Upper West Side Blues

[jgould]

We love Noche Mexicana. It's our go-to place in the nabe for Mexican. Cheap, good and only a few blocks away.

Another interesting place is Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana on Amsterdam and 108th. They feature, among other things, tripe tacos, pig ear tacos, beef tongue tacos and beef brain tacos. JJ, when are we going?

well, at 12midnite, mama mex is open & noche mex is closed - what difference does it make??? & btw, noche mex is a storefront, atmosphere? hard to see thru the steel gird. i'll pay the xtra $2 & take mama's

[herbacidal]

Whoa, Nellie!

Youse mind an interloper on this excursion?

Sounds like something worth coming up to NYC for.

Dude, I'll even go if you show up. And I'll fix my hair, too, just for you.

K

I don't know whether to be suprised, flattered, or scared of

A) Kathleen coming

B) her fixing her hair just for me

You know, since you're going through all this trouble, how about you find me a NYC girlfriend for my occasional jaunts in town?

Preferably one who likes offal.

It'd be nice if they liked walking around town too.

I wouldn't mind some advice on my own hair.

I need a new 'do, and should probably decide on a style I'll keep for a while.

Ah well, enough thinking out loud.

[SobaAddict70]

Well, only if she does mine too.

Soba

[slkinsey]

We love Noche Mexicana.  It's our go-to place in the nabe for Mexican.  Cheap, good and only a few blocks away.

Another interesting place is Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana on Amsterdam and 108th.  They feature, among other things, tripe tacos, pig ear tacos, beef tongue tacos and beef brain tacos.  JJ, when are we going?

well, at 12midnite, mama mex is open & noche mex is closed - what difference does it make??? & btw, noche mex is a storefront, atmosphere? hard to see thru the steel gird. i'll pay the xtra $2 & take mama's

Noche Mexicana is a tiny little hole-in-the-wall place, but they do come to your table and take your order, etc. Seating for maybe 20. I've dined there a handfull of times, but usually order delivery as I live only a few blocks away.

As I said before, I think their food is an order of magnitude better than Mama Mexico. I would gladly pay more for Noche Mexicana's food than Mama Mexico's. YMMV, of course. If I was looking for Mexican food at midnight I'd probably walk up to the taco truck on 104th and Broadway before I'd go to Mama Mexico (this is not an indictment of Mama Mexico... the taco truck is good). But, if I'm hungry and out on the street at midnight, I tend to gravitate towards a shawarma and falafel sandwich at Jerusalem Caffe.

[BJL]

I would pick Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana on Amsterdam & 107th. It has become my favorite choice above Mama Mexico and Noche, although Noche's chilate might be my favorite comfort food.

[slkinsey]

Have you ever tried any of the funky offal tacos? Tripe? Brains? Tongue? Ear?

[BJL]

I have had the tripe and the tongue. Nothing I would rave about.

[jgould]

We love Noche Mexicana.  It's our go-to place in the nabe for Mexican.  Cheap, good and only a few blocks away.

well, at 12midnite, mama mex is open & noche mex is closed - what difference does it make??? & btw, noche mex is a storefront, atmosphere? hard to see thru the steel gird. i'll pay the xtra $2 & take mama's

Noche Mexicana is a tiny little hole-in-the-wall place, but they do come to your table and take your order, etc. Seating for maybe 20.

As I said before, I think their food is an order of magnitude better than Mama Mexico. I would gladly pay more for Noche Mexicana's food than Mama Mexico's. YMMV, of course. If I was looking for Mexican food at midnight I'd probably walk up to the taco truck on 104th and Broadway before I'd go to Mama Mexico (this is not an indictment of Mama Mexico... the taco truck is good).

@ 12 midnite, i don't need table service & when the choice is a closed noche mexico vs. an open mama mexico, ummm, u do the math

now about that taco truck.............

[Pumpkin Lover]

On the other hand, if one wants to meet drunk college girls... well, I digress. 

Ooh, me me me.!!

Hey, watch it! We're drunk on Foucault and Freud; at least, that's what we tell our folks.

Someone on the last page asked about the brunch at Kitchenette: I find it to be more reasonably priced than the lunch or dinner menus. The Lumberjack is a pretty good deal, as is the Farmhouse. Their eggs with herbed sour cream is really nice, and sometimes they have a salmon cutlet/cake-y thing sandwich with homemade tartar sauce that's yummo. Portions are huge.

They have a website, but the menu @ Kitchenette Uptown is more extensive, I think.

[Pan]

I've had tacos de lengua at the taco truck on 96 St. and Broadway. Is the one at 104 St. different, or is it Super Tacos Sobre Ruedas?

[herbacidal]

We love Noche Mexicana.  It's our go-to place in the nabe for Mexican.  Cheap, good and only a few blocks away.

Another interesting place is Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana on Amsterdam and 108th.  They feature, among other things, tripe tacos, pig ear tacos, beef tongue tacos and beef brain tacos.  JJ, when are we going?

We'll make a day of it: a morning of tacos de cesos, the to the E. Village for spleen sandwiches; for lunch, mixed grill at Pampa(?); and an all-offal dinner at a Batali place. For dessert, we'll have to creative. Baba au pig's blood?

