Tuna Taco at Province

Unlike the dark ages of the early ’00s, you can now find decent fish tacos around Chicago. One of the best Baja-style versions is at La Lagartija on the Near West Side, but for the real deal, you still have to drive out to Glen Ellyn to try Chicks ‘n Salsa. If you’d like to try a more elegant riff on this beachside staple, you should also head to Province, in the West Loop. I love the menu here, and Chef Randy Zweiban still has a knack for combining Latin ingredients and infusing them with some textural contrasts. His fish taco is a winner: spice-seared ahi tuna, pickled vegetables and a masa dough that has just the smallest amount of pork fat in it to enrich the shell, all combine to make one of the best fish tacos I’ve had in awhile.