Bartaco

While the boys were golfing before a wedding this past weekend, the girls went off to do our own thing.  We got our nails done, we did a little shopping, and we stopped at a really cute restaurant for lunch.  It was hard to choose a place to eat in the West Hartford area - everything looked so great - but Marisa had been to Bartaco and vouched for it.

We all ordered the lunch special, which came with three small tacos and salad for $10.  It was the perfect amount of food and there were still plenty of tacos to choose from so you don't feel like they're taking away your lunch freedom.  I went with the chorizo, pork belly, and baja fish varieties.  All were good, but my favorite was probably the pork belly, which had a slightly sweet glaze.  We washed it all down with some tasty (and strong) margaritas.

With white washed walls, Bartaco almost feels more like a surf lodge than a Mexican cantina.  They've also got that laid back, helpful, surfer dude mentality going for them, too.  At each table, there's a box with a few sauces, menus (to order sushi-style), and card with their logo on it.  Instead of trying to hunt down the waitress, if you need anything, you just stick that card in its holder and she'll come back to help you out.  It's sort of like the stewardess buttons on airplanes.  It worked.  Our waitress came over immediately, with a smile on her face, and nobody was stressed about not feeling special.  You know what did feel special?  My tummy, after eating these yummy tacos.

MexiBBQ

There is no better way to celebrate a successful race completion than by brunching.  Hardcore, bottomless brunching, to be specific.  Since we were going to be in Astoria Sunday afternoon for Karina's birthday, we decided to do brunch in that neighborhood and picked MexiBBQ since they had a $16 bottomless deal.

I would say the menu is Mexican first, BBQ second.  But that doesn't mean the BBQ is absent...it's just used with restraint, like by adding brisket and jalapeno cornbread onto the eggs benedict, which also uses chipotle in the hollandaise.  Albert couldn't pass up a chance to order brisket so that's what he went with.  Beth and I both ordered the Hangover Cure.  Though neither of us were hungover, we had both just run 6.2 miles which left us in virtually the same hazy-eyed state as if we had partied all night.  This dish was basically a breakfast version of chilequiles.  Fried corn tortilla scraps are softened after sopping up sauce and then layered with salsa, chicken, and chorizo.  Then there are two fried eggs on top to make it more brunch appropriate.  It was huge enough that we could have shared, honestly.  Carbing up is always important when it comes to running, but it's more fun to carb up with tortillas than boring bread.

Cafe el Presidente

Usually places serving tiny and authentic tacos are tiny themselves.  Not Cafe el Presidente.  The Flatiron space feels more open than just about anything in NYC.  It's enough room to house a juice bar that I thought was for show until I tried the spiked sandia cocktail - fresh watermelon juice with tequila.  Que fresca!  (Did I use that right?  I only pretend to know espanol.)  Albert went with the spiked horchata cocktail and enjoyed it so much he had three of them, which is a lot for a guy who almost exclusively drinks beer.  It tasted like Christmas in a glass but it was thin like a caramel macchiato and served on ice so it still felt appropriate in the summer.

We tried the carne asada and the carnitas tacos.  Carnitas was my preferred taco, but when they're this small you really can order several different types and try them all which is why I recommend going with a group.  Whether it's a group dinner or date night (and we saw plenty of both), my biggest recommendation is to order the esquites.  Grilled corn with chipotle mayo and cotija cheese is a hugely popular side dish at taco restaurants but I am just not a fan of getting corn in my teeth and mayonnaise on my cheeks.  Not sexy.  This was the first time I've seen this type of corn cut off the cob and served in a cup.  You still get all the same toppings and the corn got a really spectacular char.  At $3.95 this is by far your best bet on the menu.

Gotham West Market

11th Avenue is a bit of a wasteland.  One of our partner agencies is over there and I've felt pretty bad for them when it came to their lunch options.  That is, until now when Gotham West Market opened.  Gotham West Market is an upscale food court on the ground floor of a luxury apartment building.  There are about 8 vendors there including Ivan Ramen, The Cannibal, and Blue Bottle Coffee.  There's also a Jeni's Splendid pop-up spot for your unique ice cream cravings.  Basically, you can hit up all the far-away restaurants the cool kids gush over in one fell swoop .  I, for one, am not going to travel to Brooklyn for coffee or Tokyo for ramen, but if their much praised brands are now a 17 minute walk from my office I am happy to check it out.

