Great Mexican in the city
I love love love Mexican food, and besides In-N-Out, that's probably what I miss the most from LA.
Any ideas on where to get great Mexican food in Manhattan?
El Parador Cafe is very good. I recommend to anyone that likes Mexican.
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17 Comments:
mexicana mama, very tiny but i remember it being good.
525 Hudson St., New York, NY, 10014
nr. Charles St.
212-924-4119
sweetpotato at 2:16PM on 10/01/08
For something upscale, I've had wonderful food and drinks at Los Dados in the meatpacking district.
For something more down-home, Pinche Taqueria on Mott St. is fabulous.
jbeach at 2:20PM on 10/01/08
La Palapa on St. Marks Place is superb. They get the basics right: the salsas and rice and beans alone are great, and going up from there the appetizers, entrees and drinks are really good.
I'm from L.A. and always crave the basic combo plate with rice and beans ideal... La Palapa has higher aspirations but still satisfies my base desires as well as succeeding in its ambitions.
danlevy at 5:30PM on 10/01/08
You need to go to Queens- near the Roosevelt Avenue stop for very authentic mexican food from many regions. You can find everything from tongue tacos to squash flower quesadillas. As for "California" being the barometer for Mexican food- open your eyes. There are many many different types of Mexican food in present day Mexico and they differ from what is served in California.
I can understand waxing poetic about in and out, I can even understand missing Carls Juniors... but if you the food prepared in California as the height of Mexican food, understand that you are talking about California Mexican- which is unique. It is another branch of Mexican food.
California was Mexico before it was the United States and distinct styles of Mexican food have developed there. Whereas California border Mexican is its own style of Mexican food (everything out on the plate in, the use of refried beans for example, a thinner hot sauce, spiced rice, Ranchera sauce) - in the San Francisco region it is mixed with other influences (using green and red peppers common in European food, rolling everything, including rice and beans into a burrito).
Remember each region of Mexico has its own cuisine.
When I moved from California to NYC ten years ago there were very few Mexicans. Most Mexican restaurants were labeled "Tex-Mex" and run by Koreans. Starting a couple of years ago Mexicans numbered the largest influx of Spanish speaking immigrants to the city! In NYC you can l find very authentic Mexican cuisine from Veracruz, from Puebla, from Michoacan. All have different dishes and spices. Very diverse cuisine.
Also, it does not have to be Rosa Mexicana or Zona Rosa to be gourmet. I have found some places in queens that don't have much money for their decor, but care very much about the freshness of their food.
As an aside, the last time I was in Mexico City, I met a chef from the states who had been brousing through the markets to acquire ideas for a cookbook.
walnuts at 5:38PM on 10/01/08
i always have a good time at dos caminos. they have tableside guacamole, good tacos and really fun drinks. it is a good place to go with a group too. i like to go to the one down on houston and sit outside when it is nice out. zarela is also good.
thefoodie377 at 9:30PM on 10/01/08
Thanks for your input. My experience with Mexican food, I'm afraid, is limited to LA-Mexican, but I love it nonetheless. And I feel like a lot Mexican restaurants in the city have that flavor, but don't quite get there.
Any specific restaurants / dishes you would recommend?
In any case, I need some more Mexican locations to check out!
sushiburger at 9:34PM on 10/01/08
papatzul, i think in soho, is pretty good and their sangria is amazing. also, grand morelos in williamsburg is very reliable.
billyburgwife at 10:29PM on 10/01/08
Check out Pinche Taqueria in NoLIta...great tacos for $2.75 a pop, killer horchata, and house-cooked carnitas that are out of this world..
http://www.ubereater.com/2008/06/tijuana-comes-to-nolita-at-pinche.html
www.ubereater.com
The Ubereater
Ubereater at 10:06AM on 10/02/08
I find Dos Caminos to be an overpriced scenester spot that focuses more on the cocktails than the underwhelming food (though I do love that guac). La Esquina and Barrio Chino are also scenester spots, but tasty and reasonable. My current fave is Pinche Taqueria for fish tacos, to second all the others. If you're out in Brooklyn, I like La Taqueria on 7th Ave in Park Slope for giant SF-style burritos and Tacos Nuevo Mexico on 5th ave and 12th for no-frills tacos. Alma on Columbia Street has great mole and views of Manhattan. It's a terrific neighborhood place that's worth the trip.
ScienceMike at 10:48AM on 10/02/08
Ugh, Los Dados is awful. I went as a VIP and got extra dishes and it still sucked. Wants to be La Esquina but the food is so piss poor and the scene isn't good either.
For upscale Mexican I dig Rocking Horse Cafe and Zarela. I highly recommend the jalapeno brisket with smoked tomato lime sauce at RHC, I had it the other night and ate well beyond the point of being stuffed.
Big B at 12:00PM on 10/02/08
A hidden gem (though by no means authentic) is Itzocan Cafe in the E.Village.
It calls itself Mexican/French. But it's quite good for reasonable prices. Look it up, I think it has a loyal following.
pickle at 12:25PM on 10/02/08
papatzul is not what you're looking for if you're looking for good authentic mexican or california mexican.
tudogostoso at 12:49PM on 10/02/08
Maz Mezcal on 86th between 1st and 2nd has been my Mexican hot spot for at least the last decade. It has the perfect combination of gourmet, "real" Mexican food approach paired with phenomenal enchiladas, and burritos, fajitas, etc. You have to try the vegetariano, and the arroz con calamares. Also the enchiladas con camarones. So good!
Kerry Saretsky at 12:56PM on 10/03/08
The best Mexican I've had is in Cypress Hills, at Mariachi Taco, a place owned and operated by Chinese. It is one of a number of "we make your tortillas fresh" Chinese-run Mexican places in town. They charbroil the marinated chicken and steak they load on your tacos and burritos. This delicious meat can be ordered ala carte in a large $5 serving.
In NYC Mexican places run by Mexicans, I keep running into Velveeta and Kraft American processed cheese food in particular, and careless preparation in general. This seems to be a serious hazard here. Thanks for the suggestions, folks.
OATIE at 1:08PM on 10/03/08
When I first moved to NYC (1984), I craved Mexican food and was delighted when I finally discovered a Mexican restaurant. I ordered cheese enchaladas with a mole sauce. I was served cheese enchaladas but I swear the mole sauce was Hershey's chocolate syrup.
Although I no longer live there, it sounds as if NYC Mexican restaurants have come a long way.
smckinney at 5:34PM on 10/03/08
P.S. The "older" Mexican places in NYC are mostly Domnican!
However, there is a fresh tortilla factory in Bushwick. They make tortillas but serve lunch, tacos outside on a bench with fresh pico de gallo, beef, chicken and maybe pork. (i think it is on Starr street, just as you come out of the subway)
walnuts at 11:58PM on 10/03/08
I like Downtown Bakery on 1st ave in the East Village. Pretty authentic.
maggiej at 2:45PM on 10/12/08