Strip Search: Playa Larga makes a splash on the West Side

Playa Larga distinguishes itself by focusing on Mexican seafood dishes. Others have plied this niche, with many casualties and a few still hanging on, but none have provided the level of quality that has propelled Playa Larga's growth.

It's no accidentthat many good Mexican restaurants have emerged in the neighborhoods that host taco trucks. Most of them evolved from Latino kitchens on wheels, including Super Torta, Las Delicias, Los Guachos, El Tacorriendo, El Fogoncito and, now, Playa Larga.

Playa Larga distinguishes itself by focusing on Mexican seafood dishes. Others have plied this niche, with many casualties and a few still hanging on, but none have provided the level of quality that has propelled Playa Larga's growth. Given the cost of seafood, it's easy to see how it's tempting (though perilous) to cut corners. Playa Larga does not, and both the prices and flavors reflect it.

To wit: their $20 bowl of soup, also known as sopa de mariscos. Actually, forget the soup part for a moment; think of it as a big bowl piled high with large whole shrimp, small peeled shrimp, catfish and scallops, garnished with crab legs. It's an eye-popping presentation, with quantity and quality more than justifying the cost. The soup part comes in the form of a ladle or so of a complex seafood broth that fills the gaps. Tortillas, lime, chiles and rice accompany, and in total it amounts to a dish that should more than satiate two lighter eaters.

Next on the list of satisfying dishes is the quesadilla de camaron, or shrimp quesadilla. It's almost unquestionable that cheese and seafood shouldn't work, but trust us; they do.

If the preceding dishes made us like Playa Larga, the shrimp empanadas made us love it. Raw shrimp is first marinated in a seasoning referred to as "the special flavor of Playa Larga" and then cooked inside the empanada shell until done. The result is a tortilla chip-crispy masa pocket containing plenty of small, flavor-packed shrimp. Another result: We wanted more.

Playa Larga's space is charming, cheap and cheerful, with service to match. Chips and a spicy red salsa are complimentary, and a variety of fish, shrimp and octopus ceviches are available.

Playa Larga

75 S. Murray Hill Rd., West Side

614-465-2214