At the recommendation of a trusted friend, I checked out El Sol, a small Mexican eatery in the U Street area last week.
She raved about the fish tacos. I was going on a second date. I deemed it fish taco time.
I got there a bit early, as is my way. I have an almost crippling fear of being late. As I waited, I nibbled on the chips that had been placed on my table. The salsa was serviceable, but I was really disappointed to discover the chips were stale. I was not feeling hopeful.
The margaritas arrived and I was feeling much better. Not made from a mix, they were fresh and tangy.
Finally, the star of the show, the fish tacos, landed on the table. Sadly, I didn’t get a photo because I find it best to keep some of my craziness and annoying habits at bay in the early stages of dating; it takes a good three months before I hit someone with a freight train of crazy. Unlike most Mexican joints, the tacos didn’t come with middling rice or supar beans. I was staring at a plate lined with breaded taiapia fillets tucked in to three soft taco shells. The fish was super tasty and not at all greasy. The salsa verde that accompanied the meal was the star; I loved the tomatillos and garlic. Once again, though, the tortillas were a bit stale. Bummer and what the fuck?
As we left, my companion said they were good, but claimed he has had better Mexican and couched it with an apology. This happens a lot it seems; I will pick a restaurant and folks will apologize it is not their favorite or doesn’t live up to expectations. As I reminded him, it was my first time there and I am not cooking; I would never send out stale tortillas, but I cannot prevent them from doing it. Believe me, I wish I could stop every culinary disaster. Easy Cheese would be first on my hit list.
Now if he had said he didn’t like fish taco, this would have been a bigger issues.
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Give me easy cheese and triscuits and I am a happy man.
Do you guys have Wahoo’s fish tacos in DC?
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:32 am
No Wahoos.
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Stale corn products make me sad! Last time I went, the tilapia was grilled, which is my preference for fish tacos.
Also, I cannot type the phrase “fish tacos” without snickering a little bit.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:32 am
We are mature like that.
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Yum! Wahoo’s… blackened fish with green sauce. Sadly they haven’t made it very far East. Now I’m homesick. Imagine pining for fish tacos from a landlocked state like Colorado.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Aw, I am sorry. Didn’t mean to make you homesick.
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The Maiden Metallurgist Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Actually Matt made me homesick. Sorry to hijack your comments.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Oh no, not at all.
Haha. You got that right.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:33 am
For REAL.
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Damnit, I love a good fish taco.
“freight rain of crazy” While I suspect you meant freight train, somehow freight rain sounds far more impressive.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:33 am
I fixed it but it seems appropriate.
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Interesting, a restaurant review focused more on the tacos and less on the boy. Either the date went very well or unforgettable.
I don’t understand the 14-year old boy reference however.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:34 am
It is a restaurant review, not a boy review. Do I ever get in to specifics about that here?
Really?! Fish taco? Patrick, your innocence always astounds and impresses me.
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Generally, I save the fish taco for the fifth date. I’m old-school like that.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Hey, we all have our moral codes.
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Ew, stale tortillas , ew.
Have to ask, was the boy stale too? Or better than the tortillas?
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I have to ask, was the guy as stale as the tortillas?
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:38 am
You all are very nosey. I ask again, when have I ever “reviewed” recent dates?
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I am very happy to hear there is a good fish taco place in my future stomping grounds. Fish Tacos on the second date btw, awesome. A girl after my own heart.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:50 am
You know it, baby.
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It seems odd that a Mexican restaurant is OK with serving stale tortillas. To many, Mexican food must have tortillas, so those should be fresh all the time.
Heh, heh, she said fish taco in my best Beavis and Butthead voice.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:03 am
I know. It made no sense. Oh well.
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Bon states that he has been selling a lot of “head meat” to Mexican restaurants lately due to the bad economy. What is head meat? It is a piece of meat that is stripped off the top of the cow’s skull. It is very inexpensive and they will use it for their beef dishes (like tacos, etc.). They will also buy that little thing that holds your tongue to the bottom of your mouth.
Stick w/ the fish tacos, in other words. (at some places, anyway..not all of them).
And yes, I am pleased I got to use “head meat” in your “fish taco” post.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:26 am
I am impressed myself.
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brisltecone Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Barbacoa. Lo me gusta. They take a cow head and steam or roast it overnight (traditionally…wrapped in banana leaves and buried with hot coals. Today, usually wrapped in foil and done in a turkey roaster). There is a lot of collagen in the head, and it all melts into this wonderful, rich geletin. Chopped, tossed with some cilantro and onions, topped with salsa verde.
Good for hangovers.
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brisltecone Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
BTW…this is a Northern Mexico dish (Monterrey to San Antonio). They also do great things with cabrito….flour torts…carne seca…nopales….chipotle…mollejas a la parrilla…Tripas. Northern Mexico is comfort food to me.
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Fish tacos make me gag the idea of fish and cheese is so very VOM to me…it’s the same principle as a tuna melt. Ugh.
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Jo Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 6:49 am
On another note, that’s probably the same reason I could never be a lesbian… wait was that too much?
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Nothing is ever too much here.
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Three months before you hit them with the crazy? I like to sneak in little hints early on, just to see how well they can deal.
