Mexican

Masa Mama: Tacos in Calgary

Since my last post in 2024, I’ve had some pretty fantastic meals— Juice Import’s event at Our Daily Brett, girl’s night at Bridgette Bar, and most recently, Paper Lantern x Francine’s collab. But despite eating all that delicious food, I lost my mojo. However, I can feel it start to trickle back. Let’s listen to La Chona.

Last Wednesday, Chew Steel suggested we go out for dinner. We landed on Masa Mama Taqueria in Marda Loop. I made a last-minute reservation, and we arrived for an early seating.

Do make a reservation. Mid-week and at 5:30 p.m., the restaurant was already completely booked and not accepting walk-ins. The room is small and packed tightly with tables and bar seating. We noticed more than half of the guests were of the silver fox variety. Chew Steel quipped it must be seniors’ night at Masa Mama. I’m not complaining. For once, it was refreshing to be part of the younger demographic.

As I’m doing dry January, I picked a non-alcoholic beer. I ordered the Collective Arts IPA ($8). On its own, I found it citrusy with tropical notes. The carbonation wasn’t as bubbly as I prefer, but it paired well with the tacos.

We shared the Masa Guac ($16). Do order this. The avocado was buttery smooth, peppered with halved ripe cherry tomatoes and a nutty toasted oil. The tortilla chips were thin, fresh and crunchy, though overly salted. The guacamole to chips ratio was generous, meaning every bite was a perfect balance of dip to chip. I would order the guac again.

We each ordered three tacos, two four-inch and one six-inch. We both picked al pastor ($6) and chicken tinga ($6), and for the larger taco, I chose the Mac Mama ($8), and Chew Steel opted for the Baja Fish Taco ($9).

Al pastor is always a satisfying combination of sweet and savoury. This version cradled a mixture of tender grilled pork and small pineapple pieces. I appreciated the tortilla held up to the filling and didn’t get soggy and break mid-bite.

The chicken tinga stood out. I loved the crispy skin’s crunch and the spicy roasted chicken pieces. The cool, smooth drizzle of crema added a drippy succulence to each bite. I would get the tinga again.

The larger tacos are made with a flour tortilla. The Mac Mama was lukewarm by the time I got to eat it. It tasted like a decadent McDonald’s Big Mac but in a quesadilla form. I enjoyed it, but Chew Steel’s Baja Fish Taco ($9) was my favourite. I wasn’t expecting the fish to be so large. The fillet was meaty and flaky, while the batter was crunchy and hot.

For a regular appetite, a shared appetizer, two small tacos and one large taco would suffice for a meal. We were both stuffed after our feast.


Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.

Cabos San Lucas · Cheap Eats · Restaurants · Seafood

Where to Eat in Cabo San Lucas

Cabos San Lucas is only a four-hour flight, which makes for a quick and easy vacation for us. This trip was our fourth time in Cabos. I like revisiting vacation spots because I get to know all the best places. For this post, let’s listen to “La Raspa”.

One of my new favourite restaurants is Pezcabo, a 25-minute walk from the Marina. If you aren’t familiar with Cabos, consider taking an Uber as my wi-fi was spotty and it took Chew Steel some sleuthing to find Pezcabo. The menu is only in Spanish, and even with Google Translate, it took guessing to decipher. I downloaded some photos from Google to show what I wanted, not that I needed to, as there was one server whose English was so fluent that I could tell she studied abroad. We ordered ceviche, raw clams, octopus, tuna and fish tacos, and spicy tuna tostada.

We tried two types of ceviche – a raw prawn and octopus ceviche and a mixed ceviche of fish, octopus, raw and cooked prawns. I’ve never tasted fresher seafood, so good that I didn’t bother adding any of the dozen or so sauces on our table. I would get the ceviche again.

The raw clams came chopped up and only needed a squirt of fresh lime. The clams were sweet and clean tasting with a pleasant chew. Lately, I’ve been more on a clam kick than oysters because I find the flavour and texture more appetizing.

The spicy tuna tostada was a winner, taking on Asian flavours from the heavy mayonnaise and sesame seeds. The portion was so much that I asked Chew Steel to help me finish it. The diced tuna was cool in temperature and firm, and you could still taste the quality of the fish.

My octopus taco was delicious. The octopus was tender to the tooth, stewed with onions and cooked in a soy-based sauce. I would get the octopus tacos again.

On our second visit, one of the servers brought us complimentary shots of mescal with slices of orange. I found this liquor so smooth that I wanted to order a second one but restrained myself as it was a long walk back to our hotel. Next time we visit, I would like to try fried pork, tuna ceviche, baked clams, and oysters.

