Tostadas in Gastown at La Casita

ceviche, chicken, beef, or bean on a crispy corn tortilla, topped with beans, cheese, salad, & sour cream (except ceviche)

Tostada is a Spanish word which literally means “toasted”. It is used in Latin America to name several different traditional local dishes which have in common the fact they are toasted or use a toasted ingredient as the main base of their preparation. There is a gender difference between “tostada” (feminine) and “tostado” (masculine), although they mean exactly the same. Tostado is used in reference to a specific degree of toast (coffee, roasted grains and seeds or bread toast), while tostada is usually the name of a particular dish.

Example of tostada at La Casita Gastown:

Taquitos Dorados in Gastown at La Casita

Taquitos Dorados Half size $6.5 – Full $11
4 chicken breast taquitos with iceberg, potato, carrot, tomato, onion
**green salsa sour cream & feta**

A taquito or flauta is a Mexican food dish consisting of a small rolled-up tortilla and some type of filling, usually beef or chicken. The filled tortilla is crisp-fried. Corn (maize) tortillas are generally used to make taquitos, though flour is sometimes used.

Taquitos most often contain beef, chicken, and sometimes include cheese, pork, potato, or vegetables. They are generally thin and tend to be about 6 inches (15 cm) long. Potatoes are usually involved in the breakfast form of taquitos, which are thick and come with eggs. Taquitos are usually served with a type of salsa and/or guacamole.

Example of taquitos dorados at La Casita Gastown:

Prawn or Fish Ceviche in Gastown

Prawn or Fish Ceviche Small $10 – Large $15
cooked in lime juice, topped with avocado, & fresh corn tortilla chips

Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America, and the Philippines. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt, coriander/cilantro, and pepper may also be added.

The avocado (Persea americana) is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. Avocado or alligator pear also refers to the fruit (botanically a large berry that contains a single seed) of the tree.

Tortilla means “little torta” or “little cake” in Spanish; the Spanish word applies to several different foods eaten in various Spanish-speaking countries.

A tortilla chip is a snack food made from corn tortillas, which are cut into wedges and then fried (alternatively they may be discs pressed out of corn masa then fried or baked). Corn tortillas are made of corn, vegetable oil, salt and water.

Example of Prawn Ceviche at La Casita Gastown:

Combinacione #1 in Gastown at La Casita

Combo #1 $11
1 Salsa Mexicana Quesadilla & 1 Flauta with Beans & Salad

A quesadilla is a flour or corn tortilla filled with a savoury mixture containing cheese and other ingredients, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape. This dish originated in Mexico, and the name is derived from the Spanish word queso (cheese).

Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato-based, hot sauces typical of Mexican cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican (pico de gallo), Spanish, Kenyan (kachumbari), Malawian (sumu) and Italian cuisines. In the United States salsa has been popularized and commercialized as a Mexican creation. There are many types of salsa which usually vary throughout Latin America.

A taquito or flauta is a Mexican food dish consisting of a small rolled-up tortilla and some type of filling, usually beef or chicken. The filled tortilla is crisp-fried. Corn (maize) tortillas are generally used to make taquitos, though flour is sometimes used.

Example of combo number 1 at La Casita Gastown:

Quesadillas in Gastown at La Casita

Quesadillas Small $13 – Large $17.5 – solo $9
handmade folded tortillas with melted cheese & choice of: salsa mexicana, chicken, chorizo, or mushroom & onion

A quesadilla is a flour or corn tortilla filled with a savoury mixture containing cheese and other ingredients, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape. This dish originated in Mexico, and the name is derived from the Spanish word queso (cheese).

Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato-based, hot sauces typical of Mexican cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican (pico de gallo), Spanish, Kenyan (kachumbari), Malawian (sumu) and Italian cuisines. In the United States salsa has been popularized and commercialized as a Mexican creation. There are many types of salsa which usually vary throughout Latin America.

Example of chorizo quesadillas at La Casita Gastown:

Chicken Wings in Gastown at La Casita

Wings $5.5
bbq chipotle, mole, or hot with blue cheese dip

A chipotle, or chilpotle, which comes from the Nahuatl word chilpoctli meaning “smoked chili pepper” is a smoke-dried jalapeno.

Blue cheese is a general classification of cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, or goat’s milk cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added so that the final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue, blue-gray or blue-green mold, and carries a distinct smell, either from that or various specially cultivated bacteria. Some blue cheeses are injected with spores before the curds form and others have spores mixed in with the curds after they form. Blue cheeses are typically aged in a temperature-controlled environment such as a cave. Blue cheese can be eaten by itself or can be crumbled or melted over foods.

Example of chicken wings at La Casita Gastown:

Enchiladas in Gastown at La Casita

Enchiladas Small $13 – Large $17.5 – Solo $9
baked corn tacos topped with your choice of: texas-style (beef), chicken mole (mexican curry), or suiza (chicken or veggie)

An enchilada is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, seafood or combinations.

Example of texas style enchilada with beef at La Casita Gastown:







Example of chicken enchilada at La Casita Gastown:

Blackened Filete de Cod in Gastown

Blackened Filete de Cod Small $14 – Large $20
fillet of cod, blackened with olive oil & spice

A fillet (or filet) from the French word “filet” is a cut or slice of boneless meat or fish. In preparation for filleting, the scales on the fish should be removed. The contents of the stomach also need careful detaching from the fillet.

Fish fillets are generally obtained by slicing parallel to the spine, rather than perpendicular to the spine as is the case with steaks. The remaining bones with the attached flesh is called the “frame”, and is often used to make fish stock. As opposed to whole fish or fish steaks, fillets do not contain the fish’s backbone; they yield less flesh, but are easier to eat.

Special cut fillets are taken from solid large blocks; these include a “natural” cut fillet, wedge, rhombus or tail shape. Fillets may be skinless or have skin on; pinbones may or may not be removed.

Cod is the common name for the genus Gadus of demersal fishes, belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is popular as a food with a mild flavour and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Young Atlantic cod or haddock prepared in strips for cooking is called scrod. In the United Kingdom, Atlantic cod is one of the most common ingredients in fish and chips, along with haddock and plaice. It is also frequently consumed in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Brazil. Cod flesh is moist and flaky when cooked and is white in colour.

Example of Blackened Filete de Cod at La Casita Gastown:

Tacos in Gastown at La Casita

Tacos Small $13 – Large $17.5 – Solo $9
soft corn tortilla with choice of: baja fish, beef sirloin, chicken or al pastor (pork with pineapple, onions & cilantro)

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety.

The beef sirloin is cut from the rear back portion of the animal, continuing off the short loin from which T-bone, porterhouse, and club steaks are cut.

Al pastor (Spanish; “Shepherd style”) consists of shaved pork. Less common alternatives include fish and sausage. It is often served wrapped in a tortilla, and is a common fast food item in The Middle East, Europe, the Caucasus, North America and Australia.

Example of baja fish tacos at La Casita Gastown: