Taco Hop, Part I: Lend me your ear ...
Just as (I'm sure) the rest of the country rolls its eyes whenever New Yorkers bemoan the lack of a decent pizza* outside their home turf, it has long been my experience that, whenever I talk food with a transplanted Californian, the conversation will inevitably turn to the supposed lack of decent Mexican food in New York.
I've never been terrifically fond of that remark, not just because I'm just a testy and defensive person, but more because there are just so many different types of Mexican food. Besides, there's been a noticeable boom in the Mexican population here as of late, and I am hereby officially declaring our West Coast friends' statements obsolete.
So I took it upon myself to put this myth to bed, or at least make it a little drowsy, by taco-hopping (well, not just tacos, but you get the idea) some old standbys, and checking out some new places Uptown and in Jackson Heights. A report on the latter two will come in the future.
South of 96th Street, I tend to gravitate towards three places. The Zaragoza deli in the East Village (not to be confused with the Zaragosa restaurant in East Harlem), the taco truck on 14th Street and 8th Avenue, and the Tehuitzingo Deli Grocery on 10th in Hell's Kitchen (What the hell is "Clinton?").
Tehuitzingo, carved out in the back of a narrow Mexican grocery, is easily my favorite of the three. The kitchen staff usually doesn't speak much English, but there is a beat-up English menu with obscure treats like pumpkin flower quesadillas in addition to the standard taqueria fare. I couldn't resist the allure of the succulent barbacoa (goat), perfectly dressed with a sprinkle of onions, cilantro, and lime. All the tacos are made to order.
Also enticing is the taco truck on the northeast corner of 14th Street and 8th Avenue, which seems to get there around 8 or 9 p.m. all week. They've got a pretty elaborate setup for what it is, even offering grilled sopes and a quesadilla that almost looked like a deep-fried gyro. I was encouraged by the Mexican-accented Spanish I heard from the steady stream of customers, so I opted for an asada, a chorizo, and an oreja (that's pig ear) taco. The first two, alas, was rather dry, and the included lime wedge was a little bare. The oreja, however, was rich and silky, reminding me of the texture of cabeza, which I don't see as often as I'd like to. If you don't mind biting into the occasional layer of firm, chewy skin, it's a perfect drunk food.
Which brings me to my last favorite, Zaragoza. This is another grocery-cum-taqueria, but (alas) does not make its tacos to order. Still, it's in the middle of the East Village, it stays open very, very late (I've eaten there after the bars have closed), has a rotating menu of three or four options, and always has the friendliest folks inside. It beats a slice in that neighborhood anytime, so maybe we don't need to bemoan the lack of a decent pizza so much, even in our own turf.
Tehuitzingo Deli Grocery (map)
695 10th Ave. b/n 47th and 48th St.
14th Street taco truck (map)
14th St. and 8th Ave.
Zaragoza Mexican Deli and Grocery (map)
215 Avenue A at 13th St.
* I actually say the best pizza in New York is in New Haven, but I'll save the details on that for another time.
I've never been terrifically fond of that remark, not just because I'm just a testy and defensive person, but more because there are just so many different types of Mexican food. Besides, there's been a noticeable boom in the Mexican population here as of late, and I am hereby officially declaring our West Coast friends' statements obsolete.
So I took it upon myself to put this myth to bed, or at least make it a little drowsy, by taco-hopping (well, not just tacos, but you get the idea) some old standbys, and checking out some new places Uptown and in Jackson Heights. A report on the latter two will come in the future.
South of 96th Street, I tend to gravitate towards three places. The Zaragoza deli in the East Village (not to be confused with the Zaragosa restaurant in East Harlem), the taco truck on 14th Street and 8th Avenue, and the Tehuitzingo Deli Grocery on 10th in Hell's Kitchen (What the hell is "Clinton?").
Tehuitzingo, carved out in the back of a narrow Mexican grocery, is easily my favorite of the three. The kitchen staff usually doesn't speak much English, but there is a beat-up English menu with obscure treats like pumpkin flower quesadillas in addition to the standard taqueria fare. I couldn't resist the allure of the succulent barbacoa (goat), perfectly dressed with a sprinkle of onions, cilantro, and lime. All the tacos are made to order.
Also enticing is the taco truck on the northeast corner of 14th Street and 8th Avenue, which seems to get there around 8 or 9 p.m. all week. They've got a pretty elaborate setup for what it is, even offering grilled sopes and a quesadilla that almost looked like a deep-fried gyro. I was encouraged by the Mexican-accented Spanish I heard from the steady stream of customers, so I opted for an asada, a chorizo, and an oreja (that's pig ear) taco. The first two, alas, was rather dry, and the included lime wedge was a little bare. The oreja, however, was rich and silky, reminding me of the texture of cabeza, which I don't see as often as I'd like to. If you don't mind biting into the occasional layer of firm, chewy skin, it's a perfect drunk food.
Which brings me to my last favorite, Zaragoza. This is another grocery-cum-taqueria, but (alas) does not make its tacos to order. Still, it's in the middle of the East Village, it stays open very, very late (I've eaten there after the bars have closed), has a rotating menu of three or four options, and always has the friendliest folks inside. It beats a slice in that neighborhood anytime, so maybe we don't need to bemoan the lack of a decent pizza so much, even in our own turf.
Tehuitzingo Deli Grocery (map)
695 10th Ave. b/n 47th and 48th St.
14th Street taco truck (map)
14th St. and 8th Ave.
Zaragoza Mexican Deli and Grocery (map)
215 Avenue A at 13th St.
* I actually say the best pizza in New York is in New Haven, but I'll save the details on that for another time.
posted by Dave Lee at 1:02 PM
1 Comments:
I adore Tehuitzingo! I used to live less than a block away from it and I loved the fact that it was cooked per order and the ladies in the back made it feel so home-made. The local mexican workers eating, drinking and watching the latest teledrama made it truly feel like a local place, not some supped up, slicked back mexican restaurant. Authentic food, authentic atmosphere. I miss it terribly...wish i was back in NYC.
Post a Comment
<< Home