Mission Taqueria

One floor up from the Oyster House, sits a taqueria whose menu probably far better than it needs to be. In the middle of Mission sits the Virgin Mary, watching over her cherry domain of whitewashed brick walls, picnic tables, neon lights, and potted plants hanging in open skylights. Good. Not only are there more than a few raucous margarita drinkers to keep tabs on, the wood-fired open kitchen beside her is showing some ambition, too — with cooks grinding fresh masa for tortillas from house-nixtamalized Oaxacan corn, flash-frying pig skins into airy curls of chicharrón, and roasting whole joints of lamb and pork that emerge moist and boneless on tasting menu sharing platters lined with banana leaves.