Featured Brunch: Hecho en Dumbo
Maryse Chevrière — July 09, 2010
Huevos Estrellados “Lucio” at Hecho en Dumbo.
It is possible to do a seven-day-a-week brunch, and a quality one at that. Those who scoff should pay a visit to Hecho en Dumbo, the fresh-faced, East Village, Mexican joint on the Bowery.
Replacing the typical Bloody Mary is a Michelada Cubana: Valentina salsa, Worcestershire sauce, Maggi seasoning, and fresh lime juice, cut with Bohemia lager. It’s spicy, but more refreshing than you’d expect. If that’s not quite your calling, the Margarita de Jamaica is highly recommended.
Featured Cocktail: Diablo Ricky at Diablo Royale Este
Maryse Chevrière — July 08, 2010
The Diablo Ricky at Diablo Royale Este.
We’ve officially reached that point in the summer where it’s almost too hot to function and the only thing you can think is: “I need a cold drink, and fast!” If you happen to be in the East Village, seek reprieve from the Heatpocalypse with a Diablo Ricky at Diablo Royale Este.
The cocktail ($8.00) should be well-familiar to fans of the original West Village outpost of this hip Mexican joint (in fact, they’re probably already inside, about to order round two). Part Dos Equis, part frozen margarita, it’s the ideal meeting of minds between the beer drinker and the cocktail lover. A little sweet, fizzy, and every bit as refreshing as you need it to be. This cocktail version of an ice cream float goes down so smooth. Good luck ordering just one.
Featured Dish: Chorizo Sopes at Hecho en Dumbo
Arthur Bovino — May 19, 2010
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Sopes de Chorizo at Hecho en Dumbo.
Hecho En Dumbo’s move to the Bowery automatically meant one thing, greater ease to get to one of its signature dishes, something that’s long been Always Hungry recommended: Sopes de Chorizo.
Featured Brunch: Cabrito
Maryse Chevrière — May 07, 2010
Biscuits and Gravy for brunch at Cabrito.
You’ve been to Cabrito for the eponymous dish, downed a Border Dog during one of its football parties last October, maybe you were even lucky enough to taste the Pata de Cerdo special. But if you haven’t been to Cabrito for brunch you’re missing out on yet another reason to be a fan.
The ever-crowded West Village spot fills up just as quickly on the weekend, but go on a Saturday around 12:00pm when they open and you won’t have a problem finding a seat. Choosing from the many tempting entrées, however, may prove more difficult.
AlwaysPartying: Cinco de Mayo
Maryse Chevrière — May 05, 2010
Happy Cinco de Mayo, time for a shot!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Last year, we celebrated with a four-stop Mexican restaurant crawl. Today we’re going bigger, compiling photographs of our favorite south-of-the-border dishes at some of the best Mexican and Latin restaurants in the City. From burritos, quesadillas, and guacamole to churros, and of course, margaritas— we’ve got it all.
Photographs of Some of the City's Best Mexican and Latin Dishes >>
AlwaysInvestigating: Testing the Dos Toros Quesadilla
Arthur Bovino — March 04, 2010
The Steak Quesadilla at Dos Toros Taqueria.
People have been talking about how good the quesadillas are at Dos Toros Taqueria. In early January, Oliver Strand called them “a marquee player.” Soon after, Ed Levine said, “I don’t think there is a better quesadilla to be had in all New York City.” We thought the same thing last November. But all this talk inspired the question: what are the City’s other great contenders?
Menupages puts the number of New York restaurants with ‘quesadilla’ on their menus at 860 (that only 468 are labeled Mexican may cause concern). Even crossing off Applebee’s and the like, determining the City’s best quesadilla would be daunting. After due diligence, we pitted seven steak renditions at well-regarded places against Dos Toros to see who might topple the quesadilla that would-be king.
AlwaysInvestigating: Latin Breakfast Sandwiches
Maryse Chevrière — January 18, 2010
Café Habana’s “Sloppy Pepe” with Pulled Pork, Two Eggs and Habanero Pickled Onions.
At the end of last year we predicted that the Mexican sandwich craze would make a big splash in 2010. As much as we love tortas and tacos, some of the best Latin sandwiches are served at breakfast. Here are three of our current favorites.
Café Habana’s Egg Sandwich with two scrambled eggs, lettuce, tomato, black beans and mayo on thick Cuban bread is arguably the best in class. Add bacon and a liberal amount of their excellent hot sauce to enhance the experience. It’s exactly what you’ve always wanted in a breakfast sandwich. The catch? It’s only available on weekdays. But there’s an equally good sandwich on the brunch menu. Advertised as a hangover cure, the “Sloppy Pepe” (above) is perfect after a big night out. Juices from the smoky pulled pork soak into the crusty bread and the runny yolks from the two sunny-side up eggs add the right amount of richness. But the Habanero pickled onions are what make this dish. A bright, sour note that leaves you salivating.
