My husband got me into Mexican food. Before meeting him, the only “Mexican” I had were school cafeteria tacos – you know, grocery store bought taco shells that are more chip-like than a “real” tortilla. My parents never took me to any sort of Mexican when I was growing up – it was pretty much Chinese, pizza (usually Pizza Hut) or Swiss Chalet. We had been looking for good (or at least, decent) Mexican restaurants in the city, and just a few years ago (before the taco/burrito craze), they were few and far between. But we found Milagro Cantina Mexicana, where chip-like taco shells were non-existent and there were dishes far beyond the Tex-Mex/fake Mex that people in Toronto were used to for a very long time.
The menu boasts a good-sized taco list, ranging from meats to seafood, though it would be nice to see something vegetarian as well as many of the usual suspects, especially in the appetizer category. The guacamole, for example, has amazing texture and flavouring – pretty much perfect to accompany the chips. I do suggest that diners order the trio botanero (below) – guacamole, refritos and pico de gallo. They also have a good selection of tacos (two pieces per order for appetizers. The main course version has an additional piece, plus rice and beans), but a vegetarian option is, unfortunately not available on the menu. My personal favourites are La Perla (battered snapper, slaw and chile crema on a flour tortilla, seen above) and Playeros (roast chicken, lettuce and crema on a crispy tortilla).
There are also delicious main courses. At a recent visit, my husband and I decided to share the meatballs (Albóndigas del Patrón, seen below and made with ground beef and pork and then stuffed with cheese). I have also had the lamb and fish. All mains come with three medium tortilla wraps as well as sides like beans or rice. What I’d like to see is another main chicken dish. The current menu only has chicken mole, which can be a problem to those who cannot have peanuts. The default filling for enchiladas is chicken, though vegetarian and vegan options are available.
The restaurant has three locations – one uptown on Yonge, north of Lawrence, the entertainment district (on Mercer, near Roy Thomson Hall) and another on Queen Street West. Reservations for all three can be made either by reaching them by phone (check website for location contact information) or online.
