This Stuff's Made in New York City!
As a culinary knight errant, I’ve long sworn fealty to certain California Mexican food establishments — the finest eatery overall is Taco Mesa, the best burrito can be found in San Luis Obispo at Chile Peppers, and I’ll be blanket tossed if there’s a better chile relleno than those served by Las Golondrinas, where the chicken enchiladas are also well worth your while. Lest I come off as an Orange County partisan, I hasten to add that El Conquistador on Sunset Boulevard just east of the 101 Freeway offers by far the best metro LA margarita (and that Albuquerque denizens might try the Territorial House).
In the course of spreading this message, I’ve lived for stints in Paris, Seville, Washington DC and New York City. None offered any Mexican establishments I’d patronize were they plopped down in California, a fact that particularly grated in Manhattan. How hard is it to make a good taco? Why was I forced to spend my graduate school years — a time so amenable to burritos, nachos and fine tequila — in a city that offered everything an urban dweller could want save South of the Border cuisine? (And don’t even get me started on the abomination of combination Mexican/Chinese takeout.)
But I was wrong! Though I suffered through more subpar, overpriced Mexican meals than I care to remember, venturing as far as Queens and Jersey City, and annoying friends by constantly tilting at the local fare, I’ve just now discovered a Manhattan taco worth eating — were it plopped down at the end of the Santa Monica Pier I’d pay for parking, brave the crowds and walk the planks for the pleasure of eating there again and again. The establishment is Pampano Taqueria, where 7 varieties of hearty tacos are offered for around $3 apiece. So far I’ve sampled the Carne Asada, the Pescado, and the Alambre. All excellent, as are the three fresh salsas on offer, one of which is legitimately spicy!
Directions: Get consulting gig that forces you to work, and thus eat lunch, in midtown Manhattan. At breakfast, get fruit cup and breakfast sandwich at the ingenious-if-your-expenses-are-being-covered Pret A Manger, an establishment that would vanquish Starbucks if not for the recession, and that might anyway. This start to the day will allow you to take a late lunch, avoiding the awful crowds that swarm Midtown East at noontime. Exit your building around 1:15 pm, take a left on 3rd Avenue, walk north past 48th street, and start looking on the east side of the street for a nameless building at 805 Third Avenue. Enter through the revolving door, look quizzically at the office workers and security guards, turn right through another door and descend the escalator to the food court in the downstairs atrium.
Dude – are you working around the corner from me and I don’t know it?
— Noah Millman · Apr 1, 05:07 PM · #
They also have a restaurant on 49th near Third and one in Mexico City in Polanco. I’ve never been to the Tacqueria that you mention and I don’t know jack about Mexican food, but I thought the restaurant in Mexico City was pretty awesome and the one in New York was good.
— Bobar · Apr 1, 05:28 PM · #
I grew up in SoCal, but made many trips back to NYC before moving here 15 years ago; and yes, it used to be impossible to find good mexican food in NYC.
But no more. Mexicans started coming on as a noticeable immigrant group about 20 years ago, and about 10-12 years ago good burrito/taco joints started popping. La Paloma is around the corner from our place on 45th just east of Ninth. As good as anything you’ll find back in Socal.
That’s more or less the NY story. A few years after each new wave of immigrants there’s a new wave of delicious places to eat.
— Tony Comstock · Apr 1, 05:36 PM · #
The restaurant, Pampano, is excellent as well. Right next door to where Conor describes the Taqueria.
— right · Apr 1, 05:39 PM · #
I agree with DC proper having little to offer, but the Virginia suburbs had some good Mexican food. There used to be a place way down Route 1, almost to fort belvoire, called Taco Jalisco that had some good food.
One Mexican food complaint about Mexican food in general, I’ve never found a place in the States that offers anything like the good street food from the North, especially the gorditas you see in Monterrey or Cuencame or Torreón. Lonches de carnitas too. Maybe it’s different in Texas, but the Mexican food in Chicago, St. Louis, Washington, and what little of it I know in New York seems to be either more general (i.e. tacos del pastor and burritos of carne con chile) or more southern (mole poblano).
— Patrick · Apr 1, 06:39 PM · #
How’s the trip?
— Freddie · Apr 1, 06:40 PM · #
In preparation for what I hope to be the best honeymoon ever, I recently purchased The Route 66 Adventure Handbook by Drew Knowles, which states, in the intro to the chapter on New Mexico
So while certainly “impure,” Mexican-Chinese eateries are in fact the soul of southwest authenticity! At least anecdotally, which is always the
bestmost interesting type of evidence.— Blar · Apr 1, 06:50 PM · #
Blar, my objection is specifically to New York City Mexican/Chinese restaurants, having not seen them anywhere else, though I can’t say the combination sounds promising.
Noah, I am working nearby this week, and maybe in certain future weeks, though it isn’t a full time gig. But assuming it continues we ought to get together one day.
Freddie, I leave for the x-country trip Sunday.
— Conor Friedersdorf · Apr 1, 06:54 PM · #
Generally speaking the tacos at the MexiChin places are more like the tacos you’d get in Mexico than the crunchy thing that Americans call tacos.
US Mexican is delicious, but should in no way be mistaken for Mexican Mexican, and in any case Mexican Mexican doesn’t really exist. Other than the tortilla, Mexican cuisine is incredibly diverse. Even with the tortilla, there are strong regional preferences for corn or flour.
— Tony Comstock · Apr 1, 07:32 PM · #
Pret a Manger = shrimp sandwich WIN
— James · Apr 1, 08:17 PM · #
I can’t imagine living without good Mexican food. Finding it at last must bring joy to your heart.
— Joules · Apr 1, 09:56 PM · #
For what it’s worth, I would also prefer not to get my tacos from Chinese restaurants. Just that the coincidence amused me, and that you might be relieved to know that such phenomena are not isolated in New York.
— Blar · Apr 2, 03:30 AM · #
Conor: this probably isn’t the best way to reach you. My email is on the “about” section of the site. Email me if you’re interested in getting a quick one before you leave town.
— Noah Millman · Apr 2, 05:27 PM · #
I ate at Taco Mesa on Sunday and found it, well, meh. Always find it that way but kids eat for a dollar on Sundays and the outside seating (hey the dog can can join us!) is hard to beat.
— Suzanne · Apr 3, 05:24 AM · #
El Paso Taqueria, 104th and Lexington. (http://www.elpasotaqueria.com/index.html) I’ve lived here two years and probably have eaten there 40 times. Great tacos, even better burritos. Great selection as well.
Tony C is right, in particular Spanish Harlem is getting more Mexican by the month
— Andrew Fly · Apr 4, 02:33 AM · #