And maybe that’s why I haven’t made it to three months in a long time…
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Oh believe me, I am not the queen of lasting relationships.
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My brother Phil had fish tacos for the first time this weekend and ran around announcing how much he LOVED fish taco in a very loud voice. I had to pull him aside and explain to him why he should um aybe keep that a little more to himself. How embarrassing.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Embarrassing yet HYSTERICAL.
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Tina Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Even more hysterical when you know he was doing this at a kid centered amusement park
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You’re right about the rice and beans. One of the criterion for a good Mexican place, besides good food, is whether they have an a la carte menu. That way you can just order exactly what you want instead of paying the inflated price for the filler.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:32 am
The rice is rarely good. I don’t need it.
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You can taco my fish any time.
What?
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Who said that?
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Okay. I didn’t get the fish taco thing until I started reading the comments. How I survived to my mid-30s so very naive, I will never know. And my freight train of crazy? Sometimes my brakes don’t work very well.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 7:52 am
It is cute!
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Don’t change.
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1) I tried fish tacos (heehee). I gave them a fair shot, and they’re just not my thing.
2) That fish taco (heehee) at the top is SO CUTE.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 8:32 am
It really is pretty adorable. I agree.
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Any man who says he doesn’t like fish taco (I can’t even think this without giggling) on a second date is just…well, being silly.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Yes, yes it is.
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I only like fish tacos raw…
(I see your childishness and I raise you a little dirtiness)
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:51 am
ZING.
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I am not a fan of the fish tacos (heh heh). LOBSTER tacos, on the other hand. Both delicious and non-lesbionic.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Ohh, lobster…never had those.
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I’ve never had a fish taco.
well not the food kind.
instantrimshot.com
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I am really scared to click on that, Maxie.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I am really scared to click on that link.
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I’ve never caught the fish taco bug. For me, Mexican food and seafood just don’t go together. I stick to vegetarian or chicken when I head south of the border. Also, I *HATE* being served stale tortilla chips. You just know a great vat of them are sitting in some corner of the kitchen getting softer and chewier by the minute. Yech.
It’s a good thing I’m late in commenting today and was able to see you are clearly not responding to questions re: the date. I get it. And I like your style, lady.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Thanks. I don’t judge others who share, but I do like to keep some things only for me.
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Fish taco or no (yeah, yeah, I get it), I always feel responsible when I pick a place and then my friends think it sucks, even though it’s not my fault.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I know, it was overkill.
It isn’t your fault!
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Did you make the pic yourself?
It looks like one of the suicide bunnies on its side in a taco……
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Nope–the link won’t work. I got it at skylerlewis.com
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Is it strange to get a burning sensation from savoring fish taco? Oh I’m not asking for myself, I’m asking for a friend.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Yes, yes. A friend. Uh huh.
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wow – that’s one of my fave restaurants in that area, and i *always* get the fish tacos there. i’ve never had a problem with the chips or tortillas being stale, though – must’ve been an off night. don’t write the place off because of one so-so experience…
… and i couldn’t help but notice the glee with which you ladies plow into (heh) the fish-taco double-entendres. How come you so rarely talk so dirty around men?
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Maurice, I do talk this way around men. You are with the wrong women.
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maurice Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 10:16 am
but “you” i meant “you (plural)” – ladies in general, in the comments. i’ve read enough of your blog to know you are secure in your dirty-mindedness…
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I do not like fish tacos. Too much trauma from an early experience in Rosarita. But I applaud your courage… And I wanna hear more about this whole dating thing. Sounds exotic.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Dating…hmmm. There is talking, eating…sometimes drinking, usually lots of awkwardness.
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You’re a lesbian?!?
Oh. Wait. Sorry.
The ‘fish taco’ thing threw me.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Tsk tsk.
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My freight train of crazy is out for the world to see at all times. I like people to know what they’re getting into when they’re getting into it with me.
Also we can never date, I’m sorry. I don’t like fish at all.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
You are from RI!!!
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I love how, in the form of fish tacos, you are mixing business with pleasure.
Also, stale chips at a Mexican place just seems like big lazy.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Business and pleasure should always be mixed, me thinks.
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i love that you mention that if he didn’t like fish tacos, that would have been a problem. i dumped a boy once because he made of the way i said bruschetta. i was like, what, it’s one of my favorite foods, that’s how it’s pronounced and then he judged me harshly for liking tomatos on toasted bread and saying it correctly so it was time to say goodbye.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
people have been dumped for way less.
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i really liked the last line of this post, and whether it was too easy or not, it was a PERFECT end of a restaurant review.
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Lemmonex Reply:
August 4th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I mean, how could I not? So perfect.
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I am not a fan of fish tacos unless they are VERY good. I think I had them one time and they were homemade. I will give them another chance though! xoxo
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Love a good fish taco. Had them Sunday at Gordon Biersch in Rockville. They weren’t that great. (Austin Grill’s kina suck, too). Baja Fresh is always the place for me.
Funny story – One night after sex with a new-ish boyfriend, I said “Gee, I could really go for some fish tacos.” (Yes, somehow in my mind food and sex mix, like George Costanza.) He said “I thought I just had some.”
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