For Your Best Tacos, Go When the Sun Doesn’t Set

I’ve been accused of traveling to Mexico often enough that I might be eligible for dual citizenship, and I make no secret of my love for Mexican food. Surprisingly, though, the best tacos I ate last year were not south of the border, but rather on my northernmost trip.

Captain Chris Hanna put together some killer rockfish tacos for me and Keith Combs while we were on an overnight fishing trip out of Seward, Alaska, and those claimed the 2019 “Top Taco” award by a large margin.

I’m still not sure what made them so great.

Was it that the rockfish was just minutes out of the water?

Was it that we’d caught them ourselves?

Was it the orca that came up to the surface just a short distance away as we ate?

Was it the fresh sea air and the seeming isolation from the rest of the world?

Or was it the cilantro dressing that Captain Chris added?

It was probably all of that, and a few factors that I don’t even remember.

Fortunately, anytime I want to think back to that meal I can pull a pack of halibut or rockfish out of my freezer and make my home. I sent home a 50 pound box of fish from that trip, and could have sent more if I’d so desired – but my stocks are running low, just another reason to head back to Alaska.