Tacos Punta Cabras Opens In L.A.

It came as tragic news when one of our favorite taco slingers took an indefinite–albeit temporary–hiatus.

But as the saying goes, the world never shuts a door without opening a window.

And in the case of Tacos Punta Cabras, a tiny cash-only cantina in Santa Monica specializing in seafood tacos, that new window comes with an ocean breeze.

Chefs Daniel Snukal and Josh Gil, formerly of the pop-up restaurant Supper Liberation Front, coalesced around a simple concept named for a Baja surf spot: tacos, cócteles, and tostadas cooked with an eye for beachside ingenuity.

Their style tacks closer to Santa Monica than Mexico: The fish taco ($3.50) is a fillet of cod fried in a delicate tempura-style coating, tucked inside a house-made flour tortilla, covered with crunchy slaw and citrus dressing. A side of habanero-pineapple salsa adds a dose of caliente.

But the true innovation lies with TPC's most popular vegetarian option, the cauliflower tostada ($4). Florets are briefly marinated and then shaved into thin, crisp slices and piled over a crunchy tostada with pico de gallo and a schmear of thick-as-paste cashew salsa.

It's enough to make you forget which side of the border you're on.