Salty Lemons

background: Mexican grilled corn known as "elote"
foreground: fried eggs, lettuce, avocado, tostada, sweet potato puree, black beans
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive

fried pollack, citrus habanero aioli, cilantro, onion, tomato
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive

August 6, 2011

Ancho Battered Pollack

After almost a decade of living without fish tacos as part of my regular diet, I have found one that excites me. I typically prefer fish tacos unbattered with a fish like wahoo or mahi-mahi, but Pachanga Patterson's are genius. They use pollack with an ancho batter. They are delicious. The ancho is fragrant and adds a little heat to the mild pollack. Add pickled red onions and succulent tomatoes and you have perfection.

The dishes are Mexican in origin with influences from other cultures. The dish, "Veggie Jenga," pays homage to the game because of its layered stack. It is quite beautiful to look at and is still hearty despite being a vegetarian dish because of the fried eggs and beans. The elote was fine, not great but satisfactory. In its defense, I ate it at the end of my meal. So it was cold, which is probably not the best way to experience grilled corn slathered with mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice. All the flavors had coagulated by the time I was ready to eat it.

As a California native, I have had a long love affair with Mexican food. I would not say that my expectations are unrealistically high, but I yearn for what I know as Mexican food. Or specifically what is probably better described as California Mexican food. During my childhood, I remember the only food trucks in town were Mexican food trucks, just bare bones, mobile trucks with no frills. They were nowhere near the haute food trucks that I see around New York City today. They served things like beef tongue and brain tacos.

During high school, I developed a fondness for one particular Mexican restaurant that without fail, always gave me food poisoning. A wise person would never go there again. But my taste buds and hunger for this place was intense. I continued to frequent the place and continued to be sick from it...not recommended. On one trip to Rosarito, Mexico during my college days, I dared to repeat my ill judgement. Across the street from my group's usual eating haunt, I noticed a taquería that was frequented by locals. My sister warned me not to stray, since the place where we were eating was designated by tourists as a place known to be "safe." But I could not resist. On the last day, I gave in. No one would join me. The tacos were delicious but I paid the price. For the next week, I was sick. Again, not recommended.

Lessons learned and my love for Mexican food continues.

archives: Food