Fish tacos at Casa de Isaac

Kevin Pang of the Chicago Tribune wrote a nearly full page article yesterday (Thurs. 9/20) on the lack of good fish tacos in Chicago. I sent an electronic version of the article to Isaac Nava with the suggestion that he considered serving fish tacos. I talked to him afterwards and here's what he told me. Talk about coincidences!

Three customers stopped by his restaurant around 9:00 pm on Wednesday night and had dinner. As the evening progressed, they asked Isaac why he didn't have fish tacos on the menu. So he whipped up a batch. They enjoyed them so much that he made them a special.

I stopped by Casa de Isaac last night (Thurs. 9/20) and Isaac told me that they served 20 orders of fish tacos that night based on the Trib article.

Isaac has developed his own version and he made me some. They were delicious! The tilapia had a light and crisp coating and was served on a corn tortilla that had been spread with a mixture of mayo, lime and lettuce. The taco was topped with fresh pico de gallo. Yummy!

The battered fish by itself is great, and I've suggested that they consider serving it as a special.

Regards,
GP Bob

Can you provide the address please?

They're located at 431 Temple in Highland Park. That's between Carlos' and the Mirmar. Here's the Google maps link. http://maps.google.com/maps?client=fire ... a=N&tab=wl

They have rather unusual hours so you need to phone them at 847-433-4330. The family follows Jewish traditions and there is a week of holidays following Yom Kippur which starts at sundown tonight. So give them a call.

Here's the correct URL for Casa de Isaac Google maps site.http://maps.google.com/maps?q=431+Templ ... p&ct=title

After reading Grandpa Bob's post, C2 and I decided that we should have lunch at Isaac's (her idea, I quickly agreed). It was funny because Moishe greeted us warmly and mentioned that they had something new for us to try. Without missing a beat, Cathy and I both replied "fish tacos?" Moishe was a bit shocked that we already knew what they had in store. Such is the power of the internet and LTHForum.com . . .


Tacos de tilapia with salsa de arbol



A closer look

I thought the tacos were absolutely delicious. The extremely light batter had been spiked skillfully with garlic and oregano. The tacos were topped with a special pico de gallo and house-made lime-mayonnaise that highlighted the fish nicely. The exterior texture was lightly crispy and the interior was tender, moist and flakey. I also liked that the corn tortilla was a single; and not doubled up. That allowed the flavor of the fish to really shine through.

I don't think these fish tacos have been officially added to Isaac's menu but I get the sense that they will be soon. Given the cravings that hit me after reading Kevin Pang's piece this week in the Trib, they really hit the spot. They're a great addition to an already terrific line-up.

=R=

Ronnie,
Glad that you and C2 liked Isaac's fish tacos. He's going to offer them as a special for the near future and consider adding them to the menu.
I'd guess that they can be ordered at any time. They seem to have all the ingredients on hand normally and if they're not to busy, the boys would probably be accommodating.
Actually, I'm on a very strict diet right now and can't have any raw vegetables. I mentioned my dietary restrictions last night when I ordered the fish tacos. So they didn't add lettuce to the mayo and lime dressing and they sauteed the pico de gallo veggies. Cooking the veggies enhanced the flavors and the tacos were perfect.
BTW - Have you tried their key lime pie? One of their customers makes the pies for them! So they're truly homemade and quite delicious.
Just when you think that Isaac and Moishe can't do a better job, they always have something else to offer. It's an amazing operation.
Best,
GP Bob

Ronnie,

Those tacos look good, but they are not traditional Baja style fish tacos, which usually are topped with a crunchy handful of cabbage that has been drizzled with a mayo/lime dressing. Also, any other fish besides talapia would be preferable (except maybe catfish), but beggars can't be choosers.

Fish Tacos - Ensinida Beach, Mexico


Fish Tacos - Puerto Villarta, Mexico

stevez wrote:Ronnie,

Those tacos look good, but they are not traditional Baja style fish tacos, which usually are topped with a crunchy handful of cabbage that has been drizzled with a mayo/lime dressing. Also, any other fish besides talapia would be preferable (except maybe catfish), but beggars can't be choosers.

