640009 Tue Jul 28 06:54:47 -0700 2009 68 12 Boston Area 0 4896510 According to Daily Candy... http://www.dailycandy.com/boston/article/71166/Fish+Fry?action=share Tue Jul 28 06:54:47 -0700 2009 11108 galleygirl 1 4896616 Yeah, I just got bombed with updates on both Twitter and Facebook about this. Looks like the first of several new Mexican restaurants opening in Brookline.... Tue Jul 28 07:33:31 -0700 2009 4896510 14771 hiddenboston 2 4897362 Yeah...there's gonna be some sort of shakeout. I doubt they'll all survive. May the tastiest taquerias remain. Tue Jul 28 11:14:14 -0700 2009 4896616 152667 Ralphie_in_Boston 3 4897568 If the fish tacos at Dorado are as good as they were at Cafe D (and there's no reason why they shouldn't be), the reopened El Pelon won't stand a chance. Tue Jul 28 12:18:22 -0700 2009 4897362 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 4 4899362 Whatever your opinion on the merits of the respective fish tacos, El Pelon has a much broader menu than just fish tacos and will be located in a totally different section of Brookline over 1 mile away from Dorado. I have faith that El Pelon stands a chance, I am so sick of Anna's undercooked beans, dried out carnitas and water gushing burritos with that gummy steamed tortilla. Any fellow elderly hounds recall TJ's Taqueria on Washington Street? Man I loved that place; burritos were so good I would always buy 1 extra to take home. Wed Jul 29 04:43:31 -0700 2009 4897568 25266 PaulB 5 4899533 I remember that place fondly. They were slow, slow, slow -- but the quality of the food was miles ahead of what you get from Anna's or Boca Grande. In those days, my only burrito-eating experience was from visits to my sister in San Francisco, and I thought that TJ's compared favorably with (if it didn't equal) the burritos I had eaten in the Mission District. I wonder what ever happened to him? He was a little skittish, as I recall. One night he just bugged out and we got to spend a hungry-but-amusing half-hour watching his parents and a few of their middle-aged friends try to run the place. Wed Jul 29 06:23:00 -0700 2009 4899362 51989 bartleby 5 4905203 Was that Wash St. in Brighton?If it was, then that's where I had my first Mexican meal, and it was a fantastic place (...and I'm not elderl, btw!!!) Thu Jul 30 19:45:41 -0700 2009 4899362 23383 threedogs 4 4899553 I have to agree with PaulB that the fish tacos aren't the essential item for Pelon....I've stood in line many times there and have been the only one (within earshot) to order fish tacos. By my (extremely) unscientific calculations I'd say fish tacos were maybe their 4th or 5th most popular item. When I mentioned "shakeout" I was referring to one of the multiple Anna's in Coolidge Corner, the Boca Grande there suffering. Wed Jul 29 06:29:52 -0700 2009 4897568 152667 Ralphie_in_Boston 3 4897571 And for diners, definitely a win-win situation shaping up! Tue Jul 28 12:19:06 -0700 2009 4897362 14771 hiddenboston 1 4898885 Anyone know when the new El Pelon in Brookline is slated to open? Tue Jul 28 19:50:28 -0700 2009 4896510 106030 nightsky 2 4899682 I don't think there is a specific date, but it will be sometime in the fall. Wed Jul 29 07:02:09 -0700 2009 4898885 14771 hiddenboston 1 4900562 I'm almost hoping they don't get their license today (their Facebook page says that they're still waiting on the final permits apparently) as I've got a KO Prime Rib dinner planned tonight and just had a pastrami sub from Speed's. That way, I won't feel like I missed out. Wed Jul 29 10:52:43 -0700 2009 4896510 41832 avial 2 4900633 They got the license and are opening at 5pm! I can't make it either though...so I'll be there for lunch tomorrow. Wed Jul 29 11:07:08 -0700 2009 4900562 223386 rknrll 1 4903025 Anyone tried it yet? I'm very curious to hear about the food. Thu Jul 30 08:10:03 -0700 2009 4896510 23376 nsenada 2 4903052 I almost went, but was worried about lines. And I did hear there were long lines there last night. Thu Jul 30 08:17:26 -0700 2009 4903025 14771 hiddenboston 2 4903237 I'm going around 1:30-2ish. Will report back. Thu Jul 30 09:01:35 -0700 2009 4903025 223386 rknrll 2 4903732 I thought it was just okay. Fish tacos good, but tortillas too thick and dry. Could have just gone with one instead of traditional 2. Also, cemita missing any chipotle in adobo flavor and the counter guy wouldn't give us any. Not as crushed as I expected. Thu Jul 30 11:23:24 -0700 2009 4903025 10232 yumyum 3 4903902 I agree, Fish taco's were definitely the highlight, but as mentioned the tortilla