Fish Taco Sampler @ Kanaloa Seafood

Now home to healthy eats (Silvergreens), gourmet burgers and beer (Eureka), late-night tacos that are good all day (Romanti-Ezer), and Japanese noodles and barbecue (Sachi), the canyonized block of Chapala Street between Ortega and De la Guerra is a legit dining destination these days. Amid the buzzing outdoor tables and increasing foot traffic is the new headquarters for Kanaloa Seafood, the fresh fish market previously on Gutierrez Street that’s now also serving casual but well-considered dishes to eat on-site, including on their own sunny patio, where you can watch this new Chapala vibe unfold. It’s hard to order anything other than the taco sampler, especially on your first visit, which delivers a bellyful of marinated fish and crisp, zesty, fresh toppings. The crispy beer-battered fish comes with spicy mayo, thinly sliced cabbage, cilantro, and pineapple salsa; the Pacific pairs swordfish with poblano peppers, onions, cabbage, and pico de gallo; and, most creative and flavorful of all, the Korean-style puts savory kalbi-marinated salmon together with kimchi aioli, pickled cucumber, cilantro slaw, and impressively distinctive red chili sesame salsa. It’s all served on tortillas that are big enough to carry the load but not so thick that they overwhelm, these tacos make good friends with Mama’s Little Yella Pils on tap.