Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

As we were craving Mexican food, we decided to go to Empellon Taqueria, located in the West village; a place whose staff has definitely a sense of humor...

Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

Big place with beautiful mural on the wall.

dining room at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

That day, they were hosting a birthday party and I did not had time to have a look at the menu crafted for the event, but noted that this could be a good place for a group meal. 

guacamole at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

To start, we went for the guacamole and chips.

guacamole at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

The guacamole was definitely freshly made as could attest the chunks of avocado, chopped onions or fresh cilantro. 

guacamole at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

I truly appreciated the fact that they put the jalapeño on top, so if one does not like it, it is easy to remove them. 

tortilla chips at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

It was perfect: well seasoned, served with delicious tortilla chips. 

For her entrée, Jodi ordered the mixed mushroom tacos (she chose to get two instead of three, that are the two sizes proposed). 

mushroom tacos at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

This was a delicious dish that I recommend if you love mushrooms, because they put a lot of it and it is not mixed with any sauce or ingredients that would overpower the entire dish, letting the mushroom be the star. 

mushroom tacos at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

On my side, I was first set for tacos, but changed my mind when I saw that they were serving a churro French toast. Yes, you read that right and I was sure the combination of a churro and a French toast would be divine: I was not mistaken. 

Churro French toast at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

First of all, it was a perfect French toast: the bread that was like a brioche or challah was perfectly soaked, and the churro created a crust that was delightfully crispy. It worked so well that I did not need to add any butter and maple syrup. 

Churro French toast at Empellon Taqueria in New York, NY

This was a fantastic brunch there, all the dishes being very good and the service perfect. I am still ecstatic about the churro French toast that I definitely recommend. I will definitely go back as I saw some tacos I definitely want to try. I really enjoyed: oh yes I did! Sorry, I just drooled all over my computer...

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Empellón Taqueria

Authentic Mexican dinner at El Maguey Y La Tuna on the Lower East Side, NYC, New York

I was recently invited to El Maguey Y La Tuna, a restaurant located on the Lower East Side that serves authentic Mexican cuisine. As a blogger, I love these press dinners, not only because you get to meet other people who love food, but also because you often meet with the owner or Chef who will give you some information or back stories that you would not have as a regular diner.

I admit that I had no idea what the name of the restaurant was referring to and thought that Tuna was...tuna! In fact, it means "The Tequila/Mezcal and Prickly Pear Plants". It is a family owned and operated business: in the kitchen, Executive Chef Leonides Cortez and his wife, Sous Chef Manuela Cortez. At the front of the house is their daughter Maria who gave us plenty of hints that evening.

It is a medium size place, with a 45 seats capacity that, as Maria mentioned, was designed to make people feel like they are in the family kitchen, a feel perfectly rendered by the terra-cotta floors, the wood and tile tables and the white tile walls, decorated with photos (one of them is Maria's grandmother, overlooking the dining room and emphasizing the importance of family), as well as ceramic from Mexico.

We started off with drinks. I could have gone for a Mexican beer but decided to go for their margaritas that they flavor with fresh fruit puree. 

I ordered the mango margarita that is my favorite flavor. 

It might not have been the best margarita I ever tried, but I liked it, although a bit dangerous because you couldn't taste the alcohol too much making it taste like an innocent drink...

I also tried, out of curiosity the jalapeño margarita (don't think I drank two margaritas: that will never happen!).

I never heard of such a drink and if there would not be jalapeños floating around, I would have never guessed what it was. It was refreshing, not spicy as I would have expected.

We started the dinner with chicken tamales that they made especially for the Holidays as Maria told us.

We had to unwrap it to discover the filling made with chicken and masa (a corn dough), that we ate with green salsa.

I have never been a big fan of tamales and Jodi loves it. It might have been because I never had a good one before. Yes, I liked it at El Maguey Y La Tuna: it had a nice amount of chicken and was tasty with the right amount of green sauce.

The next dish was chicken flautas, also called taquitos.

These little cigars were served with pico de gallo and guacamole. I like that dish with or without guacamole. 

It was not greasy, crunchy and very flavorful. In fact, I preferred them over the next dish that was taquitos al guacamole: corn patties filled with ground beef, also served with guacamole and pico de gallo.

I appreciated the crispiness of the homemade corn patties, but found it less flavorful than the chicken ones.

I should add that the guacamole was quite good, tasting fresh and perfectly seasoned.

Then came the entrees. We started off with Chile Relleno.

it was made of a roasted poblano pepper that was stuffed with cheese and simmered in a roasted tomatoe sauce. They served it with rice and beans.

