AlwaysPartying: Brooklyn Taco Experiment

Arthur Bovino — February 01, 2010

Clockwise from top: Mike McGowan’s Shredded Beef Rib, John Schnapp’s “Serious Business,” and Andrey Ayrapetov’s Carnitas.

Brooklyn Experiment founders, Nick Suarez and Theo Peck, were at it again this weekend, hosting a group of amateur chefs who competed in The Brooklyn Taco Experiment at The Bell House.

Tortilleria Chinanttla provided tortillas for the cooks, but some teams forewent them altogether, choosing instead to use flour tortillas, and the case of Lisa Koo, to make their own. For teams that used the sponsored tortillas, a not-insignificant hurdle was how they were prepared. Several entries seemed to have been served straight out of the plastic bag. Warming the tortillas made a difference, be they softened by steam, heated in a pan, or in some cases, submerged in the stewed juices of their topping.

The judges (Andrew Knowlton, Cesar Fuentes, and Dave Vendley of Calexico among them) gave top honors to Andrey Ayrapetov’s Carnitas. But the event’s attendants deemed that John Schnapp’s “Serious Business Taco” was worthy of the two tickets to Mexico (courtesy, AeroMexico). Our favorite was Mike McGowan’s meticulously-layered, Shredded Beef Rib Tacos. He served them with avocado mousse and Calabrian hot peppers.

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AlwaysInvestigating: Dokebi’s Korean Tacos

Arthur Bovino — January 21, 2010

Dokebi’s Braised Berkshire Pork Belly Taco with Sesame Leaf.

In October, Eater reported that Dokebi was serving Korean tacos. The more thought given to this, the more they needed to be checked out. Consider the following. Experts noted Williamsburg as one of 2009’s best dining neighborhoods. The trending of Korean food and tacos. Then there’s everyone’s hankering for the Kogi Truck. It’s a convergence of trends that could unlock the universe.

Click here for photographs of Korean Tacos at Williamsburg's Dokebi >>

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.

AlwaysInformed: Cabrito & Fatty Crab at Mad. Sq. Mark’t

The Hungry Goat — October 15, 2009

Chorizo Tacos by Cabrito and Fatty Crab’s ‘Fatty Dog.’

As Grub Street reported, Madison Square Park has upped its food game with a slew of pop-up vendors. Participants in Mad. Sq. Mark’t (view) include Hill Country, Wafels & Dinges and Ben & Jerry’s, but the real story is the stand shared by Fatty Crab (view) and Cabrito (view).

The Fatty Sliders and Fatty Dog were just as enjoyable as when we had them at the Upper West Side location when Fatty Crab opened, and the chorizo and al carbon tacos will certainly hit the spot if you have a craving (especially since going to Calexico in SoHo is a real time commitment). The stands will be up until November 1st, so if you’re a Flatiron luncher, it’s a must-visit, and surely a faster line situation than Shake Shack. Some pictures follow for your enjoyment.

Click Here for Fatty Pictures >>

AlwaysPartying: Epicurious’ Ultimate Lunch Break

The Gluttoness — September 30, 2009

From Hill Country BBQ Beef Sandwich with Cole Slaw and Sweet Pickles.

Epicurious Entertains NYC (view) began today, and the mega-event (calendar) featuring celebrity chef demos and tastings, with portions of the proceeds going to Feeding America and the NYC Food Bank, kicked off in Union Square with The Ultimate NYC Lunch Break. The sold-out affair lived up to its lofty moniker. The afternoon’s plentiful spread featured some of AlwaysHungryNY.com’s neighborhood lunchtime favorites, namely Tabla’s Chicken Tikka Frankie and Hill Country’s BBQ Beef Sandwich.

Celebrated chefs like Julian Medina and Seamus Mullen were on-hand to dish out their respective Pork and Pineapple Tacos and Lamb Bacon BLTs. Following Mermaid Inn’s Lobster Roll and Cafe Habana’s Cubano, the Treats Truck came through with an impressive array of sweets, the Pecan Butterscotch Bars being the best of the bunch. For twenty bucks, it won’t be easy to find lunch from this many great diverse restaurants in Manhattan.

Click Here for "The Ultimate Lunch Break's" Dish-by-Dish of >>

HungryChefs: StarChefs.com’s International Chefs Congress (Day One)

Arthur Bovino — September 21, 2009

Norman Van Aken, Charlie Trotter, Emeril Lagasse and panel moderator Clark Wolf.

