Dorado Tacos and Cemitas

Braving the early crowds for street-food flavors from Baja and Puebla
By MC SLIM JB  |  August 12, 2009

09098_dorado_main

It's unfair to review brand-new restaurants, and yet I found myself dining at Dorado Tacos & Cemitas, a casual, counter-service Mexican joint near Coolidge Corner, just days after its debut. I was curious to see how Dorado would do with fish tacos, the Baja, California, taqueria standby that New England chefs rarely get quite right. More important, I couldn't wait to try a cemita ($5.99), the popular street-food sandwich from Puebla. I'm happy to report that Dorado does a fantastic job with this complicated sandwich that layers black beans, chipotle adobo, oaxaca cheese (shreddy and mozzarella-like), cilantro, and avocado on a good, round sesame-seed bun.

You pick a filling as your cemita's center layer: grilled portabella (beefy), chorizo (more on this below), grilled sirloin (excellent), the very traditional pork loin Milanesa (a thin cutlet overwhelmed by its breadcrumb coating), or grilled marinated chicken (so delicious I nearly ordered another). In its originality and complex interplay of flavors and textures, it's a bit like a Chilean chacarero without the chili heat. Fish tacos ($2.49/one) come in three variations, the Enseñada best evoking the classic Baja original: beer-battered, deep-fried strips of pollock, thin-sliced green cabbage, crema (a sour-cream dressing), fresh salsa, and lime on two layers of soft corn tortillas. The shrimp taco ($2.69) has three big shrimp that benefit less from batter-frying; better seafood flavor comes through in the grilled swordfish ($2.69). My favorite might be the chorizo taco ($2.49), built on a fatty, crumbled pork sausage with a tanginess and sweet spices reminiscent of Turkish lamejun, plus guacamole and fresh salsa. But the tortillas need further grilling to lose their slightly raw flavor.

Elote ($1.99), corn on the cob grilled to caramelized brownness, is a superb side dish. It's coated with mayo, lime, ancho chili, and cotija cheese: a messy delight. The whole rotisserie chicken ($9.99) is a bit puny, barely a pound and a half, but beautifully browned, crisp-skinned, and still moist throughout, with a hint of cinnamon in its marinade. Drink options include beautiful agua frescas ($1.75) of watermelon (tasting of fresh fruit) and jamaica (a tangy hibiscus-flower/ginger tisane) as well as Mexican sodas ($1.75). The spare, sun-filled room boasts cheerful colors, two four-tops, and 12 counter seats. Despite the expected shakedown-cruise slowness of service, I expect Dorado will catch fire. Its clever amplification of Mexican and border street-food flavors with fresh, high-quality ingredients is worth enduring a wait.

Dorado Tacos & Cemitas, located at 401 Harvard Street, in Brookline, is open daily, 11 am–10 pm. Call 617.566.2100.

  Topics: On The Cheap , Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Foods,  More more >
| More


Most Popular
ARTICLES BY MC SLIM JB
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN AT ESTELLE’S SOUTHERN CUISINE  |  March 12, 2013
    In food-nerd circles, the question of authenticity is a loaded one.
  •   OYSTER STEW AT STEEL & RYE  |  March 01, 2013
    Pity the poor would-be restaurateur in the city of Boston.
  •   PROVENÇAL FISH STEW AT SYCAMORE  |  February 13, 2013
    For food geeks accustomed to dining in urban Boston, it's easy to be a little dismissive of suburban restaurants.
  •   LAMB BELLY AT PURITAN & COMPANY  |  February 01, 2013
    By about the end of 2011, restaurant-industry PR people had already worn out the phrase "farm to table."
  •   PORCHETTA ARROSTO AT CINQUECENTO  |  January 18, 2013
    As a South Ender, I find it easy to admire the smooth professionalism and crowd-pleasing instincts of the Aquitaine Group, which operates six of its eight restaurants in the neighborhood, including Metropolis, Union, Aquitaine, and Gaslight.

 See all articles by: MC SLIM JB