was off. The Cemita was okay and my main issue was the Pork was way overcooked and tough. I hope they iron out the issues soon. Thu Jul 30 12:11:56 -0700 2009 4903732 126590 Matt H 4 4904023 Thanks for the reports - I noticed on Yelp that the wait was pretty horrendous as well. Maybe I'll let the lines die down (and the tortillas improve) a little before trying it out. Thu Jul 30 12:40:43 -0700 2009 4903902 23376 nsenada 2 4904113 I concur with some of the points that have already been made and have some observations of my own: 1. The fish in the fish taco is great (tried Ensenada and Dorado) 2. Tortillas need to be heated longer so that they are softer and more pliable, or they need to make thinner tortillas. As they are served now, they are rubbery and hard to chew threw unless you've let them soak in juices/sauce. 3. The accompanying fillings in the tacos need a boost, more pico de gallo, more slaw, more guac, whatever. (tried steak, chorizo) 4. Cemita (milanesa/pork) was a huge disappointment and a mere shadow of cemitas that I've had in Puebla. Very little amount of quesillo cheese, no pickled veggies on the sandwich (you can get them as a side for $1.49 or $1.59 I think) and I could only taste the bun, the pork loin and the guac. The pork loin was way too thick and a bit overfried and thus a bit dried out. The bun is probably the one change I like in that it is not as thick and dense as the cemita buns that I have had in Mexico and thus a lot easier to eat. At the end of the day though, just the fillings in a proper cemita in Puebla when squished down as much as it can be is still taller than an unsquished cemita at Dorado. This change in the proportions of the fillings ruins the cemita and turns it into something mundane. Thu Jul 30 13:06:26 -0700 2009 4903025 41832 avial 3 4904179 The fish in the Ensenada taco was great. I agree about the tortillas - they each came with 2 small ones, but I used only one and threw away the other. I got a plate - 2 tacos, the Ensenada and the chorizo, which wasn't bad. It came with rice (okay) and black beans (great!) and was garnished with a roasted pepper that was tasty. I really liked the Elote - grilled ear of corn with chile, lime and cotija cheese. It was the first time I've had it, and I'd get it again. It was more than I'd usually get for lunch but wanted to try as much as I could. One final caveat - the place wasn't busy (before 12 noon), but it took 10 minutes to get the food. So it's not fast food, but it's been open less than a day and I'm happy to have Doug Oran back in business. Thu Jul 30 13:22:36 -0700 2009 4904113 242808 Dontwannatellyou 4 4904799 Thanks for reminding me about a few things: 1. I did get a rice plate with 2 of the tacos. The rice was reasonably flavored but was undercooked not to the point where it might be mealy but significantly 'al dente'. 2. Beans had excellent flavor, no faulting them here. 3. Elote was tasty though my DCs immediately noticed upon their first bite that it lacked lime flavor for some reason and had to go up to the counter to ask for some and was given a single measly wedge. 4. Later on when I ordered two additional tacos, I was only given one lime wedge, nay, lime slice, with a Ensenada taco but not the chorizo taco which I found odd given that limes are a table-side staple in taco joints. I suppose the economics of the restaurant biz here in the Boston area and in the US in general is bit a rough but going cheap on the lime wedges just seems lame and backwards when you run a taco joint. 5. Lastly, I went around 1:30pm today with 2 friends and when we got there, there were about 10 patrons in various stages of their consumer experience - just ordered, eating and ordering. For those that had just ordered, it took about 10 minutes to get food out and it consisted as others have noted, just tacos. Our order took about 20 minutes to get out - 2 elote ears, 1 dorados taco plate, 2 steak tacos, 1 milanesa cemita. Thu Jul 30 16:45:33 -0700 2009 4904179 41832 avial 3 4904298 Agree to at T with your assessment, avial. The chorizo cemita fared a little better, as it was at least moist and flavourful. Fresh papalo adds a distinghuising flavour to the cemita which has been etched in my mind, so no cemita without it really ever matches up. I can't really fault them for this though, as fresh papalo isn't easy to come by. They are starting out with a poor tortilla, so doubling up doubles the displeasure. Not sure there is much they can do to rescuscitate these things. Maybe use one and dunk it in oil. Or BYOT. Thu