Mariscos El Titanic (City Heights)

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!! Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) and others who contribute posts here are busy. Cathy is not busy, so here's a meal she's had that you can vicariously enjoy.  

It is so good to be able to live here in San Diego; we are close to the ocean and close to Mexico and the combination of those- Mexican seafood- fast became a favorite and a comfort food not long after we moved here.

It was the week between birthdays of The Mister and myself and my day to choose where and what I wanted to eat.  (He chooses the first three days, which start on his birthday, we have to agree on the middle two days and then I get the last three days, ending on my birthday). El Titanic was my first choice.

 

Driving North on Fairmont, it's not easy to miss the freshly repainted Mariscos El Titanic building.  It's right across the street (Dwight Street) from Murphy's Market (a great little neighborhood store that has a wonderful bakery, nice selection of produce and quite an extensive meat counter and makes some really good tortillas, ceviche and salsas).

The neon 'waves' at the top edge of the building are attractive in the evening.  This is a typical mariscos joint that has several televisions and sometimes carries boxing matches and charges a cover on those weekends...otherwise in the evenings it's loud with bandera music.  We came here for lunch and it wasn't crowded or noisy.  

Each table is topped with a good selection of condiments.  Fresh made corn chips, limes and salsa are brought out after you order.

Be warned- the salsa is *not* tomato based; it's all chile, hot but not overwhelming.  It's good to use with your seafood order instead of the vinegar based hot sauces on the table...

The Mister ordered a gobernador taco, marlin taco and made it a combo ($10.50).  You can see the cheese lined corn tortilla filled with sauteed shrimp.  There were some onion and green pepper bits sauteed in there also.  The marlin is a smoked fish and was stir fried with bell pepper and onion and was very very good; not salty as sometimes marlin can be.  

I chose to have mojarra -whole tilapia- deep fried ($10.50).  This particular preparation was so complimentary to the fish.  There was a light seasoning on the skin, but nothing else.  The fish was a good size, very meaty and just so right.  The rice, beans, tortillas and even the salad all just went together so well. A good, memorable meal. 

Yes, I'm back to documenting the cleaned carcass of whole fish consumed. Every bit was good.

I hope you week has been going well. 

Mariscos El Titanic 3600 Fairmont Avenue San Diego 92105 (619) 584-2894 Website            

 
I noticed this guy hanging from the ceiling as we were leaving...I am so unobservant.

Comments

[nhbilly]

HBD! You clean you fish well. My wife would have gone for the head though.

[Cathy]

Thank you and thank you, Bill. The head was a pretty solid skull ( and my fork wouldn't pierce the eyeballs-cooked rubbery)

[Ray Cerio]

I too noticed that the eyes were still there. I follow your postings religiously and was unaware of a Titanic still in San Diego. I will be there this afternoon in hopes of bacon wrapped shrimp the way Ester at the El Cajon Titanic made for me. Thank you for another very useful post, and I want to wish you and you husband a very happy birthday.

[Cathy]

Thanks Ray. I knew about that Titanic location, but had never stopped in, because Negro Durazo is a bit closer and Fairmont isn't regularly traveled...The chairs are definitely the same as the El Cajon Titanic and the food is very good. Hope your lunch is good, too!

[linda]

HBD to you and the mister! I really appreciate your posts on all the local neighborhood shops around SD. Thank you for another excellent reccommendation :)

[caninecologne]

Maligayang Bati (HBD in Filipino) to you and the mister! Your birthday lunch posts are always a fun read. Thanks for always sharing all of the great places that you enjoy. I'm now craving a governador taco!

[Cathy]

Thanks so much, Linda. I've been trying to give business to smaller, local places rather than chains as a New Year Resolution. It almost always has turned out really well and I'm happy to share.
Salamat! (I learned that at the exit doors at Seafood City). The tacos were particularly good (and very large) here, cc.

[Mary]

I have never had a governador taco before but I've seen it posted on here before! I wonder if I can convince my other half to go here, even if he doesn't eat seafood. Happy birthday to you and the mister!

[Cathy]

Gobernador is so good, Mary- a cheese lined tortilla filled with a sort of stew of shrimp grilled with onion and pepper. There is a 'Mexican Food' section of the menu that has carne asada and chicken and bistec (and this is true for almost every Mariscos place; it might even be next to the 'child menu' area). I think starting your other half on a grilled shrimp quesadilla or plain fish taco (it's like a fresh but fancy fish stick) could be a start; I find the chilled seafood items (ceviche, coctele) to be very refreshing.