Fresh & Tasty

Pacific Northwest Inlander (Spokane,WA)

06-22-2007

It's Mondo, Dude As a downtown office denizen, I'm always on the lookout for places to pick up a quick lunch, so I was glad to see TACO DEL MAR in its new location on the third floor of River Park Square.

Here's how it works: You pick a menu item (taco, burrito), then pick your variety of tortilla (corn, flour, tomato, spinach). Choose a filling (fish, ground beef, shredded beef, carne asada, pork, chicken), beans (refried, black or Pinto), then pick options like cheese, pico de gallo, chopped or shredded veggies (lettuce, tomato, cabbage, jalapenos), and add your sauce selection. The meal is assembled before your eyes, Subway-style, and slid toward the register.

On my first visit, I tried two soft tacos: one with a chunk of Alaskan white fish at center and one with carne asada. The fish was lightly battered and fried -- crispy outside, flaky inside. My server recommended adding cabbage, a little pico de gallo and a dash of white sauce, and then wrapped the whole thing up in a softly steamed corn tortilla for a successful blend of flavors and textures. The carne asada was more steamed than grilled, which made the soft flour tortilla a bit soggy and fall-apart-y. Still, the whole thing was tasty, once I grabbed a fork.

The first Taco Del Mar opened on Seattle's waterfront about 15 years ago, serving burritos and fish tacos like the founders remembered from beachfront shacks in Southern California and Baja. A flat-screen TV behind the counter plays surf footage on a continuous loop, setting the mood. The concept spread, and now there are more than 250 Taco Del Mar stores across the country.

Many of Taco Del Mar's offerings emphasize lighter, healthier ingredients -- like whole-wheat tortillas, black beans and veggies. Crispy (i.e., fried) tacos are also an option, for those less concerned about fat and calories.

Definitely not on the lighter side is the Mondo Burrito: one and a half pounds of tortilla-encased meat, beans, cheese and veggies. I sampled the shredded-beef variety on a whole-wheat tortilla, adding in black beans, rice, cheese, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and the mild version of the habanero sauce. The shredded beef had a nice flavor and texture, the whole-wheat tortilla stood up to the test of holding the filling -- and I had lunch for three days.

Taco Del Mar, on the third floor of River Park Square, is open Mon-Sat 11 am-9 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm. Call 232-2002. Publication Date: 6/20/07