As well as homemade tortillas.

I like the chile relleno: very flavorful, it had a slight kick that was perfect and for sure a lot of cheese. 

Then came the mole poblano, one of their specialties that is composed with close to 20 spices and takes 2 to 3 days using the original method (much quicker with a blender, but Maria mentioned that it would not have the same taste).

Because it is a complicated dish, it is also made for special occasions. This was served with chicken and, interestingly, smelled of chocolate but did not taste of it! I guess that for a lot of people, including me, a mole is associated with chocolate: we got this all wrong and I am glad I had the chance to try an authentic one.

This was delicious: it had a complex flavor but yet well balanced, perfect with chicken, rice or just eaten with a spoon.

The second mole we tried was a chipotle chile mole sauce:

It was served with pieces of pork. The pork was quite tender, smothered in a thick sauce where I could definitely taste cumin. Maria explained that this is a basic mole and that any woman has to know how to make it to be ready to get married. 

The last entree was the tacos de pescado:

It is on their menu simply because they have lots of patrons from California who asked them for it!

It was also eaten with green sauce. The fish (they use either tilapia or flounder) was fried, giving a good crunch, and had a nice flakiness. It was a delicious dish for sure.

Of course, we had to try some desserts after that. There were two:

The flan:

And the Mexican chocolate cake:

The chocolate cake was good, but my favorite was the flan. I truly appreciated that none of these desserts were too sweet.

But the meal would not have been complete without a Mexican coffee (con leche above and black below).

They were served in authentic Mexican cups.

El Maguey Y La Tuna is a bit off the beaten path but I truly recommend that place: I had a good time and good food. It definitely opened my eyes to the diversity of Mexican food and from now on, I will consider other dishes than the usual tacos, burritos or fajita. If I had to recommend a full meal, it would be: chicken flautas, mole poblano and flan. 

Interestingly, they serve a cheap brunch menu Tuesday to Sunday where, for less than $12 you get a drink and a dish. I'll probably be back soon!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!  

Pinche Taqueria in NYC, New York

Recently, we ate at Pinche Taqueria, a Mexican restaurant located few steps from Union Square. It all started in 1973 in Tijuana and now, they have three locations in NYC: 14th, Mott street and Lafayette street. 

It is like most of the fast casual food places: you order at the counter, they give you a number and then bring the food to your table.

Their menu has the standard Mexican dishes: tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tamale, tortas and for the healthiest of us, salads.

We decided to start with guacamole and chips.

The guacamole was delicious and fresh, worth the $4. 29 we paid for compared to Tacombi a la Fonda Nolita that was quite expensive. The chips were good, but I do not think they make them.

Jodi got a black bean taco:

It was served with guacamole, onions and cilantro, on a soft corn tortilla. It was just ok for me; nothing specific to that restaurant, it is just that I prefer vegetarian tacos with more flavor.

On my side, I decided to go with a combination of two tacos: pollo assado (charbroiled chicken) and pescado (fish):

It came with rice and refried beans that seemed to be homemade (they claim that they do not use any frozen or canned food and on that one, I tend to believe it). 

The chicken taco was served with onions, cilantro and guacamole, similar to Jodi's vegetarian taco.

It was good, the chicken being quite flavorful.

The fish taco was served with cabbage and cilantro dressing.

It was fresh, flaky, crispy and not greasy. However, the cabbage was a bit dry.

With our dinner, we drank a Mexican pineapple drink that I love!

The food was pretty decent, at a good price, and I would certainly go back there. However, I hope they will lower the volume of the music because it was very loud and not very soothing. Also, the service was unequal, some staff being very nice and some others less, like this guy who was upset because the dish he brought to us was not ours...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Mexican brunch at Sabores in Hoboken, NJ

I am not sure how to start this post, the experience at Sabores being so disappointing, food and service wise. And it is not as if we went there right after they opened! 

Before I start with the details, let me give you some information on the restaurant. It is located in the middle of Washington street, and area that has always been tough for restaurants because there is more foot traffic downtown. Several restaurants tried but failed; the last one was Piri Piri, a Portuguese BBQ, unique in Hoboken. Of course, food or service are not the only reason: rent increase is a big factor that led, for instance, to the closure of my favorite Indian restaurant in town: India on the Hudson. 

So, Sabores serves Mexican cuisine. In fact, we were greeted by: "Here we serve real Mexican cuisine", probably a dig to East LA, a popular Mexican restaurant located few steps from it. 