Click here to see our other favorite Latin breakfast sandwiches >>
Featured Brunch: Mesa Coyoacan
Arthur Bovino — November 20, 2009
Top, Azteca Soup. Left, Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs. Right, Molletes.
If you haven’t visited Mesa Coyoacan (view) for Ivan Garcia’s Grilled Cactus, Enchiladas Verdes, and Spiced Lamb in Avocado Leaves, you’ve missed out. If you have, you know this is some of New York City’s best Mexican food. For those who prefer their Mexican with margaritas, there’s new inspiration to visit— a full liquor license was recently approved and in addition to Micheladas, Mesa now serves more than 100 Tequilas and Mezcales, as well as seven different margaritas.
What you may not know is that Mesa also does a mean brunch. The menu features the addictive Esquites (corn kernels, epazote, chile, mayo and lime juice with cotija) from dinner, a strong Huevos Rancheros, a sweet Mexican spin on pancakes with cajeta (goat milk caramel spread), and the occasional Hallah Bread ‘Pan Frances’ covering standard brunch fare.
But there are three dishes to focus on at Mesa. The first is the Molletes, Mexican grilled bread with Black Beans, Oaxaca cheese, Chorizo and Pico de Gallo. It’s like a giant Mexican bruschetta. It would be a great appetizer to share before diving into the real move at Mesa: the Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs and Salsa Ranchera, followed by the Azteca Soup with Ancho Chile, Chile Guajillo, Queso Fresco and Avocado. They’re warm and spicy, but soft on the stomach and extremely satisfying.
For more pictures of dishes at Mesa Coyoacan check out its restaurant page here.
AlwaysPartying: National Guacamole Day
AlwaysHungry — November 13, 2009
Arcane’s Feroce D’Avocat: Bacalao Guacamole.
Tomorrow (11/14) is National Guacamole Day, and to celebrate, we’re shining the spotlight on one of the more interesting renditions we’ve eaten lately. We’ve enjoyed unique add-ins like beets and watermelon in the guacamoles at Mercadito Cantina, but Arcane’s (view) French Caribbean take, Bacalao Guacamole, was a pleasant surprise. A good guac needs a decent amount of salt and using bacalao accomplishes that while adding a hint of the sea. The texture is certainly different (creamy with a slight chew) and odd at first. But eaten on top of the soft, sweet, fried plantain rounds, it’s addictive.
Of course, whether you enjoy more out-of-the-box interpretations or prefer a classic tableside preparation, all you need to do is type ‘Guacamole’ into AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search Engine to find the best New York City has to offer.
Take a look at our guacamole recommendations before drinking margaritas make you forget what you were even celebrating in the first place.
AlwaysInformed: Cabrito’s Border Dogs
The Gluttoness — October 23, 2009
From top left, clockwise, Cabrito’s Border Dogs: Sonora Dog, Danger Dog and Lucha Libre Dog.
Cabrito (view) really knows how to use the flat-screen TVs they recently installed. No NY1 on these bad boys— they’re reserved for specialty events like Mexican Lucha Libre, the World Cup, and for now, football. Given Chef David Schuttenberg’s new promotional menu for his football parties, the combination of food and flat-screens may make this your new favorite Sunday hangout, especially if you enjoy eating while watching the game, but are tired of snacking on junk while surrounded by drunken frat boys at sports bars. Schuttenberg’s line of “Border Dogs” coincides with the ongoing hot dog craze, but it was his time in Tucson, Arizona (and a recent NPR article, The Sonoran Hotdog Crosses The Border), which inspired him to recreate the “Mexicanized” Sonora-style dogs.
Schuttenberg balances the Cabrito/Fatty profile (read: spicy/funky) with the regional flavors of Mexico. As per Sonoran custom, the dogs are wrapped in bacon. At Cabrito, Nathan’s (“because they’re New York”) are wrapped in bacon, Fatty ‘Cue’s smoked coriander bacon. Then they’re deep-fried. Rather than the dense, traditional bolio, Schuttenberg uses Martin’s Long Potato Rolls, which he coats in lardo then griddles. Each of the three border dogs ($8.00/each) are distinct. For him, the “Sonora Dog” represents home, the “Danger Dog” is about being a badass, and “Lucha Libre” is pure, artery-clogging gluttony.
AlwaysInformed: Market in Front, Taqueria in Back
The Gluttoness — October 20, 2009
Pollo ($2.50) and Al Pastor Tacos ($2.75/each).
Sometimes, you forget that the classics are there. You overlook little restaurant tidbits you’ve always known, not because you don’t remember or love them, but because you get distracted by shiny new things. So it is with the tacos in Midtown at Tehuitzingo (view).
Named after a small town in Mexico about 130 miles west of Veracruz, the awning for this unassuming hole-in-the-wall reads “Deli & Grocery,” and in case you’ve forgotten it, the neon “Mexican Food” sign doesn’t refer to the shelves full of mole and tortilla shells, but rather the legit taqueria in the tiny area in the rear with bar stools, a serious selection of hot sauces for the spice-inclined, and some of the best tacos in town.
