul Bocuse nearly a decade ago. She served as a Culinary Instructor for Baltimore County Public Schools for 5 years where she was fortunate enough to cook alongside hundreds of very talented young people. Megan has been a member of the Slow Food International Movement since 2000, and thoroughly enjoyed leading the Baltimore Convivium for 2 years. It is through this movement that Professor Rebecca Bradley and Megan became acquainted and decided to collaborate on this and future projects. You can contact Megan Ryan directly at meganthesnail@gmail.com.

THE FELLS POINT TACO TRUCK

2009-04-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Located on S. Broadway, between Bank and Gough streets.
Model created by Maggie Cerveny

Baltimore definitely has a shortage of high quality street food, in comparison with similar and larger sized cities. But in Fells Point, you can find better than average fare at the taco truck that parks on S. Broadway between Bank and Gough. It is parked in roughly the same location 7 days a week, rain or shine, and offers a few items other than the four tacos on the menu. Some days, they run out of certain tacos, as the truck can only hold so many ingredients. If they have the costillo or lengua, keep standing in line. Try a neon-colored Jurrito or Boingo bottled juice to go with your tacos. There is no obvious place to sit and eat tacos near the truck, but Broadway Square has plenty of benches and a view of the water – just walk a few blocks to the end of S. Broadway to find your seat in the sun.

BEST BET:
The truck’s best seller is its lengua (tongue) taco, and for most of their customers who crave the flavors of home, it is a sure winner. Because of its popularity, we will tell you that lengua is the best bet, but to be frank, we’ve preferred the tongue at other city establishments (which you can read about on this site). We’d like to steer you toward the costilla taco instead. This is a beef taco which contains steamed and gently shredded beef served in its juices and double wrapped in soft corn tortillas. Diced raw onion, cilantro, sliced jalapenos and picquante sauce come with the taco if you order it “with everything”. The taco is also served with a wedge of fresh lime to squeeze over your taco fillings.

BLUE AGAVE

2009-04-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

1032 Light Street, Baltimore MD 21230

[410-576-3938]

Illustrations by Jeansoo Chang

So many tasty tequilas and so little fuzz in our collective pants pockets. Blue Agave is a great place to belly up to the bar and try some really special tequilas. Doing this is not cheap, but the bartender will educate you and the experience is worth it. Plus, you’ll want to ask for the small, laminated bar menu that is kept back by the register. If you don’t do this, the only taco you will see on the menu is a $23 Ahi tuna entrée taco. The “hidden” bar menu, however, offers you a two taco basket for a mere $6. And now you can get that memorable Corazon Anejo tequila to wash it all down.

BEST BET:
Well, it might be the Ahi tuna taco, but the purchase price took the chili-rubbed sushi grade concoction out of the running for this site. So…it’s the chicken twin tacos you can order at the bar. The chicken is very tender, as it is stewed in chicken stock, gently pulled apart, then sautéed with onions, Serrano and chipotle chilies, paprika and Adobo seasoning. It is then topped with queso cotija, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and crema…that lovely runny sour cream. Tortillas are fresh and house made. These tacos come in a basket, which makes them more fun to eat. Well, it was fun for us. Here’s hoping it’s fun for you, too.

TORTILLERIA SINALOA

2009-04-15T12:30:00.001-07:00

1716 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore MD 21231

[410-276-3741]

Illustrations by Liz Kebel

ejkebel@gmail.com

Freshy, fresh, fresh. Homemade soft corn torillas fly off of this establishment’s in-house tortilla press. You can buy a kilo of them for a little less than $2 – which is one of the better deals in Charm City. This is a teeny tiny venue and getting your tacos to go probably makes the best sense. If there is a barstool available (out of 7 or 8 total), you can belly up to the window bar and watch the cars go by on Eastern Ave and be well taken care of by the hospitable staff. This place is a popular destination for the working lunch crowd and closes relatively early on weeknights, so don’t venture down for a late dinner.

BEST BET:
Sometimes there is a fish taco that ends up on the menu. This is usually the best bet, but since it is less predictable, we’re going to tell you to go with the pollo. This is for a few reasons – mainly, none of the fillings are true standouts, and secondarily, we haven’t told you about very many good chicken tacos on this site yet…and the chicken taco here is good. It is mildly flavored and allows you to really enjoy the deliciousness of the fresh corn torillas and very tasty guacamole. Your tacos also come with two piquant sauces, fresh cilantro leaves, and lime wedges. These tacos are not oversized, so eating 2-3 would be a feasible action.

