Posts Tagged ‘Mexican’

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Summer Restaurant Week: It’s That Time of Year Again!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Just 10 days from now one of New York’s (OK, one of OUR) favorite semi-annual traditions begins again - those magical two weeks, which generally turn into three or four, when usually out-of-reach dining experiences can be had for a relatively paltry $24.07 for lunch or $35 for dinner. This is inevitably preceded by another time-honored tradition: obsessively perusing the menus available online for this year’s chosen meals. And finally after an intense period of research and resultant lip-licking, we’ve narrowed it down to our top four choices for this summer. (Drumroll please…)

Kim’s picks:

Adour Alain Ducasse — OK, I’ll be honest: this one was on the list before I even clicked to view the menu. How often do you get to eat at a three-star Michelin chef’s eatery for Restaurant Week prices? But if the menu is anything to go by, there’s more reason to go here than just the chef’s reputation. I’ll take the fluke ceviche to start…hmm, and then maybe some prime beef tournedos with glazed short ribs, and end it with a dark chocolate sorbet with brioche croutons? Yeah, that ought to just about do it!

Industria Argentina — If you love Latin flavors but can appreciate a twist on the traditional, this may just be the restaurant week meal for you. We’re talking octopus salad with toasted corn, pork roasted with Valencia oranges served up with grilled yams and plum chutney, and how about a flan with salted caramel nougat?

Zengo — This haven of Asian-Mexican fusion is usually not a place to fill your belly at a reasonable price, so restaurant week is a great opportunity to sample some of their deliciously creative fare without breaking the bank. I can personally vouch for the Thai chicken empanadas, chicken pibil, and braised beef short ribs, all of which are available on the restaurant week menu.

Nicole’s picks:

City Crab - I spend my summer daydreaming of relaxing by the coast at a quaint little seafood shack, with a lemonade in one hand and a lobster roll in the other. While seafood shacks are few and far between in the city, seafood restaurants are not. I’m particularly jazzed about City Crab’s lunch menu, which includes a Maine lobster and clam bake (complete with all the fixin’s), but I would be just as happy with twin steamed lobsters for dinner.

Maya - Looking for a break from the usual chicken or fish options? Maya offers exotic entrees galore. From adobo-marinated soft-shell crabs to huitlacoche-mushroom-requeson stuffed crepes, there are plenty of options to satisfy your favorite adventurous eater.

Spice Market - If you want to get a little extra mileage out of your RW experience, look no further than Spice Market. This Meatpacking mainstay offers an extra course for your money and features options ranging from salmon tartar with soy-ginger dressing to charred, chili-rubbed beef skewers with Thai-basil dipping sauce.

Victor’s Cafe - To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with Victor’s until seeing it on the RW-list, but this Latin-inspired menu had me at roast suckling pig marinated in sour orange juice, olive oil, garlic and herbs. Though the pig is undeniably the star attraction, every dish on offer shines.

We hope you enjoy all that Restaurant Week has to offer. For more tips, check out our previous summer restaurant week post.

Posted by: Kim Partrick and Nicole Price Fasig


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Barrio: Everything Tastes Better Outside

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Barrio guacamole

There’s no shortage of Mexican joints in Brooklyn, but sometimes all you want is a lovely patio seat and a strong margarita. Park Slope eatery Barrio has both in abundance. Combine that with one mean bowl of fresh guacamole and you have the makings of a perfect summer evening.

I’m so glad we chose to order the guacamole and didn’t hesitate to get it spicy. As you can see from the picture, it’s loaded with jalapenos and served with handmade warm corn tortillas. The guac paired particularly well with my spicy pineapple margarita.

Barrio shrimp quesadilla

My dining companion and I decided to share appetizers and weren’t disappointed. Barrio’s shrimp quesadilla is made with roasted garlic, onion and Oaxaca cheese and topped with a spicy sauce for the perfect combination of smoke and heat. And it’s hard to go wrong with a trio of mini braised short rib tacos, stuffed with onion, cilantro, radish, and crema nata.