Jul 30 13:53:28 -0700 2009 4904113 11162 Nab 4 4905271 The only other thing I might add, which I don't think has been said, is that IMO the fish tacos are grossly overpriced. $2.49 might be right for two tacos of that size, which basically consist of a small single nugget of fish. Which also reminds me that their ratio of fish to tortilla is also quite off-balance. Pack in enough fish and pico and crema and what have you, and I might start forgetting about the tortilla. Okay, I'm done. I wish Dorado well. And I'll also go back to my original personal policy of never visiting a restaurant in its opening month, let alone day. Thu Jul 30 20:16:13 -0700 2009 4904298 11162 Nab 5 4913123 a family member of mine who went there agrees with your observation that the tacos have very little fish in them, and what was there was largely batter Mon Aug 03 09:21:25 -0700 2009 4905271 13161 barleywino 2 4915269 I went Saturday and it was horrible. My friend and I got a chorizo and a swordfish taco each was a bit more than $2.50. The swordfish was flavorless, the chorizo was over spiced. Both were sadly dressed and quite small. If Boston had better taste in Mexican food this place wouldn't stand a chance, but considering Anna's is considered "Rey" here it will probably get rave reviews and make a killing. Mon Aug 03 22:04:28 -0700 2009 4903025 28999 Nechushtan 1 4904234 I agree about the preliminary tortilla thoughts. Here are some pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rknrll/sets/72157621770707239/ Thu Jul 30 13:39:11 -0700 2009 4896510 223386 rknrll 1 4905050 Stopped by at 8:30. Got a spot, and saw no line! About 6 people inside. CLOSED signs up, tho, so no tacs for my...Tried the new menu at MinSok; great! Thu Jul 30 18:40:32 -0700 2009 4896510 11108 galleygirl 2 4905175 Yeah...their Facebook says they ran out of tortillas. Thu Jul 30 19:32:26 -0700 2009 4905050 223386 rknrll 3 4912103 They ran out of tortillas *again* on Sunday (8/2). They had a closed sign up but the door was still open. They explained the tortilla situation and said they still were serving the half of the menu that didn't require tortillas. Lots of disgruntled people who'd ordered cemitas inside though. They ended up locking the door at about 4 pm. Not a good sign. Sun Aug 02 21:16:44 -0700 2009 4905175 106030 nightsky 4 4913225 Why is this not a good sign? It's the end of July, beginning of August when many people are on vacation and no college students are around but they're swamped at opening because the internet spreads the word. The lack of perspective on the board sometimes makes me shake my head. Mon Aug 03 09:49:02 -0700 2009 4912103 71350 lergnom 5 4916847 I looked in the window of the finished space, and I'm already disappointed. I assumed it was going to be a restaurant. And if El Pelon duplicates its Fenway setup in Brookline, it also won't be a dining destination. What does a hound have to do to have fish tacos for dinner in a restaurant setting? I will say that Tu Y O made them especially for me, altho' they no longer have them as a menu item. I can't find anyone to make them in greater Boston? What is the deal? Tue Aug 04 12:29:03 -0700 2009 4913225 1090797 CookieLee 6 4916911 La Verdad has them. Also, Neptune I think. I never would have assumed that a place with $2.50 tacos and $5.99 taco plates was a sit down restaurant. Tue Aug 04 12:44:25 -0700 2009 4916847 223386 rknrll 7 4917867 Thanks for the suggestions, rknrll. I actually just came across the La Verdad menu, and they do have them. I didn't know Dorado's price points, I just knew they were originally in JP. Tue Aug 04 17:43:22 -0700 2009 4916911 1090797 CookieLee 6 4917937 It's counter service, but you can sit down; there are about 20 seats total, two four-tops and cafe-height bar seating in the street-facing windows. I don't usually expect table service with sub-$3 tacos. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Tue Aug 04 18:04:23 -0700 2009 4916847 10143 MC Slim JB 1 4919241 I went here last saturday, and basically agree with what almost everyone has said. I had the asiatico (asian inspired fish taco) and the sword fish taco plate (w/rice and beans and a charred jalapeno) and an elote (grilled corn w/ cheese, other stuff) and my brother had the dorado (regular fish taco) and the shrimp taco. I thought the fish, veggies and the sauce in taco were very good, however they were lacking in quantity. The tortillas were terrible, thick, chewy and very "raw" (needs some time on the grill). Rice and beans were nothing note worthy and to be