Definitely right, Steve. Cathy specifically asked Isaac about that preparation and while he was familiar with it, he mentioned that his version reflected his preference to have the fish be less obscured. I tend to agree with you about the tilapia but these were plenty tasty and had a very nice crunch. I know Isaac makes his ceviche with mackeral, maybe the fish tacos can be made with it, as well.

=R=

Hi,

The fish taco as seen has a backstory. The other night they had some customers who came in for drinks. They knew the establishment does not offer fried shrimp, but they wanted something like that to snack on. Isaac improvised by cutting up tilapia, seasoning it and frying it. His customers liked it enough to order multiple orders.

The next day the Fish Taco article hit the stands. Moishe showed it to Isaac who improvised a daily special of fish tacos for that day. They sold over 20 orders.

When Ronnie and I were at Casa de Isaac, we described to them the Baja style tacos or at least an approximation. I promised to send them a link to the thread of the long shut Casa de Pacifico. Isaac and Moishe were keenly interested in this method.

Who knows what may come of this, though for today's lunch what they was terrific.

Regards,

ronnie_suburban wrote:I know Isaac makes his ceviche with mackeral, maybe the fish tacos can be made with it, as well.

=R=

Mackeral might be a bit heavy for a fish taco. Usually a lighter white fish like cod or even snapper (my favorite) is used.

i know i have yet to try Issac's but i have tried traditional fish tacos and Issac's rendition looks and reads much tastier than your standard battered cod with some cabbage and mayo

Re the photo caption in one of your messages, ronnie_suburban; "salsa de arbol"? Tree sauce?

Katie wrote:Re the photo caption in one of your messages, ronnie_suburban; "salsa de arbol"? Tree sauce?

Arbol is a fairly hot type of chile - Capsicum annuum 'de Arbol'. The name comes from the woody, tree-like stems.

Isaac told me that he likes to improvise and his fish tacos aren't exactly like the Baja fish tacos described in Kevin Pang's Thursday Tribune article.
Since I've never had "the real thing," I can't make a comparison. Beside I can't eat raw veggies now and I doubt if any other restaurant beside CdI would customize my fish taco order by leaving out the cabbage (or in their case the lettuce) and sauteeing the pico de gallo like Isaac did last night.
Kathy's story about Isaac's Wednesday night customers is correct and a new dish was born. Where is it written that any dish needs to be exactly like another? Isn't that what makes dining out and cooking interesting.
I make an egg foo yung that's better than any restaurant. (Just ask my friends.) It's all in the sauce and the patties are made with whatever I have at hand (eggs with flour, scallions, Vidallea onions, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, chicken or shrimp or any other meat that in the fridge). The basic dish is never the same, but the sauce is.
GP Bob

With CdI having shortened hours during the Jewish holidays of Succoth last week, Isaac's place is humming again. My wife and I visited at around 4:30 this past Sunday and we ordered his version of the fish tacos as an appetizer. My wife had never had them before and thought they were great. Isaac tells me that he's selling quite a few orders each day.
With he and his family following Jewish traditions, I asked him if he's going to have a Mexican version of latkes for Hannukah. He tells me that he's considering it. Stay tuned.
One other thing that Isaac tells me. He's taking reservations up until about 6 or 6:30 each night. He won't take reservations for after that time, because some customers get delayed and he doesn't want to hold a table while people are waiting. The night we were there, he had a full house by 5:30. It was such a gorgeous night that even his outdoor tables were filled when we left.
Regards,
GP Bob

I love fish tacos and obviously I have to make the long ride out from Naperville to check these out. Steve, where did you get that taco in PV? I spend a month there and I'd like to try that place also.

Jean

Jean Blanchard wrote:Steve, where did you get that taco in PV? I spend a month there and I'd like to try that place also.

Those tacos were served poolside at the Marriott. I highly recommend them, although not much else at the hotel besides the ceviche.

Finally made it in to try the fish tacos last night and they are an excellent addition to the menu. The fish was expertly seasoned, lighty fried and nice and crispy. The accompaniments were top notch as well.

Overall, the restaurant seems to have really hit its stride and well deserves the recognition it has received here. Its a very welcome addition to the local dining scene.