Some of the food is sold at above average lunch prices.  I don't know about you, but I'm not planning to spend $11 on a sandwich every day...but I'm not opposed to it every once in a while if it's a really good sandwich.  I gravitated toward Choza Taqueria because I was craving Mexican but also because I saw how much more convenient it would be to eat a burrito bowl with a fork in a meeting vs. slurping a bowl of soup or a getting my hands all messy with a sandwich.  Here, my bill came in at just over $9, making not much more expensive than Chipotle but with better ingredients (sorry to all the crazy Chipotle freakazoid sycophants out there).  I got the veggie version with zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and queso fresco.  All the ingredients were fresh and the plate wasn't super saucy so it didn't weigh me down.  I do recommend requesting a side of the sauce (like a chipotle aioli) that they put on their corn.  It kinda made the meal for me.

I had not really imagined a world where high end food courts were a thing.  But now that the concept is here, I don't hate it.

  

Pinches Tacos

Date nights don't have to be on weekends.  On Wednesday Albert asked if I wanted to hang out and even had the idea to grab a quick bite and go to a fun indie flick downtown.  It was so different from a typical Wednesday and embodied everything I love about this city.  We saw the kind of movie you wouldn't be able to catch in my small hometown in a theater where my oversized glasses were applauded.  We also made no firm plans on where to eat, knowing we were sure to find something amazing once we were in the neighborhood of the theater.

We ended up at Pinches Tacos, a small Mexican joint so close to the edge of the sidewalk that it's practically in the street.  I tried three different tacos: the braised pork, the split pork, and the chorizo.  Every one of them was delicious.  They're small so three was the perfect amount.  It's a good thing I filled up on the tacos because the one thing that didn't impress me was the order of yuca fries we got to share.  They tasted like frozen cafeteria french fries with no actual starch in the middle.  Just the fry shell - and not the good kind of fry.  Since the restaurant is called Pinches Tacos, I only have high hopes for their namesake product.  Unfortunate that the yuca wasn't my thing, but my primary expectation was met.

ABC Cocina

My meal at ABC Kitchen did not disappoint, so I had high hopes for ABC Cocina, the latest and greatest restaurant from the group.  I am happy to report that Jean-Georges has done it again.  And I should know because I ate half the menu.

We started with two of the waiter's recommendations, the spring pea guacamole and the cured salmon with yogurt and crispy potato strips.  He has been at the restaurant since it opened a year ago so he has tried everything they have to offer and was able to point us in the right direction.  One bite of the guac and we knew he would not lead us astray.  He became our ABC Cocina spirit guide.

The guac was still primarily avocado, but small touches like pea shoots and sunflower seeds made it better without alienating guacamole purists.  The salmon was also wonderful.  Not too salty and the extra yogurt was a great dip for the leftover tortilla chips.  Our spirit guide next told us to order the shrimp in "agua diablo".  It was a spicy ceviche style dish with the most interesting addition of banana.  It's just such a crazy pairing that it works (I think because it was just a touch of banana).  For our next dish we went with something our waiter did not directly point out - how dare we!  Thankfully, the calamari with ancho chili glaze (not pictured) was still a winner for our table.  That's definitely because the glaze had something like blackberries in it.  It didn't drench the squid and was enough to make a believer out of me, a gal who prefers not to order calamari as often since it's served just about everywhere.  Back on track with our waiter's recos we ordered the arroz con pollo, served family style like paella.  It takes 40 minutes to prepare so I suggest you put your order in when you sit down because it is the perfect dish to break up all the other tapas items.  The next round of dishes consisted of tacos (crispy fish and short rib - not pictured) and asparagus.  All were delicious though the asparagus felt a bit small.  I also thought the short rib tacos had some extra unnecessary spice.  For dessert the waiter told us not to order the "impossible" flan, as intrigued as I was.  He said it was the worst one on the menu and instead suggested the vanilla fritters and rice pudding.  He had been right throughout the whole meal so we stuck with him for dessert.  I didn't think the fritters were anything special (like a more liquid profiterole), but the rice pudding with raspberry preserves and (I think) candied orange peel was great.  I was pretty shocked by how much I liked it since I'm not really a rice pudding person.  I think I said the same thing about ABC Kitchen's sundae so I continue to be surprised by the ABC desserts.  Surprise is almost always a good thing when it comes to dining.

