THE BEST: NYC Mexican Favorites

[jhlurie]

I didn't see a thread about Mexican food in NYC, so (since I had a Mexican experience today) I decided to start one.  Obviously we aren't going to be able to use the superilatives of the folks on the West Coast boards, but with 500+ restaurants of this type in NYC alone (at least, according to citysearch.com) there should be plenty to discuss.

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The last place I'd expect to get decent Mexican food would be a place called "The Alamo", but I had lunch today in a place named so (at 304 East 48th Street, just east of 2nd Avenue) and it was very much worth recommending--at least with the understanding that I haven't sampled most of their menu.

Apparently the place turns into a wild raucous party joint at night, but during the day it was quiet and the food was very good.

Unfortunately the person I was dining with had the same entree as me, so I can only give limited data.  

The tortilla chips were freshly made and had that subtle pleasant aftertaste that I associate with good chips.  Two kinds of salsa were provided:  a very chunky Pico de Gallo with strong notes of both cilantro and garlic, and a thin green Salsa, with medium heat and a slight nutty taste.

We both insisted on ordering the Mole Poblano, although Pipian and several other variations were available. :)

Mole Poblano is one of the hardest dishes to do well, and in my experience if a restaurant makes a good Mole Poblano, at a minimum it at least proves they care about authenticity.

The Mole Poblano here was brave in that it had the guts to be both bitter AND sweet, as well as moderately spicy.  It was relatively thick in consistency and very dark in color.

The accompanying Rice was excellent--with the precise balance between fluffyness and clumpyness (are those even real words?) that I've come to associate with really good rice.

The beans really won me over.  This is only about the 7th or 8th place I've been to in my life where they made refried beans with BLACK BEANS.  They didn't put too much cheese on it either... just enough to cover the middle, and the solid part of the beans were still slightly firm, while the refried part was well pureed.

The most impressive thing to me were the tortillas they gave us on the side.  I don't know if I have the language skill to adaquately describe why they were so good, but we've ALL had mediocre tortillas in our lives and these were not them.  They were obviously either made in-house or at an authentic very-nearby Mexican bakery.  The surface was slightly rough in that way that tells you that they weren't mass produced, and the texture while eating them was slightly spongy, but still firm enough to not break.

If I visit again I'll post more.

[tommy]

i've never eaten there, but have been there at night, and the place does become quite the scene.  i always assumed it was typical chain-style "tex-mex".  it's good to hear that it has promise.

rosa mexicano is by far my favorite.  actually, it's one of my favorite places to go mexican or not.  however, the new Lincoln Center outpost is an atrocity.  i would never go back, and i think it's tarnishing the 1st ave (and 57th or so) outpost's image.  

and of course, los dos rancheros has the most authentic if not the cheapest mexican food in nyc (38th and 9th)

how about ####'s Kitchen on 9th?  don't hear to much about it.  went once, enjoyed it, forgot all about it. hmmm.

[Pan]

I've found Tres Aztecas, NW corner of Allen and Rivington, to be a good, authentic standby Mexican, but the best Mexican food I've had in New York is probably at Super Tacos Sobre Ruedas, the taco cart that is often parked on the corner of 96th St. and Broadway in the evening (and, reportedly, is at other times at W. 14 St. somewhere; I forget where).

[Fat Guy]

I forgot about the Alamo.

Has anybody had the taquitos at Burritoville? I know this is going to sound bizarre, given that Burritoville is so tremendously inauthentic and bad for most things, but this one menu item is really good. The first taquitos I ever had were out of a truck in Los Angeles, right near USC, maybe 13 years ago. I was staying around there without a car (in LA, the equivalent of imprisonment), so I ate them for lunch and dinner every day (and also some snacks in between). On subsequent LA trips, I couldn't find the truck again. I thought for sure I'd never recapture that exact taste sensation. Even in Mexico -- where I've only been to the cities that border the US -- I couldn't find any good taquitos. But the other day I got stuck at Burritoville and I couldn't stand the thought of eating a burrito, so I ordered the taquitos. They were amazingly good, with that exact crisp greasiness I remember from LA.

[chaudfroidoeuf]

I'd be grateful if members could include good huitlacoche dishes sampled at the Mexican restaurants they mention.  

I'm not particularly enamored with Mexican food, but would go to a restaurant for huitlacoche.  I've only had it in a chicken dish at Maya; the taste was not as robust as I had imagined.

