Falling for St. Pete's Tacos My Love

I got a taste of St. Pete's newest Mexican spot, Tacos My Love, at a soft launch earlier this week.

The concept: Mexican with a clubby, fine dining twist. You can get entrees in the high $20-$30 price range, or get filling tacos and fajita plates for around $15.

• The place is still figuring itself out, taking over the old Mid Peninsula Seafood Market spot. Not everything was set up for the soft launch (the bartender was learning drinks as she made them), but I was too busy stuffing my face to care.
• Nice sit-down dining options are rare in that central area of St. Pete and owner Pedro Rosales has high expectations to bring locals the experience he thinks they deserve.

What I loved: The street corn appetizer, or as Rosales calls it "vegetarian chicken wings," is worth licking your fingers after.

• The baja fish tacos came with big, flavorful hunks of fish, which was great considering most places serve fish tacos that are tiny nuggets heavier on the breading than the fish.
• The jackfruit carnitas were a favorite even among my meat-eating friends. And I appreciate that the menu has a good variety in its plant-based section.

• Save some room to share the super creamy peanut butter toritos cocktail, a classic in Veracruz.

The bottom line: Even if the vibe is still under construction, the food is damn good.

If you go: Tacos My Love is taking soft-open reservations online now, as well as reservations for its grand opening on Cinco De Mayo.