Each of the cilantro and onion topped tacos gets the multiple tortilla treatment, which is handy when the juices start dripping after the first bite. In case you haven’t been or haven’t been in a while, none cost more than $3.00, and you can’t go wrong with safe bets like chicken, goat and roast pork. But of course there are also all the great sizzling offal options: Lengua (beef tongue), Sangre (goat tripe), Chicharron En Salsa Verde (Pork Skin), Suadero (Beef Belly), Oreja (Pork Ear) and Tripa (Pork Tripe).
And if the recent Times article got you interested in sugary, glass-bottled Mexican Coke, then the tacos aren’t the only reason to venture to this quiet stretch of 10th Avenue, the bebidas Mexicana are calling.
Making the Grade: Móle Review
Hank "The Scumbag" Lihn — October 06, 2009
Carne Asada tacos at Móle.
“It may shock you, but I’m going to give a stunning endorsement to Móle, the Allen Street Mexican spot tucked neatly beside the Lower East Side’s equivalent of a strip mall (a deli and a Domino’s). Approaching this small venue, you really don’t expect very much, despite the people you’ll occasionally see milling about outside it. But Móle possesses the earthen feeling of the cooking you’d get in your abuela’s home (if you had an abuela) juxtaposed against a “Wastin’ Away Again in Margaritaville,” aesthetic that pervades the space. It’s a one-two combination for blue collar culinary glory at its finest.”
AlwaysTraveling: L.A. Tacos (Los Angeles)
The Gluttoness — September 21, 2009
Los Angeles may be the land of glitz and glamour, but when it comes to food, we all know that the City of Angels is Taqueria Town. There are tons of authentic options, from free-standing originals to chains like King Taco, but newcomers are also shaking up the scene with international alternatives. Their prevalence even led one man to embark on The Great Taco Hunt, a lofty mission to taste and rate L.A. tacos in a quest to find the perfect one. During a recent trip, I conducted my own AlwaysHungry taco expedition, following a visit to the famed Tito’s Tacos with a stop at the nearest Kogi Truck (view site).
Clockwise from top left: Tito’s exterior, Tito’s Taco, Chili con Carne, Tostada.
Tito’s Tacos in Culver City is an inexpensive Mexican institution that has been preparing their top-secret recipes since 1959. Despite eight fast-moving windows for takeout and eat-in orders, long lines for this standard fare never let up. There are no frills and limited options. Tacos come with beef—don’t even think about substitutions.
While the name is Tito’s Tacos, the best thing on the menu is the Chili con Carne, which is slow-cooked for a decadent, heavily-spiced beefiness. Although the same beef fills the hard-shelled tacos, the proportion is overwhelmed by a flavorless helping of shredded lettuce. Refried Beans are topped with melted cheese and the Been & Cheese Tostadas are best eaten fast, before the crisp, underlying shell goes inconveniently soggy and becomes impossible to eat without utensils. The fresh Tomato Salsa is somewhat watery, needing both salt and pepper. Nothing at Titos’ is the best, and some of the stuff is barely average—it’s obvious that lifelong patrons have grown accustomed to the authentic, if underseasoned flavors.
FirstLook: Señor Tacombi
Arthur Bovino — September 11, 2009
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The Señor Tacombi truck served tacos to the fashionably hungry on Bond Street in front of The Smile.
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We swung by The Smile (restaurant page) last night to get a peek at the Señor Tacombi taco truck on Bond Street. As reported yesterday, it was stationed there for the Fashion’s Night Out (view site) event, which marked the beginning of New York Fashion Week.
The VW bus, which we were told was brought all the way from Playa del Carmen, Mexico, was prepped to hand out 1000 free tacos to a fashionable, taco-hungry crowd. There were two options (shown below) prepared by several chefs, including Nicholas Porcelli (right, displaying his “Cook Well” finger tattoos).
We should note that the Señor Tacombi website was revamped since our post last Friday and no longer features images of white lingerie-clad angels and cool flying pigs.
Roast Pork with Achiote topped with Pickled Onion and Mexican Oregano.
Grilled Cactus with Roasted Habanero Salsa.
AlwaysPartying: Tacombi’s First Night Out
Arthur Bovino — September 10, 2009
Señor Tacombi truck
It is confirmed— in a celebration of fashion, street carts and Mexican food, Aaron Sanchez’s food truck, Señor Tacombi will debut tonight on Bond Street as part of The Smile’s festivities to celebrate Fashion’s Night Out (view site). Food will begin being served at the truck at 8pm. Last week’s post noted previous menu items.
As if this weren’t enough, The Smile will also be hosting a Schaller & Webber sausage cart, and serving some of their own bruschetta as well. Basically, there is no question that 26 Bond Street is the place that any good eater will be tonight.
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