The place is big (high ceilings) and very colorful with dark pink walls.

So, Sabores means "savors" in English: let see how the food measured up! Similar to most of the mexican restaurant we went to, they brought us some tortilla chips and salsa, a little after we ordered.

I guess it is the equivalent of bread and butter, Mexican style! I appreciated to have chips that were not stale as it happened some other times in other restaurants.

Then, we decided to order our favorite appetizer: guacamole!

Nice presentation, however, the avocado was not ripe, making it inedible. Interestingly, the table next to us had the same problem!

Jodi ordered the ensalada verde, made with red onions, tomatoes, avocados, arugula, corn and radish.

The price, $10, was right, but, what should have been the star of the dish, the avocado, was not good, again.

On my side, I ordered the Huevos Rancheros, my favorite Mexican brunch dish!

Huevos Rancheros are sunny side eggs, cheese, beans and salsa on tortilla. I liked it: the egg was perfectly cooked with a runny yolk where I dipped the tortilla. I just would have liked more beans...

Needless to say that the experience was disappointing. Knowing that avocado is used in so many dishes, how can you serve bad ones! Concerning the service, the issue was more inexperience than anything else, so hopefully it will improve as time passes.

Enjoy (...)!

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My nephew culinary visit: day 5 / part 1: Tacombi at Fonda Nolita in NYC, New York

Interestingly, Valentin told us that the only tacos place they have where he lives is a Middle Eastern version rather than Mexican! So, we decided to bring him to a restaurant serving tacos and ended up at Tacombi at Fonda Nolita on the Lower East Side. 

It is a very interesting place: when you enter, it is as if you were on the side of a road, with a small van in the middle where they make tacos! 

Looking carefully inside the van, you can see the Chef works his magic:

On the right when you enter, they have a small cafe, for take out:

The name Tacombi is in fact the contraction of Tacos and Combi, the latter being the van that is used as a taxi in Mexico. 

Our waiter was nice and efficient, but the food took some time to come. We started off with guacamole and chips. 

It was freshly and perfectly made, but I was surprised by the small quantity for close to $12. 

Then, we all got different tacos. Jodi ordered the veggie one that was mainly made with mushrooms.

It was good, especially if you like mushrooms as it was the predominant taste, overpowering the cilantro, onions or what seemed to be kale. 

Valentin ordered their special taco as well as the crispy fish and chicken mole. On my side, I ordered three different tacos (they advice to eat three to be full and they were right). 

The first one was barbacoa that is beef brisket. 

It was a bit dry and I added some chipotle sauce to it, that added some spiciness to the dish. 

The second one was pork belly, that had more flavor. 

It had, besides pork belly, radicchio and fried pig skin.

The third one was crispy fish that was my favorite, but a bit messy to eat. I had to eat it with a knife and fork...it was served with a spicy mayo (for a nice kick) and some cabbage to give some additional crunch. 

We also shared rice and beans, that was good but the beans were a bit dry.

With the meal, we ordered some Mexican soda: pineapple (sparkling) and lime. 

The soda were very good and I wish I could find them at the Supermarket. 

Tacombi was very good and I would just go for the unique decor. However, I found it a bit pricey...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Surprising food at Toloache in NYC, New York

I am not sure what I was expecting when I went to Toloache with my colleagues; probably simply Mexican food...Well, let say that it went beyond my expectations as you will discover in this post!

This two floor restaurant is very colorful, with paintings representing the Toloache also called Datura Innoxia, a flower used to make love potions, but also in Mexican witchcraft for darker purposes...

On the first floor is the bar, with its impressive choice of tequila, but where they also make fresh guacamole!

The menu, crafted by Chef Julian Medina is not as standard as you may think. Yes, they have tacos and quesadillas, but he made them his own. And for sure, if there was something I was not expecting to see, it was grasshoppers! Yes, you read it correctly: grasshoppers, or chapulines. Apparently it is a common ingredient in some parts of Mexico. There, they serve it in a taco. 

I have never tried grasshopper or any type of insect, at least willingly I guess. And I did not want to order the tacos just for that, as, if I did not like it, it would have been a waste of money. So, I asked our waitress wether it was possible to try some and she came back with a small ramequin full of them.

They are dried grasshoppers that they pan sear. We ate them like we would eat peanuts, putting everything in our mouth. It was crunchy outside and creamy inside, with a strong taste that had some hint of lime. It was good, but not to the point I would replace peanuts with it...