LOS PALOMINOS

2009-04-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

1715 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore MD 21231

Illustrations by Cassandra Diaz

If you have ever been to a Hooters (for the wings, of course !) then you may be familiar with the service philosophy at Los Palominos. While this restaurant is open to both men and women, it would be hard not to notice that the restaurant contained 98% men in the dining room, and a cadre of spandex clad, very youthful waitresses. Despite our mixed dining crowd, we were still treated with warm hospitality by the waitstaff and the manager. The space is festive, with karaoke on both Friday and Saturday nights. Interesting to note that this restaurant actually has two names : Los Palominos and the Sunlight Lounge. If you are trying to find the restaurant, just look for the hanging Sunlight sign.

BEST BET :
The lengua taco. Yep, that’s a tongue taco and we think it’s the best one in this part of Baltimore. Beef tongue is prepared in a spicy tomato sauce with green peppers and onions. The diced, saucy cubes are then served on two double-layer soft corn tortillas and finished with diced raw onion and chopped cilantro. If you are going to try lengua, do it here, as they sell a lot of it and they know how to cook it well. If it is your first time, maybe try not looking down at the tone on tone polka dotted flesh. Prepare your mouth for a texture reminiscent of firm tofu. It really is tasty, but can be a hurdle if you were not raised on it.

TACO FIESTA

2009-04-15T12:11:00.001-07:00

618 S. Exeter Street, Baltimore MD 21202

[410-234-3782]

Illustrations by Rosemary Davis

This is not a chain restaurant, even though you might think it is. We know. Why would someone purposefully design an independent restaurant to look like a chain? Alas, probably another discussion for another message board. Taco Fiesta has been around for more than a decade in its old College Park, MD location and is considered a new offering in the Harbor East neighborhood. Good for grabbing a quick bite on a sunny day. They have outside seating, but what is even lovelier is to get your tacos to go and walk to the end of S. Exeter St. There, you and your tacos can sit on a bench in the warm sun while watching the sailboats go by while drinking a cold horchata.
BEST BET:
Steak in soft corn tortilla. This was a hard call. There is not a lot of flavor to be found at Taco Fiesta. The good news is that you can sidle up to a nice size fixins’ bar filled with multiple kinds of salsas and hot sauces, fresh cilantro, lime wedges – you know, the kind of things you might find at one of those chain restaurants that this restaurant looks like. The steak taco with a lot of toppings, yep, that’s your best bet here. Go on a sunny day.

NO WAY JOSE

2009-04-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

38 E. Cross Street, Baltimore MD 21230

[410-752-2837]

Illustrations by Tommy Kieley

Way. Sorry, it needed to be done. No Way Jose has been in Federal Hill for quite some time now, having moved from its original location just around the corner. In terms of culinary offerings, this is the kind of place you might swing by post-happy hour when you are hungry; but not so discriminating. Salsa and chips are complimentary and the salsa is fresh and tasty. If you are interested in perpetuating the happy hours, you can continue imbibing at the long, narrow bar that occupies the front part of the restaurant. If you are looking for a 3 taco basket, you will find that under “Jose’s Antihitos”. Classically spiced ground beef and big pieces of pulled chicken solidify these offerings as “OK choices”. Note that the tacos listed on the right side of the menu are meant as entrees, and that’s why they cost so much.

BEST BET:
Shrimp taco entrée. This is the only taco offering on the right side of the menu that comes with sautéed yellow squash, zucchini, and peppers. The taco itself is served on a ½ dinner-plate-size soft, whole wheat tortilla. Shrimp is grilled and plentiful. That yummy salsa makes another appearance in the interior of the taco, nestled with cheddar and monterrey jack cheeses. This is a lot of food. Forks and knives are needed to eat this large taco, which is maybe a bit more like a not-too-cheesy quesadilla. For some people, this meal is a great value, as you can plan to take ½ of it home with you for lunch the next day. Note: And if you do that, you know the tortilla will be all mushy. We found that mixing up all of the ingredients in a Tupperware container yielded quite a nice microwavable lunch. We also found that dogs really dig eating mushy tortillas.

