Fish Tacos

The time spent along Campbell Road La Crosse for any UW-L grad (let alone townie) is bound to be plentiful.  It was along this campus street that the starting point of the student body social hours really began since it was, on one side, the location of the main school cafeteria – which extended out onto a nice little wrought iron fence-enclosed outdoor deck – and on the other side of the street, the location of a smattering of bars and restaurants, including the famed sports bar Eagles Nest, an easy to get-to watering hole at a college that certainly knows and loves its watering holes.  Kates on State

eventually came (should have stayed), and went, along with many others.  To the south of Campbell, college houses and neighborhood; back north, our old high school football homefield at the Eagles Stadium; to the west Old Town La Crosse; and to the east the best porch in the city, the limestone bluffs lined along the horizon like planted vistas.  For some time, in our twenties, Janet and I used to come to this spot to swim in the most easy-going public pool we knew of; later, Julia would play b-ball here in the gymnasium for Li'l Eagles Camp.

As I came down Bliss Road off the bluff a couple of weeks back, I stopped by Iguanas Mexican Cantina, a small authentic Mexican joint off Campbell

that I found out served up the best fish tacos I've ever had, by far.  The inside of this little surf shack is as small as

UWL campus buildings across the street

a very small living room with a handful of tables along the wall, a couple in the center, a serving bar, and an opening through which you can see into the kitchen.  I walked in and only needed to briefly glimpse at the handwritten chalkboard above.  Whenever I see fish tacos, I order them.  We have been making fish tacos for years here at home, based on the cutest family cookbook we own from Williams-Sonoma, familymeals.

I will never forget when we first came across this recipe, we had never heard of such a thing back then, and chopped up three heads of both purple and green cabbage, added some sugar to the bowl, squeezed lime over it, and stuffed soft shells with it along with halibut or some other available fresh white fish.  Top these with whatever you like, avocado, cheese, tartar sauce, and you end up with a healthier, in many ways tastier, version of our standardly considered red meat tacos.  When I eventually got my order of two small freshly-cut fish tacos, I only wished I knew some of the back kitchen secrets to this batch.  The fish was hot and sweet; the coleslaw fresh and crisp...two side cups of guacamole and sour cream. Many cafes along Campbell here today, gone tomorrow.  The history of La Crosse hopes this one stays.