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Connecticut

From Tacos to Paella

As November approaches, it may seem late in the year for al fresco dining. Yet Taco Loco makes that possible and enjoyable by heating its wrap-around terrace. The setting also exudes a warmth of its own, with colorful petunias lining the sidewalk, morning glory snaking up the awning’s support poles, and hot-pink napkins set at mango-yellow tables. If not for the autumn leaves on neighborhood trees, you might think you were in tropical Mexico, a feeling reinforced by waiters clad in blue guayaberas, the camisa tradicional of Mérida, in the Yucatán.

Taco Loco came to life in 1982 as a burrito and nachos joint in downtown Bridgeport. It has since moved to the Fairfield line and expanded its menu to include many broadly appealing items, with prices at lunch among the more reasonable in Fairfield. (Prices on the dinner menu are slightly higher.)

All the food is made in-house, including the tortilla soup, a flavorful chicken broth topped with tortilla strips ($3.95); crab cakes chipotle, which are draped in a spicy, smoky sauce ($7.95); spinach enchiladas, the corn tortillas stuffed with cumin-accented spinach, along with jack and cheddar cheeses ($8.50); grilled shrimp tacos, nestled in a soft tortilla and accompanied by sliced avocado and pimentos ($8.95); and five types of fajitas, including shrimp, steak, chicken and vegetable ($10.95 to $11.95), with the featured ingredient seasoned with lime and brought to the table sizzling hot.

One menu surprise is paella, a mainstay of Spanish cuisine ($15.95). Taco Loco’s features lobster, clams, mussels, scallops, chicken and chorizo, simmered in saffron rice.

Taco Loco Restaurant, 3170 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport; (203) 335-8228; www.tacoloco.com. Open Tuesday to Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday,

2 to 9:30 p.m.

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