honest I thought the jalepeno was going to be a stuffed jalepeno, but I guess they said charred, so it's not false advertising. Elote was prety good, but the corn was gummy. I think the one word I would use to describe this place is Stingy. I feel it's very hard to use that word on a $2.50 taco place, but this place deserves it. They kind of nickel and dime you all over the place. The taco plate is supposed to be $6 but they upcharge you on certain tacos, the portions are small and they changed their pricing already (their menu posted on the website before they opened was a little cheaper.) I won't be going back unless I hear of some big changes... sucks because I love Fish tacos. Wed Aug 05 08:14:37 -0700 2009 4896510 323961 tysonmcneely 2 4920867 I was hoping this joint was going to be a taqueria. Hmmm? In Boston? How silly of me. Let me just preface this by saying that I grew up in LA, I've taken cooking classes in Mexico, I was married to a Mexican (and her family, too) and I'm a carpenter who has eaten off of taco trucks for 25 years. I don't claim to be an authority but I've been around. This past Saturday I tried a pork milanesa cemita. The pork was thin and crispy. It was quite good by itself but in the under-cheesed sandwich it got lost. I wouldn't mind paying the 6 bucks if it were a bit heartier. I would like to try the steak and chicken ones. I had the steak taco. The steak by itself tasted good and was a good sized portion. The two tortillas they were served in were, well, limp, limp in every imaginable sense of the word. Its as if they were microwaved or steamed. A good taco with two tortillas can be made into two tacos, at Dorados' you need one tortilla to hold the other one together. I ordered another one and asked if they could grill the tortilla. "Sure no problem." Same thing, they probably had no idea what I was talking about. I tried the chorizo. This had some orange grease--usually a good sign--but it seemed under-spiced, and was finely ground and looked and tasted more like some hamburger type concoction. A good taco isn't difficult to make. A tortilla needs to be cooked on a grill or comal until it puffs up, There is no other way, period. Add meat, some raw onions, cilantro, salsa, and maybe a little crema and cheese and you have a pretty damn good taco. Just my dos centavos. Wed Aug 05 15:31:04 -0700 2009 4919241 1099156 elcarpintero 3 4921488 Wow ! Sounds like you should open a taqueria. I tried the pork milanesa tonight and found it to be lovely. Lightly breaded, properly thin, with crisp individual flavors all coming through. Also, a very nice slow burn from the chipotles ??. The bun was griddled and added to the texture of the cemita and I was able to taste the rich egg flavor per its Lebanese ancestry. Mine had lots of creamy avocado and a delicious cheese. I also had a side of black beans which were fabulous. I was full when I left and intend to try the tacos and chicken on my next visit. The place is very clean and green. Very busy at 8:30 pm and a surprising number of families with small children. I enjoyed it. Wed Aug 05 19:45:05 -0700 2009 4920867 79508 stillworkinonthat 3 4922380 Plenty of taqueria's in Boston. Head over to Jalisco in Eastie to get a lengua taco made right. Or grab a couple at Tacos Lupita in Somerville. Taqueria la Mexicana (also in Somerville) makes a fine carnitas taco. I don't think Dorado ever claimed to be a "joint". Doug's doing what he does. I just wish the cemitas were better but I might have had an off experience on the day after opening. I need to retest. Thu Aug 06 07:57:49 -0700 2009 4920867 10232 yumyum 1 4921124 I was there on Saturday afternoon with PK. We got two fish tacos and a Cemita. The flavor of everything was pretty good. My main complaint was the lack of fish on the tacos. I don't expect much, but I was especially disappointed with the Ensenada since there should have had more than a single small rectangle of fried fish. Also, while the Cemita was tasty for what it was, it was a bit pricey for what you get (or, maybe, I'm just cheap). Wed Aug 05 17:08:57 -0700 2009 4896510 15202 eatanddestroy 1 4924767 I had the fish tacos tonight at Picco. They are in no way traditional, but they are delicious. With black beans, slaw, and two kinds of crema (chipotle and guacamole flavored) to accompany the pretty generous portion of fish, it's a big fish taco bomb. $13 for three. I was most appreciative of the tortilla -- a single one which is not the platonic ideal, but it held together well and was about 600% better than the tortillas