Via-Mar Seafood

Between the blasting Latin radio hits, heavy traffic flying by, and a front-row view of the car wash across the street, eating at Via-Mar is always an experience - and the food here also happens to be great. This Highland Park counter-service restaurant has a fantastic whole fried mojarra that always comes out crispy on the outside, flakey on the inside, and pairs well with a generous squeeze of lemon. When it’s time to migrate towards tostadas, I recommend their salmon and avocado ceviche that alternates between fresh, sweet, and spicy with its cucumber, soft mango, chili powder, and bright citrus. It also comes with some non-traditional mix-ins like carrots, which add an extra crunch to the fatty salmon as it melts like butter from sitting in lime juice. Via-Mar offers some Asian condiments as well, like soy and oyster sauce, to complement the fresh fish. All in all, something about this tostada feels like a lavish salmon sashimi dinner, but for only $12 - and all while sitting on a stool with Karol G playing in the background.