Then, it was time to eat some more usual things! We started off with guacamole. They make it fresh and propose a sampler of the three different kinds they serve:

Traditional (mild):

Simply made with avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, onion and serrano pepper.

Frutas (medium):

This was an interesting one, made with avocado, tomato, onion, Thai basil, habanero, pomegranate, mango, apple and peach.

It was deliciously sweet and I loved the fact that the pomegranate was not smashed, adding a nice texture and tartness to the dish.

The last one was Rojo (spicy):

It was made with avocado, tomatoes, red onion, chipotle and queso fresco. It was a bit spicy, but delicious. In fact, all of the guacamole was very good, perfectly seasoned, made with ripe avocado.

Then I tried the Tacos de Lechon:

It was made of suckling pig carnitas, chicharron (fried pork rinds), cactus salad and salsa verde.

I also tried the Tacos Costilla & Tuetano:

It was composed of beef short ribs, bone marrow, roasted red onions, jalapeños and Thai basil.

Both tacos where served with rice and beans. It was pretty good, but I admit that my favorite one was the short ribs and bone marrow that had bolder flavors, although the one with the suckling pig was interesting, with a bit of crunch coming from the fried pork rinds.

I will definitely go back to Toloache: the food was good and prices were reasonable. But this time, I will probably not eat grasshoppers...Or maybe I will!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Dorado, Tacos and Quesadillas in NYC, New York

I just discovered another cheap restaurant near Union Square: it is called Dorado Tacos & Quesadillas. They make tacos and quesadillas, but you can also get soup, one being with cheese and quesadillas, the other one with tacos. Ok, let just say that they serve tacos and quesadillas in different ways!!!

It is a small place with a communal table in the center, two small tables and some stools. It is so small that If you sit at one of the tables like I did, don't be surprised to bang into the person behind you from time to time! 

The way it works is that you order at the counter, they assign you a number, and will call you once your food is ready. 

We started off with the chips, guacamole and salsa. 

The guacamole was already packaged but pretty good! The salsa, not spicy and refreshing, perfect with the tortilla chips that were thick, well salted and seemed homemade. 

Then, I decided to go with an all fish taco selection. I first picked the Baja taco: beer batter Atlantic whitefish served with cabbage, picked onions, crema and salsa fresca.

The second one was the grilled fish taco made with mahi mahi. 

Between the two, I preferred the Baja Taco: more flaky, crispy and tasty; but don't get me wrong, the mahi mahi one was good too! 

Then Jodi got the vegetarian black bean quesadilla.

It was a vegetarian black bean quesadilla that contained...black beans, salsa and some cheese. It was pretty good with a nice crispness.

It was definitely a delicious meal, at a very good price! So if you are in the area and want to eat cheap, this is a good place!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Papatzul Mexican restaurant in Soho, NYC, New York

Papatzul is a Mexican restaurant located in Soho. It has this fantastic dining room decorated with colorful posters, but also because of the sunlight coming from the window on the roof. It feels authentic for sure.

We went there for brunch and their menu offers standard Mexican dishes, most of them at a reasonable price. We started of with the dish we always order in a Mexican restaurant: guacamole.

Although it looked homemade, we definitely could see from the oxidation of the avocado that it was done a little earlier and not a la minute. It was good otherwise, served with some crispy corn chips.

Then, I ordred Huevos Rancheros. Unfortunately, the waiter did not understand me and came back with Huevos con chorizo or scrambled eggs with chorizo. As we were in a bit of a hurry, I did not bother and decided to try.

It was the driest eggs I ever tried and only ate the refried beans that were good...and the soft tortilla...

Jodi ordred the Torta de Aguacate y Queso Panela:

It is a sandwich made with avocado, panela cheese, refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce and a sauce I could not really identify! It was passable and a bit spicy.

We were craving Mexican food and left disappointed. The service was also just ok and they did not even ask if there was a problem with my dish. Interestingly, all the restaurants around were packed except this one: there might have been a reason!

Enjoy (...)!

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Trece Mexican Restaurant in NYC, New York

Still looking for cheap eateries near Union Square, we ended up at Trece Mexican Cuisine and Tequila Bar. We did not really know what to expect, but were for sure excited to have Mexican food! The place was big and colorful. They sat us at a table next to the bar and the big TVs overlooking the dining room. Well, for sure the staff was more interested in the TV novella than the customers!!! 

We started with a dish we always order in Mexican restaurants: guacamole!

The guacamole is made to order that is always great and better than having a restaurant serve some guacamole that was made few days ago or just bought somewhere!