Tequila Park

Apparently I am the only person who works in Midtown West that didn't know about the rooftop at Hudson Hotel.  Not only does such a place exist, but it's a gorgeous space.  The roof looks alive with all the ivy growing through it and the furniture is substantial enough to be indoors so it doesn't feel like the afterthought flimsy patio furniture often is.

As the name would imply, Tequila Park specializes in tequila cocktails but they have a full bar so you can feel free to branch out beyond what is listed on the menu.  The only downside is that there is no waitress service even if you'd reserved a table.  You have to actually walk to the bar to order the [pricey] cocktails.  Not a huge inconvenience, but a little more difficult if you want to order food which can only be done at a separate bar.  The food, however, was good and worth sharing with your group.  We tried some tacos that were good, but what I would recommend is the guac and the nachos.  The guac itself is good but what makes it standout are the homemade tortilla chips.  The nachos then take those chips to the next level with a shrimp kimchi topping.  Sounds strange but it worked as some sort of Asian salsa.

If you happen to get rained out (as we almost did) the indoor area is just as nice though with a totally different library vibe with tall ceilings and a pool table.  The whole place manages to not feel like a typical hotel bar.

 

Calexico

I had some great ideas about how I would spend the Derby on Saturday.  I planned to gather all my fabulous friends, we'd wear fabulously dapper outfits, and we would have a fabulous party at a bar.  Unfortunately, pretty much all my friends were busy and/or out of town so the fabulous-ness was put on hold.  But then Albert came to the rescue with all sorts of great ideas, the first being lunch at Madison Square Eats, which just reopened this weekend.  

Now that Madison Square Eats has returned [for their 6th year], I feel like it's officially Spring.  The pop up food market has grown and added even more vendors this year, but my first stop had to be one of their original stalls.  Though Calexico was one of the first to join Madison Square Eats, I had never gone because the line was always so long.  Now that there are more options to choose from, the Calexico station stays packed but the wait is very manageable.    

I ordered the chipotle pork taco that looked small (especially for $5) but it was actually very filling.  I particularly liked the pickled onions on top but would have liked for the meat to be a bit spicier.  What it lacked in spice, however, it made up for in tenderness.  The meat was super juicy - you could tell it had spent a long time cooking.  

Taquito-lada Casserole

I've been looking for a good enchilada casserole recipe for a while but even the easiest ones seemed to take a little too long for a weeknight meal.  I didn't want to have to cook the meat first, then assemble, and then start cooking the whole thing in the oven.  Thankfully, Trader Joe's had me covered.  I found this recipe for taquito-lada casserole on their website and used it as my base.  I added a few extras to make it a bit heartier.

After layering their frozen beef taquitos in a dish, I added a can of black beans because I figured whatever meat was inside the taquitos would be on the minimal side and I wanted some extra protein.  Then I poured a bottle of enchilada sauce over the top (I love that this sauce comes bottled!).  Just before covering the whole thing with cheese, I added fire roasted green chiles for some sweet heat.  The assembly took a total of 5 minutes and the whole thing is only sitting in the oven (at 425) for 20 minutes.  Once it comes out, I strongly suggest adding a dollop of sour cream to the top.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's (and therefore no access to their taquitos, I suggest layering shredded rotisserie chicken on the bottom, top with corn tortillas, and then layer the rest as described above.

Mexican take-out is never as good as going to a restaurant, but I just can't be going out to eat all the time during the week - I don't have the dinero.  This is the perfect way to enjoy Mexican flavors at home during the week for little money and - even better - little clean-up.

      

Otto's Tacos

The bright orange sign made me wonder if it was legit, but Albert really wanted to check out Otto's Tacos.  I want to say the reason I agreed was solely because he asked me to, but the real reason was twofold: I started reading a lot of good reviews about their LA style tacos on homemade masa tortillas and I heard about a secret menu.  The reviews offered validation and the secret menu made me feel special.  Like I was a gatekeeper.  Don't tell me you wouldn't want that honor.