at Dorado. Thu Aug 06 20:19:39 -0700 2009 4896510 10232 yumyum 2 4932994 On a little bit of a taco bender, I picked up a couple at Tacos Lupita to get a better handle on their tortillas. They use two, lightly steamed, and they are soft and pliable. They have an excellent corny taste, but they are quite delicate -- tend to fall apart mid taco. In this case, because they are doubled up, it's not a tragedy. If Dorado could hit somewhere in between the dry product they use now and the delicate steamed specimens at TL, they'd have a winner. As for fillings, the roasted pork has a delicious cinnamon (?) clove (?) undertone, similar to the flavor in their red salsa. Chicken is basic grilled chicken, excellent with their salsa verde. Mon Aug 10 09:05:24 -0700 2009 4924767 10232 yumyum 1 4933172 I will respectfully disagree with the majority. On Saturday I had the Dorado Taco, the Pork Loin Cemita, and a handful of the chips. The Dorado Toco was delicious and the proportion of components was appropriate for $2.50. It was about 2 ounces of fish, with two corn tortillas, a couple of radish slices, very nice sauce, and a wedge of lime. (I may be missing an ingredient or two, but these are the memorable components). I agree that the tortillas were not stand outs, however they were not detractors. I ate the taco with one tortilla, then squeezed the remaining lime on the other and ate it. The fish was perfect, the sauce was delicious…I challenge anyone to find something so tasty for $2.50 in that part of Brookline. The Pork Loin Cemita was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in this area, though I do think it could be improved upon. It was in the $5 to $6 ballpark. The breading on the pork loin was excellent and the avocado spread had just the right amount of heat riding with it. The beans added a nice earthy background to the flavor, but really this sandwich was all about pork, avocado, and pepper heat. The bun was more firm than the sandwich components (which is to say, good), and added a buttery sweetness. The cheese on its own was tasty, but it did not stand up to the major players in this sandwich. I would prefer a goat cheese or similar; something that is more detectable in the context of the sandwich's other flavors. The chips were great. Give me an IPA, a bag of these, and a sunny backyard and I’ll keep quiet. Perhaps this place is not authentic (what does that even mean anymore) or not precisely like its former self, but it’s damned good and convenient. Bonus points for cool to-go packaging and having enough room near the register to accommodate my kids’ double stroller. Mon Aug 10 09:55:10 -0700 2009 4896510 1084118 Area Man 2 4933563 I agree wholeheartedly with the above review. We bought several tacos, cemitas and the whole rotisserie chicken for a dinner party, and everything was happily devoured in no time. Here's what we had: Tacos: Dorado, Asiatico, Chorrizo, Steak, Portabello, Swordfish Cemitas: Steak, Portabello Others: Rotisserie chicken (with 7 spices?) and corn on the cob with cheese. Verdict: I agree that the tortillas could be improved upon, but they did not detract from the quality of the food overall. Everything was tasty and fresh...sauces were very good. The whole roast chicken had so-so spicing, but was unbelievably moist and tender. Chips came with the cemitas and were very good. Our favorites were the grilled swordfish and asiatico tacos, and the corn with all that cheesy goodness. Definitely worth a try. Mon Aug 10 11:35:36 -0700 2009 4933172 27623 xiao 1 4945870 I stopped in here last night and ordered the Dorado taco and the sirloin cemita. The tortilla was definitely undercooked but the taco fillings were a good mix. This was my first time having a cemita and I was very pleasantly surprised. It was much better than I expected and than it looked, I expected the bread to overwhelm the fillings but it all blended perfectly together. My only complaint was that the stems from the cilantro were left on... Fri Aug 14 06:00:40 -0700 2009 4896510 257090 thegirlwholovestoeat 2 4949088 DC and I ate our way through the 3 fish and 1 chorizo taco this afternoon and were very pleased with the meal. Fresh flavors, tortillas not rubbery (though could probably be warmer/more cooked), and the 2 fresh juices (hibiscus, watermelon) outstanding. While the location isn't particularly convenient for me, I'd definitely stop in again if I were in/near Coolidge Corner. Sat Aug 15 12:51:11 -0700 2009 4945870 61374 natecsd 1 4949761 We finally stopped in last night to check them