Tortillaphilia

Georgetown—the oft-forgotten Seattle neighborhood, off the public transit lines, hiding below the I-5. The people who do love Georgetown really do love it, though, and for those searching for Mexican food, there are choices to be had. Maybe the most popular pick is Fonda La Catrina, which sits right on the main strip.

How does the spot fare, quality-wise? Not too bad, though also not quite what I wanted from such a prolific restaurant.

To be clear, there are things to like here. I always approve of having “poblanos con queso” on the menu—they’re light in substance yet still pack a lot of flavor. With Monterey Jack and half an avocado strewn over the poblano peppers, they even rival the gusto of chorizo. The three tacos aren’t downright spicy as served, but a drizzle of the accompanying salsa elevates the Scoville factor—customize to your own liking.

What did not work out as well were the tortillas.

Don’t get me wrong, they were flavorful and you can see them being baked in the open kitchen. These are fresh tortillas.

Presumably, mine were plated too quickly, and the three tortillas had melded together. In other words, they weren’t handheld tacos and instead had to be ingested using a knife and fork. A quick survey of the room would suggest this wasn’t a one-off blunder.

It wasn’t the end of the world, of course, and the tacos were good. Good, but not quite good enough for me to entirely forgive the gaffe.

Truthfully, if I were to recommend only one thing from the menu, it was the esquites. Corn in a fresh mayo and lime sauce with a dusting of spices makes for a light, yet flavorful dish. Sort of like the tacos but a step above in quality.

— Remi A. Olsen