ARIZONA MEXICAN BAR AND GRILL

2009-04-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

25 S. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21231

[410-342-4426]

Illustrations by Tiffany Nguyen

You may remember when this restaurant was called “Arizona Sports and Tapas Bar”? While the Arizona prefix is still in place, much has changed with the menu here. The owners have now clearly taken a Mexican cooking direction, dropping the Spanish influences that used to be present. Aside from the menu changes, we would be remiss if we did not warn you about the jukebox here. It is a jukebox with a vengeance. When it kicks on, you will not be able to hear much other than the modern polka beat. Kind of fun if you are just popping in for a margarita, but if you were hoping for a quiet dinner with your date, you may want to rethink this venue.

BEST BET:
The carnitas taco in al carbon style. A soft corn tortilla is filled with savory, slow roasted pork and served with lots of fresh radishes and lime wedges. A green sauce of medium viscosity arrived with our tacos and at first, it appeared to be a runny guacamole. But, in fact, it was a delicious house-made piquant sauce that really complemented the roasted pork and lime flavors. In the traditional manner, tacos are topped with diced raw onion and fresh chopped cilantro. Tortillas are sometimes made in house and sometimes purchased at the local tienda, but either way, they were tasty.

ANNABEL LEE TAVERN

2009-04-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

601 S. Clinton Street, Baltimore MD 21224

[410-522-2929]

Illustrations by Liz Kebel

ejkebel@gmail.com

Hidden tacos in a hidden tavern. Annabel Lee may look unassuming from its exterior, but don’t be fooled. After spending time in this tavern, the word that comes to mind is “professional”. The bar and restaurant may be filled to capacity, but the staff find a way to give you plenty of personal attention and efficient service – leaving you feeling as if you were the only customer there that night. Not an easy task, and one the staff at this tiny tavern seems to do so darn effortlessly. There is only one taco on the menu. The rest of the fare can be described as low key, weeknight-friendly, comfort food.

BEST BET:
Orange Roughy Tacos.You can find these under Small Plates on this menu. Orange roughy is roasted and glazed with orange marmalade. Tacos are served in a flour tortilla with pico de gallo and a side of rice. Jelly on fish, served in a tortilla. Kind of weird, yes, but pretty tasty. Ask for extra napkins, or maybe a wetnap with these. As the taco juices drip down the side of your hand, the increased stickiness renders paper napkins almost unusable after a few wipes.

LA GUADALUPANA RESTAURANT Y TIENDA

2009-04-15T10:15:00.001-07:00

500 S. Wolfe Street, Baltimore MD 21231

[410-276-2700]

Illustrations by Cathren Kull

If you are looking for a real travel experience, come to Fells Point to check out this grocery store which also runs a small kitchen. Upon entering, you are greeted by tall baskets of cacti, tomatillos, jalepenos and tomatoes. As you walk up the 2 steps, head left to sit down to eat and right to begin exploring the grocery store. Things are tight in this small establishment, so this experience is not necessarily recommended for large parties of people. Here you can find tamarindo and hibisco flavored Crystal Light and a really fantastic range of snack foods, including different varieties of chicarones and chili coated sweets.

BEST BET :
The goat barbacoa taco. Come here to satisfy your meat-loving self. On this menu, you can find goat, tongue, pork, sausage, beef, chicken…what else could a carnivore want? Tacos are made freshly and you can watch your food being prepared in this tiny kitchen. Goat meat is gently seasoned, roasted and shredded and served on a soft corn tortilla with all the traditional accompaniments. You can eat your grocery store purchases in the dining room section. We liked adding our own touches to the goat taco, enhancing the flavors a bit with fresh slices of mango and generous squeezes of ripe limes.

NACHO MAMA’S

2009-04-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

2907 O'Donnell Street, Baltimore MD 21224

[410-675-0898]

Illustrations by Angie Hogarty

Nacho Mama’s still has holiday decorations up in Spring, which is just one reason why we find them kind of adorable. 30 velvet Elvis paintings, a display case of Barbies, and animal print fabric covered seats are some of the other reasons why this place can be described as: kitchy, quirky and comfy. This restaurant is now 15 years old, but is still high-energy and usually quite busy. It’s most fun to sit in the back part of the restaurant for the true Elvis immersion experience. Come here when you are really hungry, because there is nothing dainty or delicate about this restaurant or the food they are serving up. Strap on your feed sack. Think truck-driver portions and don’t get too hung up on the food being authentic – Nacho Mama’s seems to understand that they are making their own version of Baltimore-ized Mexican food and they seem fine with it.

