E *****

I hadn't thought about it -- fish tacos might not be familiar to many
people outside the So. Calif. area (not including people south of the
US/Mexico border, where fish tacos are more common). Basically, "authentic"
fish tacos are fish fillets that are batter dipped, deep-fried, and wrapped
up in a warmed, soft corn tortilla with salsa, shredded cabbage, a
mayonnaise based white sauce, and a wedge of lime. The story of their
"discovery" goes something like this:

During his college days, Ralph Rubio used to travel south of the US/Mexico
border for a little fun 'n suds during Spring Break. He found fish tacos
being served at taco stands in San Felipe, Baja California. Deciding they
might be as popular north of the border as they were south, Rubio started
experimenting with different batters and a deep-fat fryer in 1982. He
opened his first walk up Mexican food outlet in San Diego in 1983. Rubio
now owns a chain of Mexican food resturants that stretches all over the
county and probably beyond. As evidence of the popularity of fish tacos,
many San Diego area resturants now serve at least one version; and, they've
gone beyond batter dipped deep-fried fish. They now include marinated
grilled fish, shell fish, shark...