Good Taste: Jose Garces knows fish tacos
Going For Garces' Tacos Jose Garces knows fish tacos, having created the tortilla-wrapped, cigar-shaped mahimahi beauties at El Vez (still my favorites) and worthy successors at his own Distrito. Translating that success to the quick-serve casual world of
Jose Garces knows fish tacos, having created the tortilla-wrapped, cigar-shaped mahimahi beauties at El Vez (still my favorites) and worthy successors at his own Distrito.
Translating that success to the quick-serve casual world of his breezy new Buena Onda taco concept on Callowhill Street hasn't been so automatic early on.
I liked the crispy new batter enough (an aerated technique also innovated for fish-and-chips at the Olde Bar), but neither the fried nor grilled variety (with tequila-lime glaze) were delicately cooked or assembled, and the house-made flour tortillas were dry and crunchy.
What were awesome, however, were the "classic" tacos on pliant house-pressed corn tortillas, each topped with a more forgiving slow-braise of meat - chipotle-spiced chicken ropa vieja; soulful guajillo short ribs; and velvet-soft pork carnitas. These were absolutely the kind of soulful-yet-affordable delight that, at $3 a piece, new taco chain dreams are made of.
- Craig LaBan
Classic tacos, $3 each, Buena Onda, 1901 Callowhill St., 215-302-3530; buenaondatacos.com.