Dorado Tacos & Cemitas

In light of recent events, namely National Taco Day observed on October 4th, let us bow our heads and pay some respect to the glorious taco.

First, I shall start with a little story.  Isn’t that always the way?  There are a handful of foods that hold significant meaning and memory to me.  One is the humble fish taco.

In 2008, I began my love affair of a lifetime. It happened in May during senior week, when emotions and my metabolism ran high. I arrived back at BU after being up all night at Mohegan Sun, only to be shuffled onto another bus that whisked me away to Martha’s Vineyard. I was exhausted. I still remember clear as day Krissie telling me on the ferry that I was passed out, snoring loudly for all of the bus occupants to see and hear.  I am both proud and mortified to say this is a classic Katie move.

Not knowing what MV was all about, I hadn’t realized that we were still in the Vineyard’s off season.  The entire day was split between throwing rocks into the ocean and a 4+ hour biking adventure around all parts of the Vineyard. We got lost, mostly because we deviated to find a bathroom, which was conveniently located as far off course as you could imagine.

The day was wrapped up in a hard shell. That’s right! A fish taco and a nice cold Corona brought my long day to a close. By far, Martha’s Vineyard was the most fun I’d had doing any sort of physical activity for a long time. 4 hours of exercise = not having to feel bad about skipping the gym my entire senior year. Mind you, my logic hasn’t changed much since then.  A few burpees means I can eat this cookie right?

I’m not sure if it was the fact that I was famished or whether it truly was the greatest meal I’d ever had, but that grossly unauthentic fish taco was the most superb piece of food I ever put in my mouth.  I’m serious.  I saw stars in that moment.

Since coming back to the mainland, Boston has some rather meager offerings when it comes to these pescado delights.  Thankfully, Yelp has since guided me to some of the “holy grails” of fish tacos in the greater Boston area — El Pelon Taqueria in Fenway (which subsequently closed due to fire), Lone Star Taco Bar, Dorado Tacos, La Verdad, etc.

This brings us back full circle to Dorado Tacos. Dorado opened doors in Brookline back in 2009 and thank God this was after I moved away from BU’s campus or I would have lived on their Mexican street food every other day.

Fried or grilled? Tough decision, Ray Ray

Sipping on watermelon agua fresca and hibiscus tea, while we wait for our food

HOUSE-MADE CHORIZO guacamole | salsa fresca
DORADO beer battered whitefish | cabbage | salsa fresca | radishes | chipotle crema
GRILLED FISH seasonal fish | cabbage | tomatillo avocado salsa | Baja crema

I like equally the grilled and the fried fish tacos. They are fundamentally simple tacos, but man are they delicious. Both white sauces complement the other ingredients so well – Baja is an intense citrus flavor and the Chipotle is spicy with a nice acid finish. No fish taco is complete without the classic cabbage crunch, so points to Dorado for not swapping in some kind of weak lettuce. Peppery radish and any kind of moisture adding salsa is also a plus.

You’re probably thinking after all my talk of fish tacos how that chorizo taco made its way to the forefront of my picture. Well, let me tell you. Dorado’s chorizo ain’t playing games. It is generously smoky and porky and spicy and tangy. Tacos only last 2-5 bites depending on how big your mouth is, so my stance on tacos is that they need to really shine before their quick finish. Dorado tacos certainly delivers.

My only gripe is the tortilla itself. Dorado, please apply some extra heat to your tortillas. They are just raw and sad sometimes. It’s distracting. Seriously.

That being said, I still love this place. And now that I’ve gone down memory lane, I have a serious hankering for a taco. At 11 p.m. blogging from Waltham, I suppose even I have my limits.

Dorado Tacos & Cemitas
401 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 566-2100