Fish tacos (can you ever have enough?)

The answer, my friends, is a resounding no. I had a least one fish taco every day in SoCal except the afternoon I couldn't find the place someone told me about.

Day one - it's always the same: arrive, pick up the car, drive to Huntington Beach, stop at the Rubio's on Beach Blvd., change into bathing suit in their clean bathroom while they make the fish taco. Instantaneously relaxed the minute I hit the sand. I feel like I'm home and most definitely happy. Rubio's is a chain but don't let that stop you. It's a decent fried fish taco for a decent price. Good amount of chips and some beans. Ahhh.

Day two - leave very early for shopping in Santa Barbara and, again, it's the same routine here (who says you can't be in a rut and still be happy?). Lunch is always at The Natural Cafe. So, so tempted by the soup (roasted red pepper if you remember that from last year) but the counter girl tells me the fish taco is one of their most popular item. Sold. Grab a table outside and am presented with this lovely plate. My first reaction is, "Wow, that's a lot of carrots."

But this is a very tasty broiled fish taco. My only grip is that it's a little too wet for my taste but the clean and fresh flavor makes up for that in a big way. This might be one of the more expensive tacos but it was accompanied by this fab "peach-o-rama" smoothie.

Day 3 - Normita's Surf City Tacos - by far the best deal in town in the fried fish taco category. Look at the size of that piece of fish (mahi). This has the potential to be too wet but it is just on the right side of that equation.

Day 4 - the loser of the bunch. Was driving around on one of the earlier days and saw this place (Guty's) with a sign advertising shrimp tacos for $.99. Jotted down the intersection and drove by one day before the beach. There were two miniscule fish in each taco, lettuce and, I don't think I'm wrong, mashed potatoes? Can that be right? It came with some very watery sauce (not pictured). It was all just a little too weird. In their defense, he did put the sauce in a separate container and the shells...I don't know what they fried them in but I was very happy with those.

The winner and still champion (although Natural Cafe is close, close, close) is Wahoo's. Again a broiled fish, again mahi. So good I went twice; once a la carte which is pictured and, on my last night, the combo plate with beans and rice.