front door; the divine aroma perfumes the air. Among the handful
of tacos, try the achiote-citrus slow-braised pork tacos with habañeros,
herbs, cabbage and black beans, or the sweet-and-smoky
bacon-wrapped shrimp tacos with pinto beans, cilantro and salsa.
Fish tacos here are beer battered and enhanced by cabbage slaw,
avocado and honey chipotle salsa. Vegetarians will like the crispy
little taquitos made from pureed potato, shredded lettuce, crema,
queso fresco and tomatillo salsa. The high-quality menu has other
attractions like grilled corn on the cob sprinkled with cotija cheese
and ground chile that’s drizzled with aioli, or some outstanding
moles, or a meaty chile relleno offering. Even the complimentary
basket of chips is outstanding, made from those just-created tortillas
and paired with spicy avocado salsa and mellow tomato salsa.
1495 The Alameda, San Jose, 408/320-2654; lunamexicankitchen.com
Sancho’s Taqueria
Given the owner-chef ’s high-end culinary background, Sancho’s
marries a classic taqueria with a freshness- and ingredient-focused
dining spot, delivering excellent food at great value. This has helped
Sancho’s expand to three locations and draw throngs, particularly
at lunch. The fish tacos are renowned, dressed up with chipotle
remoulade and customizable via a choice of battered or grilled fish
and corn or flour tortilla. There are plenty of other taco options
like grilled chicken, chorizo, carne asada, carnitas, shrimp and
more. There’s even a tasty veggie taco made with grilled vegetables,
lettuce and black beans. The salsa bar contains well-made classics
and addictive spicy pickled carrots. Despite their small size, the
Sancho’s locations have quite a large, appealing menu of other
Bohemia Beer
Battered Fish
fresh TACOS
Rubio’s Coastal Grill
Prescient San Diegan Ralph Rubio likely had no idea just how
much Americans would gravitate to Baja-style fish tacos when he
opened his first spot in 1983. Now 200 strong, Rubio’s has outposts
coast to coast and continues to serve the classic breaded white fish
taco with cabbage slaw and white sauce—along with a whole lot
more. Besides breaded fish tacos, there are grilled fish tacos, grilled
shrimp tacos, coho salmon tacos and various combinations wrapped
in stone-ground tortillas. Sometimes the fish is blackened and the
sauces might include chipotle sauce, melted cheese or other enticements,
like shrimp with cheeses, bacon, avocado and two chile
sauces. Rubio’s has a fresh salsa bar for customizing and the menu
has a plentitude of other choices like nachos, quesadillas, salads,
burritos and more. Try the langostino lobster burrito (these little
critters are closer to shrimp size) with garlic herb butter, rice, black
beans, guacamole and various sauces to keep your tank topped for
days. 1010 El Paseo de Saratoga, 408/370-3739 and 5110 Cherry Ave.,
408/766-3350, both in San Jose; 108 East El Camino Real, Sunnyvale,
408/245-0014; 515 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, 650/326-6691; rubios.com
Luna Mexican Kitchen
The husband-and-wife team behind this buzzy hacienda that
opened in mid-2017 is focused on freshness, with a handmade
tortilla stand—the corn is ground right there—located near the
90 South Bay Accent
Luna
Mexican
Kitchen
KRYS MANDILAG; OPPOSITE FROM TOP: CHRIS SCHMAUCH, COURTESY OF SANCHO'S TAQUERIA
