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<\/a><\/p>\nInstead, think lamb, smoked yellowtail, bay scallops and other proteins that you normally don\u2019t encounter in everyday taco crawls. With only nine tacos in the offing and no refried beans or rice in sight either, this Mexico City native is breaking every rule in the book when it comes to \u201cMexican border food,\u201d as he puts it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn San Diego taco shops, everything tastes the same,\u201d Torres said. \u201cThings are very different here.\u201d<\/p>\n The chorizo asado taco, for example, is constructed with lusciously sweaty pork sausage, caramelized pineapple and melted Oaxaca cheese tucked loosely into a crispy, house-made corn tortilla. If you\u2019re looking for Jack or cheddar in any of your tacos, go elsewhere.<\/p>\n Admittedly, the notion of fruit inside a meaty taco seemed a little wacky to me when I read it on paper. But the pineapple tasted like a natural fit, more so than it does on Hawaiian pizza, which I never cared for. Torres says the taco is \u201c100 percent Mexico City.\u201d<\/p>\n Mango-habanero jelly finds its way into the mahi al adobo taco using a flour tortilla. The grilled fish receives a spicy rub and is further enhanced by smoked chipotle and avocado cream. In terms of spiciness, it\u2019s actually a couple notches below the callo con rajas, a much louder taco that mingles sweet bay scallops with pasilla peppers, bacon bits and cayenne pepper cream sauce.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll be hard pressed to find a casual Mexican kitchen in San Diego using pulled lamb in their tacos, let alone seeing it smothered brilliantly with fried leaks and wild mushrooms. Cotija cheese, tomatoes and cilantro serve as the perfect accents, enough so that the inclusion of chipotle cream made it perhaps a little too busy. It\u2019s currently the only red-meat taco on the menu, at least until Torres introduces one containing New York steak.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still playing around with ideas,\u201d he said, referring to the strong possibility of octopus and lobster tacos also coming into rotation soon.<\/p>\n The atun ahumado is a Baja-style newcomer featuring smoked yellowtail complimented by a puffy, fried flour tortilla and unique ingredients such as radish sprouts, basil and hibiscus reduction. Torres says the recipe was clenched after 20 days of taste testing, resulting in a profile of flavors and textures that left us lusting for more.<\/p>\n I skipped the hot-selling pollo asado taco not because it\u2019s so far out of the ordinary, but because I\u2019m not a fan of blond raisins, which are joined by toasted almonds, arugula and tamarind aioli. Perhaps with a pair of tweezers I\u2019d give it a go.<\/p>\n Vegetarians can take solace in a big-flavored taco containing Portobello mushrooms, corn, black beans, arugula, chilies and Oaxaca cheese. It\u2019s drizzled with jalapeno cream sauce to boot.<\/p>\n The salsa bar is a footnote to City Taco\u2019s gourmet concept. There\u2019s green and red, but we never felt the need to apply either to anything we ate.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>