It’s not too early to assume this has officially been our best received food challenge so far, and with half the month still left, there’s plenty of time to support your local restaurants, while supporting your own right to delight in fabulous food.

A first time Overcast Food Challenge contender, Hungry Heart, appears to be leading the public polls so far, so be sure to swing by there. What are people are saying about these tacos, and have you weighed in yourself yet? Here’s the poll: https://theovercast.ca/townietacopoll. Below are some randomly selected pairs of quotes from contented taco challenge takers.

ADELAIDE OYSTER BAR
NL cod, IPA beer batter, avocado, slaw, smoky adobo, and chipotle mayo.

“The batter was unreal. So tasty. Gonna be hard to top this one.”

“This is an example of doing something simply simple and right. Simplicity in action right here, showing good food doesn’t get in the way of itself!”

Bernard Stanley’s
3 chorizo soft corn tacos, topped with avocado and lime sour cream, cilantro slaw, pico de gallo, Five Brothers’ White Fleet Queso Fresco cheese, and lime juice, finished with a Sriracha Sour Cream.

“Best one of the 7 I managed to try so far!”

“Chorizo, what more is there to say? other than to list all these other winning ingredients!”

Blue on Water
A grilled fish taco with salsa fresca, fried avocado, habanero buttermilk, and red cabbage slaw.

“Amazing!! fried avocado. I need say no more.”

“SOOO yummy! Loved it! Nice combo of spice and saltiness, next time ordering 2 plates of the fish taco appetizer instead of main entree!”

Celtic Hearth / Bride Molloy’s
1 taco with blackened cod, corn salsa, cilantro, sour cream; 1 taco with Beer-battered cod, spicy coleslaw, sweet chili sour cream, grilled pineapple

“As you’d expect with a duo, one’s better than the other. So much better I don’t even care. The fried cod one is just what the hangover ordered!”

“Grilled pineapple, it turns out, is my new favourite thing.”

Chinched Bistro
Pork carnita, crispy corn tortilla, pickled carrot, pico de gallo, and queso fresco.

“Chinched can do no wrong, and did not here, taco was a nice addition to all our DELICIOUS small plates. The shells were like, interesting, and super strong for a hard shell. 9/10 for structural integrity!”

“I came for the tacos and left loving those crispy pig ears! Who woulda thunk! Pig ears! Better than chips or fries!”

Fixed’s Mall Chicken (or tofu) Taco
Sweet and sour fried chicken (or tofu), avocado, gochugaru-lime aioli, shredded lettuce, assorted pickles, scallion, and cilantro. At Fixed Coffee Bar on Harvey Road only.

“Amazing blend of flavours with succulent chicken, really a nice way to treat yourself on your lunch break.”

“Leave it to Fixed to think about us vegetarians and vegans! thanks, b’ys, what a tofu taco!”

Hungry Heart
Carnitas (spiced pork confit) taco, queso fresco, pickled red onions, and cilantro on housemade flour tortilla. Served with rice and beans, salsa.

“I have honestly had these great tacos  five times now!”

“The tortilla was deliciously soft. The pork very tender. Loved the refried beans.”

Magnum & Steins
Coffee and chipotle marinated pulled pork, refried black beans, pineapple salsa, pickled red onion, and cilantro
.

“Meaty, smoky, and sweet. Delicious! Also ordered their fish taco as contrast which was amazeballs.”

“Real! Real! Real! Good!”

MALLARD COTTAGE
Smoked Point Leamington pork shoulder with Mallard taco spice, in a roasted beet tortilla, with pickled slaw, fresh cheese, and house lime yogurt.

“Winner. DING DING DING. Winner!”

“These guys though. Of course it’s delicious and full of local terroir and taste!”

Merchant Tavern
Adobada marinated pork, from the southern shore, with a sagamite and maize tortilla, and salsa roja. Available lunchtime only.

“I hope people realize the thought gone into this: adds to its enjoyment.”

“Almost as good looking as the boy serving drinks at the bar and food should not be as good as that!”

Relish
Spiced ground beef, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and guacamole.

“Good taco, nice spice from the beef. Lots of bacon.”

“You can have these delivered! Like, when you’re hungover, Travelling Table will bring them to you like saviours!”

The Social House (Now “The Fifth Ticket”)
Poblano chili bison, chive sour cream, con queso sauce, and Five Brothers cheese blend.

“So good I’ve gone back 4 times.”

“Whatever they did and then stuffed into this hardshell/softshell combo was a delight! I know its not in the description, but I swear there was housemade bacon in mine!”

St. John’s Fish Exchange
“Jiggs dinner, just like madre used to make.” Fresh cod, topped with a pickled carrot, turnip and cabbage slaw; pease pudding purée, and shredded salt beef, all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla.

“Holy moly nothing is better than a feed of jigs dinner why not make IT A TACO amazing.”

“They’re amazing. It’s like a full meal deal of mudder’s homemade jigs in a taco shell of deliciousness!”

TAVOLA
Smoked beef short rib, corn and black bean salsa, pickled shallots, avocado, and cilantro sour cream.

“I am pretty sure our table ordered the last ones in the house during the first week of the challenge. Talk about a hot commodity!”

“I came for the tacos as a first timer in Tavola. I shall indeed return! Good menu, food, atmosphere!”

Yelllowbelly
SURF TACO: tiger shrimp tempura, chiffando lettuce, avocado pico de Gallo, shredded cheese, wasbi-soyginger aoli, and fresh cilantro. TURF TACO: Yellowbelly short rib, braised cabbage, bluebry cheese, crispy onion, and fresh scallions.

“Variety is the spice of life, and these both tasted too good to pick the winner.”

“The turf one is one of the best of the 4 tacos I tried yet.”

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