[jhlurie]

Steven,

I have to disagree on your evaluation of "the rest" of Burritoville.  Yes, it is totally inauthentic.  But (at least at the two locations I've visited) the burritos have been well prepared and have tasted reasonably good--even if that taste wasn't ANYTHING like food prepared by a real Mexican.  I wouldn't ever go to a Burritoville instead of a real Mexican restaurant, but in comparison to most fast food?  I'd go if faced with a choice between Burritoville and MOST other fast food chains.

Authenticity is pretty important with some dishes, but I think burritos have gone the way of Hamburgers and Pizza--they've trancended whatever original form they came in and may be available in inauthentic variations that are also worthwhile.

Then again, my main experience with Burritoville was at the Chambers Street location six years ago.  A chain can slip a lot in six years, and I've only eaten at the one near my current job in midtown once.

[Fat Guy]

Jon, I can agree partly with that. I do like the "Border Burrito" at Burritoville, not as Mexican food, but simply as tasty, nourishing, filling, economical fare. It is made with high-quality, made-on-premises ingredients, including good brown rice, black beans, and a better grade of cheese than you'd expect to find at a burrito chain. The three types of salsa are also very good. But the burritos decline dramatically with the addition of any kind of meat, which I've found to be of low quality at the few Burritoville branches I've tried. And most of the other non-burrito items (tacos, nachos, etc.) are pretty bad. But those taquitos, well, they're just excellent.

[tommy]

Quote: from Fat Guy on 12:18 pm on Dec. 13, 2001

But those taquitos, well, they're just excellent.

OK, i have to finally ask:  what is a "taquito"?

[Fat Guy]

Well, now that I think about the spelling, I'm not sure if it's taquito or tacquito. I don't see it in any of the Mexican food books I have handy, which doesn't mean much since I don't have any good ones. I assume the word means, literally, "little taco." What I know as a taquito/tacquito is a corn tortilla rolled tight into a tube maybe 1/2" in diameter, around a filling of shredded meat. Then the whole thing is deep-fat fried until golden crisp.

[yvonne johnson]

I consulted Bayless & Bayless's "Authentic Mexican..." which is really good, by the way, and it appears the generic name for the deep fried tacos is "tacos dorados". However, there are regional variations. In northen parts of Mexico these are called "flautas" (flutes, after their shape) and filled with pork. In Guerrero (South), "taquitos" are filled with ricotta.

[Felonius]

Tommy,

Other than the over-the-top decor, how would you characterize the differences between the original Rosa Mexicano and the the new one near Lincoln Center?

I ate at the East side location once several years ago and though it was excellent.   I have been several times to the new West Side location, and haven't been impressed.  The food just doesn't justify the high prices they are charging.  I have wondered if my memory deceives me or if the old location really was/is better.

The only reasons I continue to go now and then to West Side Rosa's is because it is near my house, convenient post-concert dining due to Lincoln Center proximity, and the guacamole and margueritas are quite good.   After a big check and mediocre food there this past weekend, I finally decided to give it up.

Another question to all - where is the best mexican food on the Upper West side? (Other than the ubiquitous Rosa Mexicano or Gabriellas, neither of which thrills me).  I'd especially like to find a cheap "hole in the wall" with good mexican food for those occasional cravings.

[Wilfrid]

Quote: from Fat Guy on 1:54 pm on Dec. 13, 2001

I'm not sure if it's taquito or tacquito.

Looks like it's 'taquito': I found the following (unsurprising) definition:

Taquitos - Corn tortillas wrapped around shredded chicken or beef and fried crispy

I'd have spelt it 'tacito' and I'd have been wrong.

[tommy]

Quote: from Felonius on 3:02 pm on Dec. 13, 2001

Tommy,

Other than the over-the-top decor, how would you characterize the differences between the original Rosa Mexicano and the the new one near Lincoln Center?

i have gotten borderline horrific service at the Lincoln Center outlet.  so much so that i was about 2 beads of sweat from knocking the matre d on his ass.  other than that, the service was horrible, the food was not as good, and it just sucked overall.  

i've always received wonderful service and had lovely times at the 1st outlet.  i've probably been there 20 times, and i don't remember one that was a "miss". although, you might be able to convince me that since the expansion there, service has taken a turn.  but that could be expected since they practically doubled the size of the place.

[Fat Guy]

Yvonne: Yes, come to think of it, the taquitos in a restaurant I visited recently in Oregon were called flautas and the folks who ran the place were from one of the Southern parts of Mexico.

[mikeyrad]

A fave of mine is Maz Mezcal at 316 E 86th St (212)472-1599.  Try the Chuletas (pork chops) and smother their salsa verde on top, yum.  I've also had the Mole Poblano, the Carne Asada (marinated shell steak), and a shrimp dish whose name I can't remember.  The Margaritas are also a cut above.