out, too-- I gotta say it was probably set up to be a somewhat unfair comparison, since 3 of my 4 previous meals had been at favorite bay area taquerias, including two of my favorite fish taco places. But oh well. I was suitably prepared to not expect the same sort of tender home-made tortillas that I've been feasting on lately... The good: really enjoyed the fish and toppings in the ensenada taco. Nicely seasoned, tasty combination. The dorado taco was OK, but I'd definitely just stick with the ensenada another time. The size of the fish pieces was indeed a little small (one little finger-sized piece of fish per taco-- one was maybe more like stubby pinky-sized, actually). But more or less within the acceptable parameters of fish taco portions for me. The meh: as mentioned above, the tortillas are not great. Not cold, but also not all that pliable or tasty. I wouldn't go so far as to call them terrible, actually. Let's just call them "service tortillas". I tried to stick with eating just a single layer, so they wouldn't stand between my tongue and the fillings. (This worked in one case, but not the other) The weird: there were some objects called "chorizo tacos" that we ordered. The chorizo was more like really salty ground beef, definitely not like any Mexican chorizo we've had west of the Connecticut River. (no spice, none of that pleasant red peppery oil, nothing) We've encountered this same type of ultra-salty brown ground beef-like stuff before in Boston, actually. I'm not sure what's up with it, but we have taken to calling it "im-Bostorizo". Actually, truth be told, this stuff is probably a lot better for you in not being full of preservatives and squicky bits, but didn't really satisfy the chorizo craving. The truly subpar: the beans were salty and didn't really have much other flavor, just a big glop of black beans. The rice gave the impression of being both undercooked and dry, without actually being either. (I think it had just been sitting for a bit-- I ended up leaving these mostly untouched). I hate wasting rice, though, and I won't bother with these another time. All in all, I'd say that I'd be tempted to stop in for an ensenada taco snack if I'm walking by-- much like my feelings about the El Pelon fish taco, actually. I'm sure I won't keep them in business this way, but I do hope they do well enough to stick around so I can have a handy snack from time to time :) They also use biodegrable cutlery and cups, which is cool (though they don't seem to have a composting bin to separate them from the trash...) Sat Aug 15 18:54:49 -0700 2009 4896510 49653 another_adam 1 4952875 I stopped in this week for a cemita (pork Milanese), and thought it was quite good. The pork itself was thin, crisp, hot, tender, and not at all greasy, and the surrounding ingredients balanced well - a properly-sized seeded bun, slightly more substantial than your typical hamburger bun, with good guacamole, fresh cilantro, a few shreds of mild white cheese, a touch of chipotle heat and a light schmear of black bean paste. I'll be back. Mon Aug 17 09:31:16 -0700 2009 4896510 14386 BobB 2 4953038 I love this description so much I had to read it twice. Mon Aug 17 10:14:49 -0700 2009 4952875 28215 Niblet 1 4952935 I was there on the first full day open and decided not to comment at the time because I would have simply been repeating what Nab and Yumyum had already said. But I went back this afternoon, so perhaps I can bridge the gap. There's improvement. I completely agreed with the criticisms of the opening week. If anything, I was more critical than most. But there's definitely been some improvement in the intervening weeks. On the fish tacos, the tortillas seem to be better. Still kind of cold, still heavy, but I'd say they've gone from an overtly bad dealbreaker to lackluster and mildly distracting (faint praise, I know). Point being, I can get past the tortilla now and still enjoy the taco, even if it could (and should) be a lot better. Also, I think the fillings to tortilla ratio has increased, which helps a lot. I enjoyed them significantly more on this pass. Objectively speaking, the cemita milanesa was also better, even if I can't say the same for my enjoyment thereof. Unlike last time, which featured thick, not-very-crisp meat and rather skimpy toppings, the cutlet was much thinner and very nicely fried this time around, and the accompaniments were significantly more abundant. For me, though, it's still desperately wanting for something bright to perk it up. What it really needs -- what I've had on some other