Barrio braised short rib taquitos

I can’t wait to go back and sample entrees like the crab enchilada, Yucatan shrimp in cilantro and jalapeno marinade (served over calamari coconut rice), and pan-seared puebla pork served witih Chihuahua cheese corn pudding and chile arbol peanut mole. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Barrio’s daily specials, including Taco Madness Monday (unlimited tacos and sangria for $16.95) and sangria brunch on the Saturdays and Sundays. But really anything would taste good on that lovely back patio. Keep Barrio in mind on for your next lazy summer day or hot summer night.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Order: spicy pineapple margarita, guacamole, shrimp quesadilla, braised short rib taquitos
Price: $$
Location: 210 7th Ave. (at 3rd St.), Brooklyn
Type of Food: Mexican
Veggie Friendly? Y
www.barriofoods.com/restaurants/barrio


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Fake it, Make it: Nachos Grande

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Nachos Grande

The other night, coming home late, I had a serious craving: nachos! Now normally I’d just throw some chips on a plate, slice up some cheese, pop it in the microwave and, 45 seconds later, instant snack. But a friend was crashing on my couch that evening who also happens to be something of a gourmet chef and he said that mere chips and cheese would not do. We stopped into the grocery store on the way home and, in roughly 30 minutes, had ourselves a veritable late-night feast.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1/2 red onion
1 large beefsteak or hothouse tomato or 2 Roma tomatoes
1 jalapeno
1 bunch green onions
1/2 pound skirt steak
1/2 tbsp olive oil
10 oz. cheddar cheese
1 bag tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove innards of tomato. (You can also remove the jalapeno seeds, or not, based on how spicy you want the dish). Dice the red onion, tomato, and jalapeno. Cut up green onions.

Season skirt steak with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in pan over high heat. Grill steak until almost cooked through, 2 minutes on each side. Grate cheese while steak is cooking. Remove steak from pan and slice into strips. Saute onion until brown.

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray or grease with butter. Arrange
chips on cookie sheet then top with grated cheese, other ingredients. Add a second layer of chips, cheese, and toppings. Bake for roughly 8 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown. Let cool and enjoy!

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig


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Tacos Matamoros: Sensational Mexican for a Song

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Tacos Matamoros
via New York Times

Situated on a stretch of Fifth Avenue in Sunset Park that is seemingly overflowing with taco joints, Tacos Matamoros manages to stand out from its neighbors. It boasts both a huge dining room and a huge menu, no part of which has so far proved disappointing. The real winners here, though, are the tacos, which come in 2 sizes: pequeno ($1.25-1.75) or grande ($2-2.50). As you can tell, it’s all to easy to order yourself a feast here and not break the bank. The chorizo is not to be missed - it manages to be chunky as well as crispy, not ground up and mushy as some of its counterparts elsewhere can be, and packs a real punch in the spice department. The al pastor, enchilada, carne asada, and pollo tacos are nothing to scoff at, either, and at those prices you can definitely afford to taste them all. Any taco order also comes with terrific red and green salsas for a little extra flavor and spice, not that either is really needed. On a recent trip, a measly $28 tab paid for chips and guacamole, 10 tacos, 1 tamale, and a dessert each. For some of the best tacos I’ve had in New York, that was hardly a tough price to pay!

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Price: $
Location: 4508 Fifth Ave. (between 45th & 46th Sts.), Brooklyn
Type of Food: Mexican
Veggie Friendly? Y


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Cabrito: Feliz Cinco de Mayo…and Happy Birthday!

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Cabrito 5 de Mayo
via Cabrito

It’s hard to believe it was 2 years ago when this West Village Mexican gem first opened its doors. We were lucky enough to sample it soon after the opening, and many repeated visits have confirmed that the place has only improved with age. Sure, Mexican joints city- (and nation-) wide have got some great margarita specials in honor of the Mexicans’ victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. (Try throwing out that piece of trivia tonight just to impress your fellow fiesta goers!)

But how many of those eateries and bars can boast that they’ve turned the place into a virtual beach for the occasion? If you guessed one, you’d be right. Cabrito’s staff has painstakingly lain 4 inches of sand on its floors and the picture above is what you can expect to find when you walk through Cabrito’s doors tonight. As if that weren’t enough to entice you, they’ll be offering $3 flautas, $5 margaritas, and $3 draft Dos Equis to wash them down all night long! So stop by early, dip your toes in the sand, and get a good seat for what’s sure to be quite a memorable birthday party.