It was good, with big chunks of avocado, was not too salty (I hate that!), but was missing a bit of acidity.

Then I got the fish tacos:

It was not good! First of all, as you can see on the photo, the avocado were not good. Then, the fish tasted fishy and there was too much iceberg lettuce.  The sauces were good, but the wait staff was unable to explain what they were!

Jodi ordered a blend vegetable quesadilla!

It was so disappointing! And expensive for the quality of the food. We should have passed our way...

Enjoy (...)!

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Hotel Tortuga Mexican Restaurant in NYC, New York

Walking around NYU in search for cheap eats, we found this place called Hotel Tortuga. It is a Mexican restaurant that offers a large selection of vegetarian dishes for reasonable prices. Yes, it is called Hotel Tortuga, but it is not a hotel! In fact, they want you to imagine that you are in a hotel near Acapulco. The decor definitely feels like South America and is very cozy with its red booths and relaxed atmosphere. 

This restaurant serves traditional stuffing for tacos such as beef, chicken or fish, as well as a large selection of vegetarian ones: tempeh (soy protein), vegetable chorizo, grilled vegetables...

This is what we ate for less than $30:

A large side of guacamole with corn chips:

The guacamole was decent, but I do not think it was fresh. We could get as many chips as we wanted, as they offered chips and salsa.

Two vegetarian chorizo tacos:

One grilled chicken taco:

One fish taco (tilapia):

The tacos were made of two soft corn tortilla (you can pick flour instead of corn): they were good and there was a lot of stuffing in it.

The chicken taco was pretty good and the chicken had a nice grilled taste. The fish taco was perfect too: the fish was moist and did not taste fishy. However, the vegetable chorizo was not good: the first bite was ok and interesting as it was the first time we tried vegetable chorizo, but it was very salty and after a couple of bites, the saltiness was too much.

We finished with a Mexican hot chocolate:

It was hot chocolate with some cinnamon that was a fantastic combination as the cinnamon enhanced the taste of the chocolate. As you can see on the photo, they put a lot of whipped cream on it! This is definitely a must have, even for dinner...

I think that Hotel Tortuga offers a nice Mexican menu for good prices. My main disappointment is that they do not have homemade desserts, just cakes that they buy in a bakery in Vermont, cakes that are more American than Mexican. Despite that, this is definitely a good place to gather with friends and chill out.

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Patron, Mexican Grill in NYC, New York

After watching the last James Bonds (Skyfall) in a movie theater in Times Square, we decided to find a restaurant on 9th avenue. Several times we noticed Patron and we thought it would be a good idea to go there as it has been a long time we ate Mexican food and we were kind of craving it. So we thought that joint would satisfy that crave...

The place is divided into two parts: the bar with its communal tables and the dining room. We got seated in the bar area.

The menu offers classic Mexican cuisine, from tacos to burritos and fajitas. We decided to share some appetizers and sides.

We started off with the Queso Fundido.

It was served with some homemade tortilla:

At first, it is fine and I would say even good, especially if you like cheese! But then it starts to be too much grease...At least the tortilla were good. Not sure it was a good choice!

We also ordered some guacamole.

That we ate with tortilla chips. 

This guacamole was the worst I ever ate! You had the impression that they just put chunks of avocado in a bowl! It was lacking lime and seasoning. Horrible!

And it was not the rice and beans that made me not regret to be in that place! It was bland and they were not that generous on the portions!

At least, there were the maduros!

These fried plantains with cream were delicious! The sweetness of the plantains was counter balanced by the cream (crema), making it a great dish.

Fortunately we got the plantains, but trust me: this is a forgettable experience! The food was really forgettable for me!

Enjoy (the post)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat !

Lime Jungle, Mexican Grill in NYC, New York

I love walking on Ninth Avenue in New York City: there are so many restaurants, big or small! That day, we wanted to eat Mexican. Our first choice was Ariba, Ariba! I love this place: they have amazing chimichanga and I had this incredible seafood enchilada loaded with crab and shrimp the last time we went there (it is the Seafood Enchiladas Verdes in the Chef's favorites). Unfortunately, the place was crazy packed and they had no immediate availability. So, that's how we ended up at Lime Jungle. We went there several months ago and liked it, so why not! The restaurant is big, with high ceiling and brick walls. I also like the wooden tables and the used chairs: all of it give a warm and rustic feeling to the place.

That day, the service was very slow, although the place was not that busy! I do not recall that it was like this the last time we went!