AlwaysHungryNY.com attended Day One of StarChefs.com’s International Chefs Congress at the Park Avenue Armory on Sunday. Aside from tasty delights like “The Egg” by Le Bernadin’s pastry chef Michael Laiskonis, Rougié‘s seared foie gras, and a Leffe beer milkshake, there were noteworthy presentations. Events included panel discussions about food trucks and American cuisine, Chris Young and Dr. Nathan Myhrvold’s entrancing presentation of their upcoming book on modernist cooking techniques, and demonstrations by David Bouley (Sea Urchin Terrine), April Bloomfield (Pork Belly Roulade), and Pierre Gagnaire (Iron Chef-esque cooking challenge) among others.

Click for chef & food pictures from Sunday's StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress >>

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.

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FirstLook: Sagaponack Menu

The Hungry Goat — September 16, 2009

Somehow the poster images of lobster rolls and beaches at sunset in the windows of Sagaponack before it opened didn’t quite prepare us for their actual menu. AlwaysHungryNY.com got a hold of one this afternoon and we’re a little perplexed.

To illustrate, let’s play a little game of One of These Things Is Not Like The Others: homemade dumplings, authentic Korean-style pancake station, and a taco bar with nachos and hard or soft shell tacos. Sagaponack does have a lobster roll for $12.95, but judging by the rest of the menu, it’s not inspiring much confidence.

Click Here to see the Menu >>

FirstLook: Señor Tacombi

Arthur Bovino — September 11, 2009

The Señor Tacombi truck served tacos to the fashionably hungry on Bond Street in front of The Smile.

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.

AlwaysInformed: Señor Tacombi

Arthur Bovino — September 04, 2009

Señor Tacombi, a Mexican street taco concept from Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

There have been rumblings that Aaron Sanchez might be working on a food truck and now, it seems, things may be coming together. Señor Tacombi (view site) is a taqueria concept that has been operating in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for about three and a half years. It’s a taco stand fashioned with a 1960’s VW bus. We’ve heard that the founder, Dario Wolos Cantu, has partnered with Myriad Restaurant Group and Aaron Sanchez (of Centrico), who will supposedly be taking care of the taco and Mexican street food menu. Here’s the catch, as we understand it, while the bus could be moved for events, it’s not going to be a mobile concept.

Most of the website is in Spanish, but amidst images of white lingerie-wearing angels and Mexican-wrestling-mask and white business suit-wearing men, the concept seems to be traditional Mexican street tacos with quality ingredients. The menu (with magic mushrooms and flying, cape-wearing pigs) of these self-proclaimed “LOS HIJOS DEL MAÍZ” (Children of the Corn) has featured:

Fish Tacos: Herb-breaded grouper and shrimp, fresh ceviche with lime, Pico de gallo and olive oil.
Veggie Tacos: “Magic Mushrooms,” queca pacheca, beans, corn and slices of cheese.
Beef: Flank steak, with green pepper and onion.
Pork: Cochinita pibil and carnitas
Chicken: “Chicken Locochón,” shredded chicken breast in tomato sauce, chipotle and onion.

AlwaysInvestigating: Plaza Mexico Doña Zita’s Cemita Poblana

Josh Kaplan — September 01, 2009

Plaza Mexico Doña Zita’s Chorizo Cemita Poblana, $8.

Tucked away on an inconspicuous corner of what used to be Astroland in Coney Island (on Bowery Street at Henderson Walk, view map), a half block from Stillwell Avenue, is a humble stand called Plaza Mexico Doña Zita. Besides two show-stealing condiments (their Salsa Fresca and an intense Tomatillo Cilantro Sauce), there’s nothing out of the ordinary as far as the competent Chicken, BBQ Pork and Chorizo tacos go. But the real reason to skip Nathan’s Famous Frankfurters is a sandwich, Doña Zita’s Cemita Poblana.

The Cemita is said to originate from Puebla. It traditionally includes sliced avocados, meat, cheese, onions and salsa roja on a sesame-seed egg roll. The incarnation offered by Plaza Mexico (advertised as a torta) is spectacular— a teetering tower of beautifully-balanced flavors and textures.

The bun is slathered with pinto bean paste and fried on the griddle. Next, Doña Zita’s greasy chorizo is laid as a foundation for thin slices of avocado, tomatoes, and jalapeño wedges. It’s all topped off with a fat, stringy nest of milky white quesillo, a popular Mexican string cheese (also known as Queso Oaxaca) that has the texture of mozzarella, and shredded lettuce. When you bite into the sandwich, the cheese acts as a cold, juicy, chewy element that melds with the grilled chorizo to form a melted, integrated bite— it’s a vision of Mexican street food.

