Fish Tacos - Sea Dog Cantina

I'm waiting for the guys to get in at the Pour House so that I can discuss some new brews that we have available and I am hungry for lunch.  Within the plaza that contains the Pour House, I find Sea Dog Cantina, and I find Fish Tacos on their menu.  Perfect time, perfect place, perfect menu item.  I'm gonna come in and have some.  

To tell you a little about this cool little restaurant, it is located in an area that I am quickly falling in love with, Channelside in Tampa.  As Wikipedia would describe it - Channelside is a residential and entertainment district just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida, USA. It is bordered by Ybor Channel on the east and Garrison Channel on the south.  


The great thing about this area is that it is sitting next to the port where you can watch the bustle of oil tankers and cruise ships come and go on one side while staring the Tampa Bay Times Forum on the other.  This area is really great and I envy those who live in the many condominiums and lofts surrounding this area.  


The tacos themselves are described on the menu as:  Two soft flour tortillas filled with blackened tilapia, cabbage, avocado, cilantro, aioli, side of black bean mango salsa.  All this for $10 - not bad for fish tacos, especially with fish that is this generous and fresh.  


Full disclosure - I HATE avocado and have not had it or any of its' derivatives since I was 15 years old.  I'm taking a big chance eating these tacos, but you can;t fairly judge anyone's dish if you ask them to alter it in any way.  You do that and you mess with the soul of the food, and I ain't doin' that.  


I find the key to any good fish taco is always one ingredient that makes or breaks it.  It is the one thing that the dish simply wouldn't be the same without.  Sometimes it is the sauce, sometimes the shell, sometimes the slaw, and of course, sometimes the fish.  In the case of this dish, it is the mango salsa that makes it shine.  The salsa adds not only excellent flavor, but also a refreshing chill on top of the warm fish that creates a nice confluence of temperatures in your mouth - kinda like pouring hot sweet tea over fresh ice.  I love that.


I cannot tell a lie - my first foray back into avocado was a successful one.  The fish tacos were great, my friendly bartender was awesome, kept my Diet Coke filled, and answered  my stupid questions.  Definitely a successful stop and one I would recommend.  Cheers!


NOTE:  As a bonus - you can also order a Chimay Red while you're eating as they keep it in stock.  YESSSSSS!