Taco Boat Returns to SLU; Chef Search Ensues

Seattle's frisky little Taco Boat will be back six days a week in May, says owner David Petrich. Inaugurated last summer at festivals like The Wooden Boat Show, it lets locals and tourists buy the tacos right off the boat at the South Lake Union dock, just steps from MOHAI. Sort of a floating food truck, it's licensed as a King County Mobile Unit, the same permit the landlubbing trucks have.

Alaska cod tacos will ring up at about $5 a pop, decked out with local veggies from the FarmBoat Floating Market (another project of his located aboard the Virginia V) and three taco sauces to choose from. The cod will cook in Dutch ovens on the boat, and those tacos were tasty enough to draw lines last year.

The white, red, blue and yellow Taco Boat is a glammed-up 80-year-old fishing boat, built in the 1930's in San Francisco for the local crab and sardine fleet. Coming from a long line of Northwest boat builders, Petrich fixes up these tired old beauties as an additional business. He has fingers in many pies.

Fish taco fans can buy $20 pre-sell cards to help crowd finance the set-up costs this year, then flash the card for one free taco a day for five days.

For chefs interested in this venture — yep, he's still interviewing for a chef/partner — check out this Craiglist ad.

The Taco Boat will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, May through October. Sounds like a party!

· Chef Partner Wanted For Taco Boat [Farm Boat]
· Seattle Taco Boat [Official Site]