[jhlurie]

Has anyone had a good Mole Poblano on Pork Chops instead of on chicken?  I've only seen this rarely...

[mikeyrad]

I've only had it on chicken.  

[bpearis]

If you're ever in Williamsburg, you should stop in Matamoros Puebla grocery on Bedford (btwn N. 6th & N. 7th). In the back is a small lunch counter and a couple of tables. It's amazing and extremely authentic. Threre are about eight or nine kinds of tacos, plus tostadas and sandwiches. (Just know that the "pork cheese" sandwhich is not pork with cheese, it's head cheese.)

The best things, in my opinion, are the sopes, little boats of masa filled with meat, onions, crema, cojitta cheese and salsa.

You can stuff yourself silly here for about seven dollars. They also have great tamales and, on Sundays, awesome pazole. I think I would starve (or cook more) if it weren't for Matamoros.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Great NYC Mexican street food is available weekdays on E97th Street just west of Second Avenue. There's  a woman there with a taco cart who makes great food. Since I don't live too far away, I usually walk over once a week for lunch. She makes a #### of a gordita, and her tacos of carnitas and pork enchilada are terrific. For years she used to be on Eighth Avenue between 38th & 39th Street because a number of sweat shops in the area employed many Mexican workers. So she would feed the same lunch crowd that would go to Los Dos Rancheros. But the businesses that employed her clientele closed and she moved to this location. It is right across the street from Metropolitan Hospital which is one of the hospitals the Mexican community in NYC.

uses.

As for authentic Mexican restaurants and the various places that have sprung up everwhere, there are ones that are better and ones that are worse but I haven't been able to find the definitive one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. I mean the food from the woman with the taco cart is as good or bettr than anything I can find. But when it comes to upscale places, I like La Palapa on St. Marks Place the best, better than Maya or Rosa Mexicana (I was never a fan of Zarella though her cookbooks are great.) They have a good balance of traditional and modern cooking there and it's the place in NYC that most closely resembles Frontera Grill in Chicago althought the cooking is not quite as refined. And it's a fun place too.

[stephen]

I lived about a half a block away from 'The Alamo' on 48th Street for eight years, but only ate there a couple of times. It didn't impress me, but I was enjoying Zarella and Rosa Mexicano at the time. Nice to hear of an improvment... in my old neighborhood.

I remember the most sublime chicken mole tamales at Zarella and the only quacamole I have ever really enjoyed at Rosa M.

Ahh... New York City. Even in a relatively bland mid-town location there are gems to be found.

[Thomas Secor]

It was a while back above, but Felonious asked for cheap mexican on the upper west side, preferably hole in the wall.....well, my idea of upper west side may be different than yours, but there is a great mexican joint on broadway between Tiemann and Lasalle Street, just south of the 125th street subway station.  I havent been for a while, but the gorditas there are the best I have ever had, and the burritos/fajitas are the best I have had since I moved out of Los Angeles. But be warned, you get what you ask for, the ambience is covered in plastic and more likely than not, there will be guys drinkin corona out of paper cups playing poker for dollar bills in the back.  But the food is great.  Also try the porkchops, and if you dont want to stay but are just driving by, grab a few sandwiches, which are filled with your choice of filling, black beans, a little sour cream, home made pickled hot peppers, lettuce and tomato.  Great stuff.

[Thomas Secor]

Sorry, the name of the place I was referring to is Mi Mexico and its on the west side of the street.  They also have good soups.

[Damian]

Has anyone been to Gabriela's? I just moved near their Amsterdam Ave. location and have been thinking of popping in.

[mikeyrad]

I've been to the Gabriella's on 93rd and Amsterdam. Love the Yukatan chicken.

[Schrohe]

I have to put in a word for Los Dos Molinos.  The restaurant is bordering on hideously-cheesy.  The service blows.  Sometimes the dishes are too salty (the carnitias, sadly!).  But, if you get that dish that is light on the salt, you are in store for a great Mexican treat.  The burros are generally awesome.

Authenticity?  Not bad.  A family living in Phoenix (with a successful Los Dos in business) packed everyone into the Humvee and headed to NYC.  They found a place that had just gone under (Spencers) and moved right in.

Spice factor:  One of the few places in NYC that's not afraid to light it up a bit.  My scalp typically perspires 30 minutes into a meal.

Margaritas: I'm not a frozen drinker, but the generous frozen (machine made) margs are pretty tasting and do pack a punch.

I give it a 7.  Any other feedback?