Circuit Court New Orleans

Taqueria Corona
Several locations:
5932 Magazine Street, New Orleans
3535 Severn Ave., Metairie
857 Fulton St. New Orleans

10/02

I guess I have to admit it. This formerly trim and fit Magistrate is becoming a little, um, Rubenesque. Or waistline-challenged. Or, as my wife likes to say, I am becoming a big, giant fat-ass. Honestly, I have no idea how this happened. Really, it must be something glandular - or it might be those tin roof ice cream-cashew-chocolate syrup-whipped cream-bacon dripping sundaes that I am so fond of.

No matter, Taqueria Corona beckons, and this ain't diet food. The aroma of grilling smacked me in the face when I hit the door, so I had no choice but to sit at the bar as the chicken breasts and the beef sizzled right before my eyes. On my plate this evening was the numero uno y medio, comprised of a choice of taco - I chose chorizo, but there are the standard ingredients - chicken, beef, as well as the more exotic beef tongue - a chicken burrito and shrimp flauta, beans and rice. The tacos here are not your hard corn shell tacos made famous (or infamous) by myriad tex-mex joints. Rather, they are made with warm, just-off-the-grill flour tortillas, which is just the way they should be, at least in my book. Chorizo, a very spicy sausage, was wrapped up in one of those bad boys and topped with an herbal pico de gallo redolent of cilantro and lime juice. Love at first bite. And second bite. And third. You get the picture. The chicken burrito was mostly beans, with some small chunks of smoky grilled chicken mixed in. But that's forgivable since the beans are so damn good.

Like the much revered Magistrate Louise, I am a friend of the avocado, and I appreciate a guacamole that isn't overworked with wacky ingredients. TC's guac may be the simplest I have ever had - wonderfully tangy and refreshing - especially when ladled over a crispy, deep fried shrimp flauta. The flauta, stuffed with cheese, shrimp and spices is one of the tastiest things I've ever locked these magisterial lips around. A shrimp flauta is $3 when ordered alone, but a combo platter with a flauta, a taco and a burrito combo costs $7. Tell ya something? The accompanying beans were dark and rich. Lard is called for in the authentic Mexican version of refried beans, and while I can't be sure that it's really in there my southern taste buds detected some of that silky goodness. The beans on my plate got smeared over everything, and what was left over got mixed into the rice and devoured. I washed it all down with a couple of Dos Equis, which I think is Spanish for "really, really great beer."

Combine the great food with the cold, crisp beer, throw in a nice conversation with the quick and helpful waiter, add a dash of pleasant atmosphere, the cheap $7.95 price and you've got yourself a recipe for the perfect 5 corndog rating. Take a bow, TC, you've earned it.

Contact Magistrate Loupe at magistrate@neworleans.com

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