OnlyLook: Lucy Browne’s

The Gluttoness — August 04, 2009

The “Big O’ Burger,” described as a “secret blend crusted with sweet shallot,” $12.00.

For a restaurant to be significant, for it to be “approved” and included in AlwaysHungryNY.com’s quality-controlled, Very Advanced Search Engine, it must first be thoroughly investigated. Lucy Browne’s (view site) came onto our radar when our friend, Josh Ozersky (aka The Feedbag), got involved in the transformation of the former Steak Frites space into a comfort food eatery with the creation of his signature “Big O’ Burger.”

Thanksgiving on a Roll, $13.50.

We’ll get to the burger in a moment. Let’s start by saying, that if we had only tasted the Thanksgiving on a Roll, our experience may have amounted to a FirstLook, a glimpse into a new AHNY-approved eatery. The soft Balthazar roll housed a well-proportioned mix of holiday staples: stuffing, gravy, juicy slabs of turkey, and an authoritative cranberry sauce speckled with fruity gems. The accompanying mountain of French fries were commendable as well, impressively crisp. Their presence was the only thing that ultimately saved our unsatisfied palates as we waded through the other dishes.

Continue reading about AlwaysHungryNY.com's first, and only look at Lucy Browne's. >>

AlwaysInvestigating: Native Tongues

The Gluttoness — August 03, 2009

Growing up Jewish, tongue was often part of my deli experience (especially when Nanny ordered it). But not until I moved to New York did I realize it was an globally respected ingredient. Recently, I tried four international preparations, starting at Katz’s Deli, which specializes in my native tongue.

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AlwaysPartying: 2nd Annual Pig Roast & Dance Party

The Hungry Goat — July 28, 2009

A platter with two pork tacos, vegetarian Mexi-Slaw and Sofrito rice

Sunday’s 2nd Annual Pig Roast & Dance Party proved that it takes a lot to get between swine enthusiasts and cheap pork tacos.

Hundreds of partygoers crammed into the 3rd Ward arts and design center (view site) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to brave a snaking, hour-long line and peek-a-boo thunderstorms for a taste of a glistening whole roast pig. It was served in the courtyard after being prepared and artfully carved by Eric Sherman of Marlow & Sons (restaurant page) and Tom Mylan (Marlow’s soon to be ex-butcher).

It’s arguable that inhaling the smell of roast pig in a cramped space would make anything taste good, but these tacos actually were delicious. The moist, fatty meat was accompanied by a biting salsa verde (though early birds benefited from more generous portions and better cuts). Pork tacos went for $3, but the $9 platter was a better deal: two tacos and the choice of two sides. The Sofrito Rice was disappointingly bland, but the crunchy, tangy vegetarian Mexi-Slaw and creamy black beans were impressive (excellent for bulking up the tacos). Having eaten, it seemed everyone felt a little more free to let loose and enjoy the live music. Perhaps next year’s 3rd Annual Pig Roast should feature two hogs—surely everyone would have opted for seconds.

Featured Restaurant: Mercadito Cantina

Arthur Bovino — June 22, 2009

Estilo Baja Tacos (Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos with Roasted Habanero, Avocado Cole Slaw)

Recently, we were invited to an enjoyable meal in the East Village at the Cantina branch of Chef/Owner Patricio Sandoval’s Mercadito trio.

Chef Sandoval is known for adding flair to his guacamoles and tacos. We liked the Sandía Guacamole with watermelon, and the Betabel, with beets, pickled jalapeños, and toasted, spiced pepitas. A notable appetizer was the Crispy Corn Bread Bites with three salsas: Cacahuate (Grilled Tomato, Toasted Peanuts, Chile de Árbol and Chile Guajillo), Verde (Tomatillo, Chile Serrano, Caramelized Red Onion, Cilantro) and Veracruzana (Roasted Tomato, Bell Pepper and Pickled Jalapeños). Of the several tacos we tried, the Estilo Baja Tacos (above) were the best.

Two side notes, if you’re going to this taqueria with a group of hungry people, it might make more sense to order the Taquiza, tacos (Barbacoa, Carne Asada or Carnitas) by the ¼ or ½-kilo. And if you like drinking tequila but hate the hangovers, try Mercadito’s Tric-quila, their workaround (house-brewed sake made to mimic tequila’s flavor) for not having a license to serve liquor.

Check out the pictures from our meal on Mercadito’s restaurant page here.