Padres Hooks a Mean Fish Taco!

I'm really blessed to live in a city with so many great taco options. So when a friend told Carina and I to go try the fish tacos at Padres I admit that I felt a little reticence. Not because I don't love a good fish taco--they're some of my favorites. Rather, because the fish tacos that I've had recently were overly fried--laden down with crispy bread that eclipsed the delicious fish itself. I mean, I'm cool with a breaded piece of fish, but the qualit of the fry makes all the difference when it comes down to the final product. Happy to say that Padres, however, has effectively made an excellent taco and found a delicate way to balance the fry/fish ratio.

We went to Padres for an exploratory mission before jumping into the food. The place is owned by a gregarious bloke that not only greeted us but gave us a complimentary copy of his recently published memoir. This might come across as a slightly schmaltzy, but his sincerity and genuine appreciation for our being there tempered my skepticism. During our first forray there was a tight little band that was playing some excellent latin music. The place was also packed: tall bar tables and the dining room itself were all full. Good sign. We dabbled with the chips and salsa and guacamole. All were first rate. We also tried their house margarita, which was well blended, not too acidic, and certainly didn't taste like it was made with noxious green Cuervo mixer. After a couple of those we decided it was worth a trip back for a chow down.

We hit Padres again last night. Again, it was nearly full. This time of year, the patio is open and a collection of patio heaters made it feel just perfect against the slighlty chilly air.

First, the service at Padres is outstanding. Our waiter was prompt and very knowledgable about the menu. We ordered solely based on his recommendations and he was spot on with each one.

We decided that we'd start with a plate of fish tacos for our appetizer. They arrived in minutes. The fish-to-filling ratio was outstanding, and the fish pieces were clearly visible--not buried underneath a pile of cabbage and dressing. They were double wrapped in tortilla as well, which I appreciate from a practical standpoint. First bite: Impressive. Yes, the fish had been fried, but it had also been dredged in panko and fried with the lightest touch. The result was that the fish had crunch and texture without tasting like a mouthful of corn chips! The flesh was still tender and flavorful. I'm not going to say "toothsome," as I think anyone that uses that word should be waterboarded. The cabbage was thinly cut, perhaps lightly salted. The dressing was a sour cream, lime, chipotle combination that added a spot-on amount of heat to the taco. They were, in fact, truly excellent fish tacos and I have to give props to Padres for finding a way of combining the guilty pleasure of fried fish with the textural and flavor advantages of grilled fish. Well done guys!

There were only two downsides to the fish taco plate. First, only three a plate? Come on. The plate cost 13 bucks. Eh? That's $4.35 a taco. Second, the tortillas. They were good, but obviously commercially made--for that price I'd prefer a hand made taco if possible. Plus, I'd steam them a little bit longer in order to soften them up a little more.

The rest of the meal was equally delicious. I could only make it half way through a melt-in-your-mouth carne adobado--and I mean, it was absolutely rad. Carina killed off a chicken relleno that was resting in a creamy pepper sauce. That, too, was really great. For dessert I attacked a queso with chorizo. One of the best quesos I've had in years. Tasted like real cheese, and real spinach, and really good quality chorizo. The chorizo was a meal in and of itself, and I'd order it as an entree next time I went back with a cheese hankering.

So I'll back to Padres this Saturday. There's a tequila tasting on the agenda (ok, twist my arm). And I'd absolutely take friends along. It's a got good vibes to it, the tacos are, in fact, excellent, and with only a few tweaks would be absolutely next level. Way to go Padres!