If there’s a knock against fresh fish as food, it’s that texturally it tends to be one-note. Get a good crisp on it, and you’re up to two notes. Now, put that fish fillet into a proper tortilla, add an array of creamy and crunchy toppings, and you’ve got a 4-man mariachi band of textures and tastes.
Fish tacos originated in Mexico, became popular with surfers in southern California, and only recently spread throughout the U.S. to the Northeast, where we’ve finally learned that a proper taco starts with a fresh corn or flour tortilla and not with a kit of brittle shells and salsa pouches.
Fish tacos are now ubiquitous on restaurant menus, and while they’re rarely not good, they’re not always great. So what makes a great fish taco?
For answers, we went to The Black Dog Heights Café on Falmouth Harbor. A Martha’s Vineyard classic, the Black Dog Tavern has made the leap across Vineyard Sound as is serving their specialties along with some new culinary creations just a stone’s throw from the OTW office. We’ve been making regular stops there for post-fishing breakfast sandwiches (recommended: “The Woofer” on a biscuit) and since they’re open year round, we’ll be relying on them for mid-week pick-me-ups to get us through the dark, fishless days of winter.
We brought some fresh fluke fillets to the Cafe and Executive Chef Joe Ellia and Cafe Chef Ricky Smith showed us the tricks and techniques that go into preparing their “Ultimate Fish Tacos” and “Berry Happy Salad” for a nice al fresco summer meal.
Watch the video to learn how to make them yourself, or head over to The Black Dog Heights Cafe and let them do the cooking for you while you sip on some Black Dog Rum.
The Black Dog Heights Cafe
465 Grand Ave.
Falmouth, MA 02540
P: 508-388-7713
Offseason Hours (Labor Day – Memorial Day):
Monday-Thursday: 6:00am-4:00pm
Friday-Sunday: 6:00am-7:00pm
In-Season Hours Memorial Day to Labor Day:
Sun-up – Sundown; Open 7 Days per week.