Before moving to Seattle I was always under the impression that the town was built totally on nerds and geeks. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with nerds and geeks, take it from someone who owns a scrolling LED belt buckle and writes about his dining experiences on the Internet. But once I moved here I discovered that there is a whole melting pot of types of people. One type that I was surprised to find were outdoor enthusiasts. Even the geeks and nerds seemed into skiing, rock climbing or kayaking. So much are people into outdoor activities that one restaurant has even located themselves on the edge of Portage Bay so that you can simply paddle up and get a bite to eat. Tucked away in the U-district, near the hospital, sits Agua Verde.

Billing themselves as healthy Mexican cuisine I stopped in. An open interior floor plan, the walls are painted in varying pastel shades from greens, reds and oranges. A doorway leads out to a covered deck but as it was still cold I decided to grab a seat inside by a window. I choose the window so I could take in the view of Portage Bay and the houseboats lining the opposite shore. I can imagine on a warm summer’s day you could easily loose several hours on the patio watching boats come and go. The service was fast, friendly and a little bit flirty. No more than 5 minutes after placing my order had it arrived at my table.

I started with a half Quesadilla de Champinones ($3.95/half, $6.50/whole). While this was there half sized portion it clearly could have been a meal in itself. A crispy flour tortilla wrapped around fillings of fresh, crunchy spinach, sautéed mushrooms, onions and lots of creamy Monterey Jack cheese. While the menu states the spinach is sautéed as well it clearly was raw but the fresh flavor added a nice touch to the quesadilla. But my favorite was the combination of the cheese and the mushrooms. Talk about Mexican pizza, well, this would have been Mexican calzone but those little sautéed mushrooms with their buttery goodness was a great complement to the ultra-smooth, melted Jack cheese. Overall a very mild flavored dish but a great start.

Next in line was and order of Tostadas de Tinga ($7.50). The two fried, corn tortilla rounds came loaded with tender, shredded white and dark meat chicken, topped with salsa, lettuce and sour cream. Yet, while I call it sour cream this was actually more like crema fresca. Smooth and slightly tart but with a cool savory note, this was a perfect complement to the spicy, smoky chicken. Bathed in a red sauce that tasted of garlic and chilies, the chicken flavor was pronounced but enhanced by a simmer in the sauce. Combine that with a tomato salsa and fresh lettuce and you have wonderful little Mexican treats. Crunchy, spicy, smooth and creamy made these tostadas a hit.

Last on the table were the Tacos de la Casa, Carne ($6.95, $9.95 with beans and rice). Looking back on the pictures and how the tacos smelled when they came to the table I’d like to report that they were wonderful. With tender strips of flank steak cooked to a perfect medium doneness. But no, what arrived were chewy, gristle-y strips of some kind of meat that was not flank steak. I’ve cooked and eaten flank steak many times and even at it’s worst it was more tender than what came on these tacos. There is nothing worse than biting into a piece of meat and having to tear at it like a dog to get your teeth through it. Served on three flour tortillas tiled to make one large tortilla was not helpful either. I wasn’t sure how to eat this. Should I slide the meat, peppers and onions off to one side and pile what I wanted onto an individual tortilla? Was this meant to be eaten as one? Regardless of how I decided to move forward, it was the tough meat that made this dish, practically, inedible.

What’s the phrase? “Two out of three ain’t bad”? I have to admit that despite a poor taco choice the rest of my meal was very enjoyable. I could see myself, if I worked close enough to the southern end of the University of Washington, stopping in for lunch and the occasional dinner at Agua Verde. The Quesadilla was wonderful and the tostada very good in it’s own right. And if I ever decide to take up kayaking, this would be the perfect place to come for drinks and appetizers afterward.