For the best fish tacos, visit the One and Only Tacos. The owner uses seabass, and you can taste the difference in the silkiness of the fillet. You have to wait a while at this seafood shack because they cook to order, but that ensures everything arrives piping hot. The salsa, hot sauce and cilantro sauces are homemade and a cut above their competitors; the flavours are lighter and brighter and don’t mask the star ingredients.

For tripe and asada tacos, El Paisa gets top marks. The tripe was creamy and decadent, reminding me a little of beef tendon. The regular steak is my preference over the more expensive, less greasy version, as its fat makes each bite squirt with flavour. With each order, you get homemade guacamole, cucumber, and other toppings.

Tacos Gardenias is a goodie for the shrimp tacos. I get three giant shrimp per taco, three times the size of other places. The shrimp has this incredible toothsome crunch with a golden-brown batter. There are bottles of sauces and a tray of cabbage, salsa, hot peppers and pickled onions to top your tacos.

Our go-to evening spot is La Lupita for the service, ambience, live music and some of the best chorizo and al pastor tacos. The chorizo is a flavour bomb – crunchy from fried pork skin and juicy from the homemade sausage. I ordered two chorizos, and the second proved too rich even for me. Except for the al pastor, most of the tacos are two or three times the cost of other places, but the amount of filling and creativity in each dish makes it more than worth it. If you have any recommendations, let me know. I’m always eager to taco ’bout the best eats.

Want more travel recommendations? I keep a running collection of restaurant and travel guides organized by city.

Mexican · Seafood

Fonda Flora – Elevated Mexican cuisine in Calgary

On Saturday, Kournikova, Québécois, and I got together for dinner. We started the night off with bubbles at Kournikova’s house. Québécois brought over champagne to toast to my new job. After finishing the bottle, Kournikova’s doting husband Zuber dropped us off at Fonda Flora.

Both Québécois and I appreciate the non-pedestrian wine list at Fonda Flora. This was Kournikova’s first visit and she was keen to try the food, as she loves Mexican food. For this post, let’s listen to “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates.

We left Québécois in charge of selecting our wine. After watching her study the wine menu, I realized knowledge could be a curse. Kournikova and I happily chatted away as Québécois studiously compare the regions, vintages and casks. I jokingly told Québécois to hurry up because I was losing my buzz. She laughed good-naturedly at my winegryness and selected N.V. Radice Paltrinieri, a bubbly from Italy. The wine was dry yet refreshing, with subtle berry notes. Her hard work paid off – we all enjoyed this bottle.

The best dish of the night was the Scallop Aguachile ($22). The scallop was served sashimi-like – cool, silky and pure tasting. Kournikova raved about the macha verde. I enjoyed the spicy heat, the vibrant flavours and the peppery slices of watermelon radish. The scallops were Kournikova’s favourite dish of the night. I would order this again. Kournikova mentioned that all the appetizers were larger than she expected.

Québécois told us her husband recommended the octopus. Oh baby – the Tacos de Pulpo Endiablado ($17) was fantastic! The grilled octopus was plump and tender – the texture was just incredible. Unfortunately, I found the tortilla itself a tad dry. Not a big deal, as I followed Kournikova suit and skipped the carbs. There’s a reason why she’s in tip-top shape.

Québécois favourite dish was the Ceviche de Camaron con Leche de Tigre ($19). She thought she could taste something peanuty in the dish. The shrimp was raw and cold, bathed in coconut milk, yuzu and salsa matcha. I thought this dish was heavy-handed with salt. Québécois disagreed and said it was perfectly seasoned.

The Costilla de Res en Mole Poblano ($34) came with three chunks of braised beef short rib, turnips, cauliflower and baby carrots. The vegetables were beautifully cooked – so that each retained its unique texture and flavour. The beef wasn’t as tender as I would have preferred.

Kournikova enjoyed the Carnitas de Cerdo ($29) more than the short rib. The confit pork shoulder was warm, tender and marbled with fat. The accompanying salsa and mole help to liven up the flavour of the pork.

We left stuffed, tipsy and pleased with the excellent company. For our next girls’ night, Kournikova suggested Sensei Bar. I need to check out Sensei’s wine list before I commit. If the wine isn’t decent, I will counter with Orchard Restaurant. Thanks for a lovely night, girls – I’m excited about our next outing.

If you’re planning a night out, I keep a running list of the best restaurants in Calgary.