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Price: $
Location: 50 Carmine Street (between Bleecker and Bedford)
Type of Food: Mexican
Veggie Friendly? Y
www.cabritonyc.com


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NYC Food Crawl: Bring on the Tacos!

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

It’s almost quittin’ time. Got your Thursday after-work plans all lined up yet? While there are plenty of great events going on tonight (like free pizza and beer at Standings via NYCDailyDeals), there’s only one place we want to be: The April Taco Crawl.

Organized by NYC Food Crawl, the event promises tastes of more than just traditional tacos. Other items attendees will be able to sample include deep-fried taquitos, Indian tacos served on fry bread, tacos sudados (steamed), and more. The event itself is free, but attendees will pay by the taco. And it’s organized as a scavenger hunt of sorts, with the group splitting into teams to follow a prescribed route through the St. Marks area and taste as many types of tacos as each attendee can handle. Afterward is when the voting of the Food Crawl site happens to determine the East Village’s top taco. The group meets promptly at the Astor Place cube at 7pm. Let the culinary adventure begin!

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Location: Lafayette St. and Astor Pl.
Type of Food: Mexican
www.nycfoodcrawl.blogspot.com


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Oaxaca: Lunch for Less in a High-rent Neighborhood

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Oaxaca

Looking for a tasty, affordable meal spot to break up a day perusing Cobble Hill’s adorable boutiques and dream apartments? Look no further than Smith Street’s Oaxaca, which specializes in both traditional and experimental tacos at prices no one can complain about. Take their $6.50 lunch special, which includes two tacos of your choice along with rice and beans. On a recent trip, I sampled the braised pork and the chicken mole (one of that day’s specials). The chicken mole was definitely yummy, but it was the braised pork that really blew me away. Balanced with some great pickled red onion and a smattering of a truly flavorful hot sauce, every bite made me sadder that the taco was getting steadily smaller. The rice and beans were nothing special, but the pico de gallo with avocado on top was a nice touch. All in all, it was $6.50 definitely well spent. If you can’t make it for lunch, three tacos with rice and beans is regularly just $9.50.

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Order: Lunch special with chicken mole and braised pork tacos
Price: $
Location: 251 Smith Street (between Douglass and Degraw), Brooklyn
Type of Food: Mexican
Veggie Friendly? Y


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Easter Brunch: Holiday Meal Deals for Under $30

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Easter. It’s just another excuse to jack up meal prices at some of New York’s ritziest restaurants. Or, if you’re judicious, it’s a chance to get dressed up in your Sunday best and enjoy a fancy prix fixe brunch for little more than you’d pay for your average all-you-can-drink morning meal. We’ve perused the Easter deals to find five special Easter menus for $30 or less.

SoHo Brazilian restaurant, Sounds of Brazil (unfortunately abbreviated SOBs), offers a three-course brunch along with their all-you-can-drink sangria bar for only $26.99. Enjoy such delicacies as banana-stuffed French toast, ginger lime snapper in a banana leaf, and feijoada (a traditional Brazilian stew of pork, beef and black beans), all to a non-stop bossa nova soundtrack.

If you’re looking for something a little more hearty, Meatpacking District steakhouse Macelleria is offering a $29 brunch with complimentary mimosa. The menu includes such Italian fare as ravioli al pomodoro, straw and hay tagliolini with peas and pancetta, as well as more brunch-friendly dishes like Sicilian egg toast with asparagus and truffle oil. and crepes with nutella.

In the same vein, Upper West Side Italian restaurant ‘Cesca boasts an impressive three-course prix fixe menu, plus a bellini or juice for $29. Once you’ve chosen from the salad, charcuterie, cheese, or soup of the day, you have to pick one of a whopping twelve entree options, ranging from the prosciutto fritatta to crespelle (chick pea and herb crepes) filled wtih sauteed granny smith apples, ricotta, and candied walnuts. Naturally, the menu also includees breakfast standbys like the “Tuscan toast,” served with mixed berries and chestnut honey. And don’t forget dessert!