BEST BET:

The chorizo taco. This has a caveat, though. You may be consuming more calories and fat than any reasonable health guideline would recommend for an entire week. Think approximately 3 Whoppers’ worth. That said – man is this a tasty dish! Crumbled, spicy, salty, sautéed chorizo sausage is covered in melted smoked gouda cheese and topped with mixed field greens. All of this is oozing out of a gigantic flour tortilla. Jalapeno rice and refried beans (which, here, taste a bit like baked beans) round out this hungry-man plate. Sour cream and guacamole are extra, but you may want to consider them. The spiciness of the chorizo begins to build up, and some dairy would cut the heat nicely. Heck, if you’re gonna eat this one…just slather on a little more fat and go for the gold. Chase it with a Hubcap Margarita for the table.

MEX

2009-04-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

26 Market Place, Baltimore MD 21202

[410-528-0128]

Illustrations by Robin Rodowsky

Being that we eat with all of our senses, it seems relevant to note that you will not have the benefit of using your sense of hearing at this venue. It’s loud at Mex. Really loud. Festive when you have had a few margaritas and actually a little bit painful to your inner ear when you have not. The space is a big, bright, open bar with a few tables for noshing. It looks like it might be a chain restaurant, but it is not. Their menu states that their tacos come in either ground beef, chicken, steak or fish. What they don’t tell you is that you can choose to either have your fish beer-battered and fried or grilled. The fish in question was identified as mahi mahi by our waiter. Tacos come in orders of 3 with rice and beans.

BEST BET:
Steak in a flour tortilla.The steak is tender and has been cooked with an interesting blend of spices. When we asked for more information about the spice blend, our waiter had a hard time finding anyone who spoke English in the kitchen - often a good sign when it comes to tacos. The steak is pulled rather than sliced, and served in a light jus. While all the tortillas are made in house, it is the flour tortillas which have the best texture. Notice the “crème Americana”, a slightly runny sour cream and cilantro mixture which is served with this taco. You can also look forward to the ever-American combo of shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and a mix of Monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses.

ELVIS RESTAURANT

2009-04-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

1022 Light Street, Baltimore MD 21230

[410-244-8817]

Illustrations by Angie Hogarty

Hard and clear plastic tablecloths over white doily topped burgundy fabric makes the dining room of this carry out feel like…it should smell like moth balls. But, don’t worry, it doesn’t. Not even a little bit. Big, flowing juice machines filled with horchata and tamarindo are one reason to be here. Staff is friendly, the menu is short and sweet. Surprisingly, 2 out of 5 tacos are vegetarian. While the veggie tacos did not make the best bet pick, it bears noting that you can select from either spinach or black beans mixed with green peppers and onions. Also, surprisingly, the marinated chicken taco meat seems to be marinated in teriyaki sauce. Yep. And that may be confusing to your palate. It’s tasty, but confusing. Or maybe that’s just another one of those weird Elvis food things - like peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwiches.

BEST BET:

Straight-up, outta the box-style ground beef tacos. This is the place to go if you are craving the kind of taco you might have grown up on, but are too lethargic to obtain the ingredients from the grocery store and cook up yourself. Ground beef is classically seasoned, topped with shredded Iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese. Served in a not-house-made crunchy yellow corn shell. Just like how it looked on those Ortega commercials you watched on your TV in your American suburb far far away from Mexico.

EL TAQUITO MEXICANO

2009-04-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

1744 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD‎

[410-563-7840]

Illustrations by Rosemary Davis

‎

This quote at the top of the menu sums it up, “El Sabor Autentico de Nuestra Mexico” – the authentic flavor of our Mexico. The tables are covered with rainbow striped blankets and coated with plastic, while the walls are covered with handcrafts, ponchos and sombreros. Dine to the soothing sounds of Mexican soap operas and Univision game shows. It likely won’t take you long to realize that this restaurant does not exist to serve tourists, but rather caters to Mexicans who are longing for the flavors of their far away homes. For this reason, this is one of the best places to eat tacos in Charm City.

BEST BET:
The tacos here are delightful. In fact, only one could not be selected. So, it is a tie between the lamb barbacoa and the bean & cheese tacos. Both tacos are served on lightly grilled soft corn tortillas. The barbacoa features simply roasted and flavorful lamb topped with raw diced onion and fresh cilantro. A spicy and delicious house made piquant sauce is served alongside the tacos. The bean and cheese taco contains very flavorful and slightly runny refried pinto beans with shredded queso fresco, diced raw onions and fresh cilantro, making this a true comfort food dish. It is a nice feature that you can order your tacos a la carte at El Taquito, so you never really have to make up your mind!