cemitas that I love -- is some nice, tart adobo or pickled chipotle. There's a little chipotle now, but I believe it's worked into the beans and it's not at all tart. Without that, the sandwich is very earthy and strikes me as rather two-dimensional. I can't fault its execution anymore, but I'm still not a fan of its design. Mon Aug 17 09:47:53 -0700 2009 4896510 21787 Dmnkly 2 4952950 I'm glad you went back. I was tempted over the weekend too, since people seem to think the tortillas have improved, and a few detected the adobo we missed. But it still sounds like a "good if you're in the hood" spot, not necessarily travel-worthy. Mon Aug 17 09:54:16 -0700 2009 4952935 10232 yumyum 3 4953161 If I'm craving fish tacos, I'll go back, but then it's only a ten minute drive for me. The rest of the menu, at least what I've had, I can take or leave. Mon Aug 17 10:48:38 -0700 2009 4952950 21787 Dmnkly 4 4953176 Let's compare and contrast El Pelon's fish tacos when they are up and running. I'll be your fish taco compañera! Mon Aug 17 10:52:57 -0700 2009 4953161 10232 yumyum 5 4953207 Done and done! Mon Aug 17 11:01:21 -0700 2009 4953176 21787 Dmnkly 6 4973205 And count me in! Mon Aug 24 11:49:30 -0700 2009 4953207 1090797 CookieLee 1 4973420 My favorite thing on that menu remains the chicken cemita. Wicked. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Mon Aug 24 12:49:36 -0700 2009 4896510 10143 MC Slim JB 2 4973446 Agreed, I finally tried the chicken cemita today and it was fantastic. There is nothing about the sandwich I'd want to see changed. Mon Aug 24 12:58:49 -0700 2009 4973420 161614 BlueTrain84 1 4990040 Having recently moved down to NYC and had some tacos at the taco truck outside of Bloomingdales, I am truly saddended by what I ate at Dorado the week before I moved down. The fact that two guys in a taco truck can serve better tortillas (and they actually grill the tortillas), I can't bend my mind around the fact that a succesful 'chef' can't replicate or manage the same level of execution on tortillas. Sun Aug 30 07:39:35 -0700 2009 4896510 41832 avial 2 4990783 I'm among the most irked by Dorado's tortillas, but I have to rise to their defense here at least a little bit. NY has a huge Latin population and is chock full of fresh tortilla producers. Beating up a Boston place for not having tortillas as good as a NY place is like beating up a North End Italian restaurant for not having bufala mozzarella as good as some little Mom & Pop place in Italy. Even if the latter is a smaller operation, it has access to more resources. That said, I do think Dorado should be able to do a better job, and some other local restaurants are evidence that they could. But a taco truck in NY has no bearing on what's available in Boston. Sun Aug 30 14:40:04 -0700 2009 4990040 21787 Dmnkly 3 4990828 I've been thinking a lot about this lately, too, after spending a summer feasting on the fresh tortillas of places like Tacubaya/Doña Tomás in the bay area. Unlike, say, great fresh dates, or avocados, or loquats, or mozzarella or something, tortillas aren't made of things that are too fragile to transport from a distant region. Other than lack of competition, I'm not sure what's standing in the way of local tortilla producers being every bit as good as NY producers, even if there were only one of them. (heheh now this is going to start one of those "it's the NYC water debates" that lurks behind every complaint about why you can't get good pizza in California) Anyway, if the quality of local suppliers is indeed the issue, I guess I would have thought that Dorado would make their own in-house, if the quality of their tacos depends so heavily on having good ones. I'd definitely go for seeing fewer options on the menu if they could redirect some prep work towards pressing their own tortillas! Sun Aug 30 15:01:48 -0700 2009 4990783 49653 another_adam 4 4990960 I agree, that'd be wonderful, but I don't know of many full-service restaurants that press their own tortillas, much less corner taquerias. My sense is that it's no small undertaking. The small tortilleria in my last neighborhood (not Boston) had a HUGE machine that was ten feet tall, six feet wide and twenty feet long, It was always like an oven indoors, and they were a small, neighborhood operation that I think was mostly producing for their own tacos and consumer tortilla sales -- not restaurant supply. Unless you're talking low volume, I'm not sure it's practical to hand-press them on site. But, admittedly, I'm by no means an expert on tortilla production. I'd