We started our dining experience with Guacamole. 

This is THE appetizer we order whenever we go to a Mexican place. I am always hoping that they will do it table side. This was not the case. It was well presented, but you could see immediately that it was not freshly done. I could also not see any avocado chunks, prompting me to think that they were using some king of avocado puree. It was good, but nothing exceptional. 

When they bring the food, if it is hand food, they put it in a piece of paper and bring it in a basket.

We started with a cheese empanada.

I like it: very tasty, a lot of cheese and not greasy.

Then we tried the veggie taco:

It was made of soft flour tortilla or crispy corn taco shell, vegetarian beans, jack and cheddar cheese, guacamole, grilled peppers and onions, tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream. It was very good. I am always scared to end up with something bland, but it was not.

The other taco we tried was the short rib taco:

It was a soft flour tortilla (you could pick a crispy corn taco shell) with slow cooked beef short ribs, cheddar cheese, chopped onions and tomatoes. At first, I thought that the beef was dry, but it was only on one side of the taco. It was delicious: the meat was finally juicy and I got an explosion of flavors in my mouth, accentuated by the salsa I put on the taco. Yes, I forgot to mention that the restaurant has a salsa bar! In fact, the staff forgot to mention it to us and we just remembered the last time when we saw one of the patron going toward it. The idea of a salsa bar is good, but first, tell your dinners and then write the name of the different salsa so people can know what it is as well as the degree of spiciness!

We did not go for dessert, although I wanted to try the cheese and caramel empanada. But the service was so slow that I was thinking that it would take forever to come. So we left...

It is clearly not the best Mexican restaurant, but it is a cheap alternative. Hopefully the slowness of the service was a one off...

Enjoy (I did)!

Hoboken Burrito aka Mission Burrito in Hoboken, New Jersey

Ok, it seems that this restaurant has two names: Mission Burrito and Hoboken Burrito. Whatever the name is, we were craving for mexican food that day and decided to order from them. It was not the first time and we knew that we would not regret it!

They have a large menu that proposes many standard dishes: fajita, burrito, taco, enchilada...

Each time we can, in a Mexican restaurant, we order guacamole. It better be good, because, not only do we have it as an appetizer, but we always have some in the dishes we order. I hate when they give you some already made one!

I want to taste the avocado and the freshness of the ingredients.

So we ordered some guacamole at Mission Burrito. It came with some tortilla chips.

The guacamole was good. Not the best I ever had, but good. I would think after tasting it that they make it fresh. I appreciated the fact that it was not too salty (happens sometimes with guacamole).

We then had the vegetarian tacos.

It was served with beans, salad, yellow rice, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. All in a hard shell taco. It was good and tasty, but the problem is that the tacos became mushy because of the salad and fell apart.

The last dish was a grilled chicken quesadilla.

It came with salad, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. I loved it! They put a lot of cheese and with the sour cream and guacamole, it was not dry at all. The chicken was nicely grilled, although a bit dry.

If you do not know what to eat and crave mexican food, Mission Burrito is a good, cheap alternative.

Enjoy (I did)!

Mexicana Mama in NYC, New York

We were walking in the West Village in New York when we saw this small colorful Mexican restaurant called Mexicana Mama. My wife already went there, but for me it was a first.

I liked the nice blue color of the walls and the tables with their tablecloth impressions full of colors. This is a small restaurant and you have a view on the also small kitchen.

The menu for lunch was made of a short list of dishes. I do not mind because sometimes, the more is on the menu the less the food is good: I prefer when the Chef or cook focusses on few items.


We started of course with some guacamole, served with fresh tortilla chips.

This was a great start! The guacamole was made fresh and was perfect. I noticed that a lot of restaurant have a tendency to over salt it. The tortilla chips were crispy and not greasy at all.

We then tried the goat cheese and avocado salad. The dressing was made with peppers: it was a nice touch. I only regret that there was not that much cheese in the salad.

The Quesadilla was delicious: it was two small corn tortillas filled with chile roasted pork. I really liked the flavors.

Last was the Tostada De Ave: chicken, fresh corn, grilled onions, and black beans tossed with a roasted red salsa. served on a fried corn tortilla and garnished with grilled panella cheese, avocado, fruit, and mexican cream. I really liked it. Mixing all the ingredients together gave this layering of distinctive delicious flavors. When reading all the ingredients, you would think that it is too much, but it works.

I liked eating at Mexicana Mama: the service was good and the food delicious. Definitely a good address in the West Village, with reasonable prices.

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!