CAROLINA’S TEX MEX RESTAURANT

2009-04-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

First Location:
505 S. Broadway Street
Baltimore MD 21231
[410-276-0711]

Second Location:
1704 Gough Street
Baltimore MD 21231
[410-588-1009]

Illustrations by Ashley Mancuso

There are two Carolina’s, both are in Fells Point and both share the same selection of tacos. But the actual dining experience is not the same at all. That has a lot to do with the two different atmospheres. The Carolina’s that is directly on Broadway features a Williamsburg experience, replete with early 80’s style colonial wallpaper, a chair rail, brass chandelier light fixtures, and images of early Americanna adorning the walls. The exposed beam ceilings really take you back to the days of Ye Olde Tacosmith. You could call this place “kitchy and quirky” but really, it is just a little jarring. For this reason, the second location, which is just about 1 ½ blocks away, is preferred. The décor, wall color and overall atmosphere is more closely aligned with what you may have had in mind for eating tacos.

BEST BET:

Carolina’s almost got best bet for their tongue taco, but we found a few others in town that were a little tastier. The taco de vegetales is the best bet here. Mostly, it is a guacamole taco. But the guacamole is a really nice and fresh one, served on a soft flour tortilla and topped with shredded lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, diced tomatoes and sesame seeds.

CAPTAIN LARRY’S

2009-04-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

601 E. Fort Avenue, Baltimore MD 21230

[410-727-4799]

Illustrations by Tommy Kieley

Stormy, sea-faring colors and warm lighting help to establish this corner bar as one of Baltimore’s most charming. Clientele range from urbanites to the raucous and rugged. With a backdrop of model sailboats and a huge black and white mural on the back wall, you would not be surprised to hear true tales of being tossed at sea emanating from the long bar. While this taco is a bit off the beaten path, the overall experience is worth the walk/water taxi/bicycle/velomobile ride to South Baltimore. Added bonus: the Ms. PacMan machine in the back room.

BEST BET:

There is only one taco item on the menu, but it’s an old Baltimore favorite – the Baja Fish Tacos. Beer-battered mahi-mahi rests atop shredded purple cabbage, red rice, cheese, pico de gallo and tartar sauce. The grilled soft corn tortillas are not made in house, but are fresh tasting. Two thin sauces come with the tacos – one green and one red. Both sauces are very mild and do not necessarily contribute much to the overall eating experience. Our waitress stopped by mid-taco and dropped off a bowl of limes. That was what these tacos really wanted. Douse yours with lime and garnish with an ice cold beer. Thank you, Cap’n.

AUSTIN GRILL

2009-04-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

2400 Boston Street, Baltimore MD 21224

[410-534-0606]

Illustrations by Ashley Mancuso

“Hello Stranger” is the phrase that dominates the back wall at this regional chain establishment. Usually, we don’t write about chains, but this is the only Baltimore outpost of a DC restaurant group that still feels more like a “family” of restaurants, rather than a chain. The restaurant makes 25 salsas, sauces and dressings from scratch and has been 100% wind-powered since 2003. Anywho…Austin Grill has a lot of tacos on their menu. They used to have something like 14, then, when we went to try the tacos, they had eliminated a few, narrowing down the choices to just 10. But as of the publication of this site, their menu has changed again! Try to keep up. Now there are 3 tacos. We kinda liked it when there was such a smorgasbord of taco possibilities, and hope the owners may read this and bring back the taco choices!

BEST BET:

Ok, since the fish taco changed while we were in the process of creating this site, we’re going to share the old AND the new with you. Austin Grill used to serve a grilled rockfish taco, which, at the time when they had 10 tacos, was definitely the Best Bet. Rockfish was char grilled with minimal seasoning – yielding fresh and pure flavors. It was topped with a “pesto” that was made with pumpkin seeds, sour cream, cilantro and olive oil. The taco was simply fish and pesto in a soft flour tortilla and it was quite nice as such. We still have to say the fish taco is the way to go, but nowadays, that taco is a red snapper one with lots of fillings. The grilled fish is topped with onions, cilantro, cotija cheese, shredded cabbage
and chipotle mayo and is served with black beans and cilantro rice. This menu changes like the wind the restaurant is powered by. So…stay flexible, Taco Eaters.

