I ate more than 80 seafood tacos so you don’t have to

An intro of how I learned to eat and love tacos de mariscos as we launch into a multipart series

I grew up in New England where — at least in the 90s — the only “Mexican cuisine” that was widely available in my city came from Taco Bell. 

Anyone who has eaten both Mexican food and Taco Bell knows why those quote marks are necessary.

Between the nutty flavor and crispy panko breading, the crunchy scallops tacos at Oceano’s Seafood & Sushi are among my favorite seafood tacos in San Diego County. Photo by Lauren J. Mapp

 As a kid, I fondly recall snacking on the Mexican pizza, which was a far cry from the tlayuda of Oaxaca, and caramel apple empanadas, which recently made a temporary comeback at three Southern California locations, according to Food & Wine.

And when we weren’t committing crimes against Mexican dishes at the fast food drive-through, the only other times we ate tacos were at home.

Whether we were at my mom’s house in Massachusetts or with my dad in Maryland, taco night at my family’s house always started by buying a box of crispy, corn tortilla shells at the supermarket.

We’…