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...