ARCOS

2009-04-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

129 S. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21231

[410-522-4777]

Illustrations by Alicia Jacobs

Many Baltimoreans have already discovered that Arcos’ courtyard is quite a lovely place to be on a sunny day. With its arched brick doorways and loads of hanging plants, it is a tranquil and delightful space in which to eat tacos. The interior of the restaurant is equally cozy and (in case you happen to be there on a rainy day) sitting at a tall, carved wooden stool the front bar is a great way to close out your work week. The chef here likes to play with his food and is not hesitant to create dishes that are a bit off the beaten path. You can still find all the Mexican classics, but also delve into the next level of Mexican cuisine through this chef’s work.

BEST BET:
This only happened to us at one other restaurant in Baltimore – but we have to call this a tie here. It was too hard to pick between Arcos’ tacos de pescado (fish) and their tacos al pastor (pork). The fish taco is given its unique flavor by being cooked with cloves. Tilapia is simmered in a chunky tomato sauce, with onions and peppers. The cloves give this fish such an interesting depth of flavor that, when counterbalanced by the acidity of the tomatoes, yields a complex and soothing flavor. But just when we thought we had identified our favorite menu item, we bit into the tacos al pastor and realized that while all the interior ingredients looked like pork, there was in fact, a mix of grilled pineapple and pork in our soft corn tortillas. The chef talked to us about this combination and explained that this is a dish from Veracruz and that the sauce is actually thickened with chayote, a nod to true Mexican homestyle cooking. The al pastor is then topped with diced raw onion and chopped cilantro. Thanks, Chef, for showing us some new directions in Mexican cooking!

YELLOW DOG TAVERN

2009-04-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

700 S. Potomac Street, Baltimore MD 21224

[410-342-0280]

Illustrations by Bonnie Bladen

beebladen@gmail.com

Portfolio

Cozy and warm, Yellow Dog Tavern is located on a corner in a primarily residential area. The exposed brick walls are covered with framed local artwork. The granite bar and open staircase make this space have a bit of a “residential” feeling – making diners to feel, well, at home. There are plenty of windows in the small space, one of which has a basket filled with gossip magazines. Find out who’s been caught with whose nanny while waiting for your table. One of the owners is also the chef and she knows what she’s doing in the kitchen. The menu changes seasonally and reads as fresh, seasonal, affordable and creative.

BEST BET:
There is only one taco dish at Yellow Dog – fish tacos – and while these tacos are always on the menu, their composition changes with the seasons. In the spring, when this piece was being written, the 3 soft grilled corn tortillas were stuffed with grilled mahi mahi, nicely seasoned with a house rub. A crunchy cabbage and jicama slaw occupied the middle layer, and a homemade chili salsa serving as the icing on this cake. A big pile of red radish and lime wedges were served as an accompaniment. The slow burn of the chili salsa and fish rub coupled with the fresh crunch and brightness of the jicama slaw make this a memorable taco. In other seasons, tacos have featured: shark, tomatillo salsa, Spanish rice, black beans, guacamole, fried fish. Sometimes the chef chooses to utilize soft corn tortillas and other times she opts for tostadas as her base on which to build. The cooking here is strong, regardless of which ingredients show up in which season.

EL TROVADOR

2009-04-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

318 S. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21231

[410-276-6200] [410-267-3130]

Illustrations by Jeansoo Chang

Slightly removed from the many taco establishments that line Broadway in Fells Point, El Trovador is easily located with its curved emerald green awning. Inside, the dining room is nicely maintained with white linen tablecloths covered with fitted glass. The chairs are comfy and the walls are painted a soothing harvest-like-orangey-gold. You can appreciate your fellow dining companions in this space, as the music is kept low and the distractions are minimal. Try not to sit directly in front of the kitchen, as their venting system is not as high powered as it should be and the smells of whatever is being prepared at that moment will permeate the smells of the dish in front of you.

BEST BET:
The tacos al carbon in beef. One reason for selecting this taco as the best bet is that it comes with some really nice toppings like salsa verde, crema, guacamole, and a lime wedge. (The other tacos on the menu that do not state “al carbon” do not come with the same aforementioned fixins’.)The tacos are served in warm, soft corn tortillas. Now, this is going to sound contradictory, and may make you wonder exactly how this made the best bet. But here goes. The chopped pieces of beef are served in what could almost be called gravy. If you know what gourmet canned cat food can look like…that is what this looks like. But it doesn’t taste like cat food…no way. It is delicious and moist, and the gravy contains bits of tomato and has a rich and warm flavor. The gravied meat is topped with diced raw onions and fresh cilantro. Eaten in this restaurant’s more upscale surroundings, it’s really quite a Fancy Feast.