But seriously, I'd love to go mid-March, when my temping ends. Is Noche Mex still tiny?

Whoa, Nellie!

Youse mind an interloper on this excursion?

Sounds like something worth coming up to NYC for.

Absolutely, dude. Look for an announcement of Sam 'n' JJ's NYC Guts Tour coming sometime in mid-March. I am leaning towards "Gutapalooza," but there is some popular sentiment for calling it "The Offal Truth."

Hey Sam and JJ,

Any chance of doing this either this weekend or March 21st weekend?

Preferably March 21st.

Although I would really like to come up this weekend, I don't think I can.

I'd prefer trying to make it a as cheap as possible good offal day,

although I do need to try a Batali place before long.

Not that Batali's places charge an arm and a leg, but I'm still trying to delay

it until my cash flow improves.

Tacos de cesos sounds good. Donde?

By East Village spleen sandwiches, do you mean First Ave. Foccaceria?

Me gusto Pampa por mixed grill.

[bergerka]

Hey Sam and JJ,

Any chance of doing this either this weekend or March 21st weekend?

Preferably March 21st.

Although I would really like to come up this weekend, I don't think I can.

I'd prefer trying to make it a as cheap as possible good offal day,

although I do need to try a Batali place before long.

Not that Batali's places charge an arm and a leg, but I'm still trying to delay

it until my cash flow improves.

Tacos de cesos sounds good. Donde?

By East Village spleen sandwiches, do you mean First Ave. Foccaceria?

Me gusto Pampa por mixed grill.

Assuming my tagging along on this expedition is still cool, I'd prefer the weekend of the 21st as well...

K

[slkinsey]

Hey Sam and JJ,

Any chance of doing this either this weekend or March 21st weekend?

Preferably March 21st.

Although I would really like to come up this weekend, I don't think I can.

I'd prefer trying to make it a as cheap as possible good offal day,

although I do need to try a Batali place before long.

Not that Batali's places charge an arm and a leg, but I'm still trying to delay

it until my cash flow improves.

Tacos de cesos sounds good. Donde?

By East Village spleen sandwiches, do you mean First Ave. Foccaceria?

Me gusto Pampa por mixed grill.

Sounds cool. Eric Malson told me about a great place for an even bigger, guttier mixed grill we have to try.

[jogoode]

That weekend is the weekend I'll be celebrating my girlfriend's birthday. And she can't even look at the photo Sam took of the spicy beef tendon, so I doubt our offal excursion would make a good birthday present. But if we plan carefully, I'm there!

[herbacidal]

That weekend is the weekend I'll be celebrating my girlfriend's birthday. And she can't even look at the photo Sam took of the spicy beef tendon, so I doubt our offal excursion would make a good birthday present. But if we plan carefully, I'm there!

Hmm. Is her birthday a Saturday or Sunday?

Would the tour be equally feasible on both days, IE the day her birthday is not?

[jogoode]

Her birthday is earlier in March, but we can only celebrate that weekend. She'll let me loose, though, I think.

[Felonius]

Speaking of UWS, has anyone tried "Carne", the steakhouse on Bway and 105?

[slkinsey]

Speaking of UWS, has anyone tried "Carne", the steakhouse on Bway and 105?

Yep. That's in my 'hood. The service was terrible when they first started out, but now it is a pretty damn good place. The best things on the menu also tend to be the least expensive (skirt steak and pork chop), which is nice. Not sure I'd travel to eat there, but it's a good neighborhood place.

[bergerka]

Speaking of UWS, has anyone tried "Carne", the steakhouse on Bway and 105?

Yo dude. What Sam said.

I think Pampa gives you more bang for the buck if you're looking for steak, but the double cut pork chop at Carne is to DIE for. Really delicious. I also liked the sides.

Hmmm...now I have to try it again, since it's been a REALLY long time.

K

[herbacidal]

We love Noche Mexicana.  It's our go-to place in the nabe for Mexican.  Cheap, good and only a few blocks away.

Another interesting place is Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana on Amsterdam and 108th.  They feature, among other things, tripe tacos, pig ear tacos, beef tongue tacos and beef brain tacos.  JJ, when are we going?

We'll make a day of it: a morning of tacos de cesos, the to the E. Village for spleen sandwiches; for lunch, mixed grill at Pampa(?); and an all-offal dinner at a Batali place. For dessert, we'll have to creative. Baba au pig's blood?

But seriously, I'd love to go mid-March, when my temping ends. Is Noche Mex still tiny?

OK,

Is that Tacos de cesos at Taqueria y Fonda on 108th and Amsterdam?

Where in E Village do we get those spleen sandwiches?

[jogoode]

Is that Tacos de cesos at Taqueria y Fonda on 108th and Amsterdam?

Where in E Village do we get those spleen sandwiches?

Mr. Cutlets says La Focacceria, 128 1st Ave.

I think the sandwich costs less than $3!

[slbunge]

<Bump>

Good information here. Will be in town staying with a friend who lives in the neighborhood (damned if I can find her address...my wife must have taken my notes). May be looking for middlebrow lunch spots within wandering distance.

Is @SQC still a holding up to previous recommendations? How about the Noche Mexicana? Anything new worth mentioning?