be very curious to hear from somebody actually knows what they're talking about :-) One thing's for certain, though... there's absolutely no reason somebody couldn't run a great tortilleria here. Somebody just has to do it (if somebody isn't already). Sun Aug 30 15:57:31 -0700 2009 4990828 21787 Dmnkly 5 4991220 Yeah, I'm also totally in the dark about the practicalities of tortilla making, beyond the fact that in small volume, really excellent ones are easy enough to whip up at home! :) I do know that several corner restaurants in a much-missed former neighborhood (also not in Boston) made their own tortillas, and although they didn't have the rustic uneven toothiness of the Doña Tomás tortillas, they were tender and fantastic. (and if you went at the right time of day, you'd be greeted by the industrious sound of tortillas being patted in scores!) Maybe this is an unrealistic ideal, since it's one of those cases where in CA, highly skilled labor for this task is available for criminally little money. But at least in terms of ingredients, it seems like something that we're not at too big a geographic disadvantage for. Actually, for all I know, there are even excellent producers somewhere in Boston that I've just never encountered- though I have to assume that if there were, Dorado would be using them (assuming they're not already tapped out making tortillas for other places I don't know about!) Sun Aug 30 17:39:47 -0700 2009 4990960 49653 another_adam 6 4991516 There IS a great tortilla producer in Boston: I rate Cinco de Mayo's tortillas up against any that I ate back home, and I have a bag of them in my fridge at all times. But the point most people are making about Dorado is that the tortillas are not properly warmed, not that the tortillas are intrinsically awful. You can make a taco with the best tortilla in the world, but if it hasn't been properly warmed, it's going to taste terrible. Sun Aug 30 19:44:30 -0700 2009 4991220 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 7 4991555 That's a good point about the warming- though actually, on my (so far only) visit, the tortillas were warmed alright, they were just kinda intrinsically meh. Not awful, but pedestrian enough that I'm assuming they're *not* using Cinco de Mayo... It might be that they're warming them by griddle instead of steaming first, too-- part of what made mine seem like service tortillas was that they were a bit dry. (Again, I'm out of my tortilla league, but in my experience, steam gives best results if they weren't just made that day) Sun Aug 30 19:55:48 -0700 2009 4991516 49653 another_adam 7 4991566 See, I just figured that if you're getting them from a fresh local purveyor, they never have a chance to cool in the first place... I'd pull the morning's batch out of the Coleman cooler and they'd still be warm, steamy and pliant for dinner :-) Where is Cinco de Mayo located? Is it a tortilleria? A store? Unfortunately, searching for "cinco de mayo boston" turns up a lot of holiday parties and not much else. Sun Aug 30 20:00:02 -0700 2009 4991516 21787 Dmnkly 8 4991594 Cinco de Mayo is in Quincy. I don't know if they have a storefront at the factory or not, but people have claimed that they've bought still-warm packages from local Market Basket stores. I buy mine from either Russo's or La Favorita. Sun Aug 30 20:11:56 -0700 2009 4991566 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 9 4992227 From the package (I also have them on hand at all times): 271 Western Ave., Lynn 01904, 617-593-0158. Never been there, I just go to Market Basket. Finding fresh hot tortillas routinely around here is a tall order--maybe in Eastie or thereabouts. Mon Aug 31 07:07:08 -0700 2009 4991594 10400 Aromatherapy 2 4992709 Store bought Mission (or thomas or whatever) tortillas would be better than what dorado is trotting out there. Sidenote: I really wanted to try out Olecito in BU this weekend, but when I went to go, I realized that the students moved in this weekend. No way was I traversing that S*** show Mon Aug 31 09:38:00 -0700 2009 4990040 323961 tysonmcneely 1 5115031 Older thread - just wanted to put my two cents out there - stopped in during yesterday's "blizzard" for the first time - couple of fish tacos, a steak and a shrimp - really enjoyed them, the unique toppings, also really dug the rice and beans and the charred jalapeno - perfect little lunch. A little pricey by weight, compared to the nearby feedbag of Anna's, but the quality is not even comparable. Mon Oct 19 13:22:59 -0700 2009 4896510 11172 Bob Dobalina