Of course, Easter doesn’t have to be all fussy brunches and fancy eggs. Hell’s Kitchen’s Kiran Indian Cuisine boasts an Easter-inspired, and quite affordable, alternative. Enjoy a three-course Easter lunch for a mere $14.99, only slightly more than the cost of the average entree on the menu, which includes the standard curry specialties, an “Indian-style pizza,” plenty of kebabs from the tandoor oven.

And if you’d rather skip the fuss and get an old fashioned boozy brunch, La Palapa in the East Village is happy to oblige. But even they’re still getting into the Easter spirit with lavender margaritas and other holiday-inspired goodies.

Posted by: Nicole Price Fasig
Price: $$$
Locations: Sounds of Brazil, 204 Varick St. (at W. Houston St.)
Macelleria, 48 Gansevoort St. (between Greenwich St. and Washington St.)
‘Cesca, 164 W. 75th St. (at Amsterdam Ave.)
Kiran Indian Cuisine, 401 W. 53rd St. (at 9th Ave.)
La Palapa, 77 St. Mark’s Pl. (between 1st Ave. and 2nd Ave.)


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Cabrito: Because Tacos Definitely Surpass Popcorn as Movie Food

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Earlier this month, we alerted you to Co.’s new monthly movie night. Starting tonight, though, Cabrito’s doing them one better by hosting their cinematic gathering each and every week. And this is certainly a deal worth coming back for. Monday may not traditionally be date night, but Cabrito’s new event might just make you reconsider.

For the duration of the movie, which starts at 9 p.m., all the tacos you can eat and all the Dos Equis you can drink are yours for just $25 (plus tax and tip, of course). And Cabrito’s tacos are no joke, as we’ve had the pleasure to discover more than once. Pork belly, anyone? How about chorizo? Or, for the truly adventurous, there’s lengua with tomatillo. Heck, during a 2-hour movie, you’ll have time to try them all. This week, they’re showing “Anchorman” with “Spinal Tap” and “Office Space” up next. Come to think of it, “Office Space” with unlimited beer and fantastic tacos may just be the best cure for The Mondays ever concocted.

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Price: $$$
Location: 50 Carmine Street (between Bleecker St. and Bedford St.)
Type of Food: Mexican
Veggie Friendly? Y
www.cabritonyc.com


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Don Pepe’s: Tortas with Tenacity

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Don Pepe's

It may not look like much - in fact, it looks much like any other deli-grocery - but the unassuming exterior belies the sandwich heaven that lies within. Earlier this weekend, I was browsing Serious Eats and happily happened upon a post proclaiming this Sunset Park sandwichery’s “Torta de Salchicha” their Hot Dog of the Week. A hot dog torta? That might be just crazy enough to work. And a short jaunt from my apartment? Clearly a must-try.

Nestled in the back of the non-descript Puebla Minimarket, Don Pepe’s offers nearly 30 different tortas, most of which feature more than one type of meat and all of which would certainly be worth a try. After an agonizing inner deliberation, I finally settled upon the Poblana ($5.99), a cecina (salted beef) torta also topped with queso blanco and, confusingly, “pork cheese,” as well as the toppings that come on all of Don Pepe’s tortas (refried beans, avocado, onion, tomato, and pickled jalapeno). I could hardly fit my mouth around the sandwich, but once I did, hooooo boy! It was a salty, spicy, fatty, flavorful affair that is both one of the most decadent and freshest sandwiches I’ve ever encountered (and I’ve encountered my share of sandwiches). I’m still no clearer on what exactly constitutes a “pork cheese,” but what I can tell you is that it looks like a sheet of fatty bacon and tastes like a salty, porky cheese. And, of course, that it’s delicious. If you’re a hot dog lover, you’ll probably opt for the aforementioned Torta de Salchicha, which is split hot dogs along with all the standard fixin’s. Other one-of-a-kind creations include the Hawaiian (spicy pork, ham, cheese, and pineapple) and the “torta de la casa” with spicy beef, carnitas, and tocino (fried pork fat or skin).
I must warn you, though - one lunch at Don Pepe’s comes at a high risk of addiction!

Posted by: Kim Partrick
Order: La Poblana torta
Price: $
Location: 3908 5th Avenue (between 39th St. and 40th St.), Brooklyn
Type of Food: Mexican
Veggie Friendly? N


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