The menu is small but it's really all you need.  My favorite of the regular menu tacos was the shrimp.  The shrimp has been marinated to be a little tangy and spicy and it comes with a serrano crema that really set the whole thing off.  Thankfully, that crema also made it's way onto the Gorgon.  The Gorgon is the secret menu item at Otto's, but I'm telling you about it now so I guess the secret's out.  It's a deep fried taco that's much larger than the regular menu tacos so you won't need to order as much as you think.  The tortilla is puffed up like a greasy peacock and filled with carne asada (good char on the meat), guac, that crema, onions, and cilantro.  It may not be on the menu, but it's the best thing on the menu. Wink wink.

Gorgon in the back

Five Tacos

While we may have barely squeezed in our monthly restaurant picks in the past, Albert got in his December pick on the first of the month.  Every time we walked past Five Tacos we were on our way to another restaurant, but it looked good enough that I did a little research online.  That's where I discovered they had five different sauces for their tacos.  I love love love dipping sauces so I fully supported Albert's December restaurant choice.

We got four tacos - chicken, pork, beef, and chorizo - and split them all.  I was least excited about the chicken because it just sounded boring, but it ended up being my favorite of the four.  It's not the cubed chicken breast you find at most Mexican restaurants.  It is hand pulled and so tender.  We actually watched a guy pulling the chicken while we were eating.  He'd been at the task for an hour by the time we sat down and that time and effort showed in the final product.  My favorite of the sauces was the coconut curry masala.  These tacos are authentic - not fusion - but adding this sauce makes it different without overpowering the taco's Mexican identity.

$4 tacos and $4 beers.  And it's a pretty good selection for both.  The shop is small but its location on St. Mark's and A makes it great for takeout to Thompkins Square Park.  A little taco-to-go?  Don't mind if I do.

 

Carnitas Tacos

This year was the first year I had trick or treaters.  Ever.  When I was younger, I was always the one going door to door for candy and once I was old enough to stay home and answer the door, my family had moved to a house that stood all by itself.  No neighborhood means no trick or treaters.  After college, I lived in walk up buildings for five years so there was no opportunity to pass out candy.  When I moved into my current building, equipped with doorman, elevator, and all owned apartments, I thought last year would be my chance.  But no, Halloween was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.  I was devastated.  Thankfully I had about 15 pounds of leftover candy to ease the pain.  You'd think I was a pedophile based on how badly I want to hand out candy to children.

But this year was the year.  I was so excited to finally have costumed children knock on my door that I wanted to make a little event out of it.  I invited Albert over and we had taco night.  He brought chips, queso, and Mexican beers while I made carnitas (pulled pork) in the slow cooker.  I used this recipe as a base and made a few small tweaks like adding chopped onions and the juice of a lime.  It really did fall off the bone in the most delicious way.  It was the perfect recipe to cook because the crock pot did it's magic while I was at work so I didn't need to be in the kitchen when the kiddies came a knockin'.  All I had to do when I got home was prep the fixins.  For the side dish I threw some rice in the rice cooker and warmed up a can of black beans on the stove (adding salt, pepper, and my Mom's secret, dried oregano).  Then I filled lots of little bowls with taco toppers.  Avocado, tomato, sour cream, hot sauce - those are all standard.  There are a few more I highly recommend throwing out there to have a supreme taco bar: queso fresco (the white crumbly Mexican cheese), cilantro, and sliced radishes.  If you serve those ingredients with mini corn tortillas, your tacos will seem way more authentic.  Trust.

One parent taking her children around asked what we were cooking and told us three times how good it smelled.  I really thought I was going to have to set another place at the table.  If she thought it smelled good, it tasted that much better.  The meat was super flavorful but didn't require any ingredients uncommon to my pantry.  It's also a really cheap cut of meat so you can make this whole meal to serve four people for about $5/person.  The kids got candy, but this meal was a treat for us adults.  I use the term adult loosely.

Radish and Avocado Salad

Sometimes you want a salad but you don't want lettuce.  Know what I'm sayin?  You don't?  Come on, don't tell me that sometimes you wish you could have that cold, fresh, crispy, crunchy satisfaction you get from a salad without all the bulk of the lettuce base.  If the salad is meant as a starter, you don't want it to get so big and heavy that you're too full for the rest of the meal.  Nowwww you get where I'm coming from.  (Right?)

Just thinly cut radishes (or slice em on your mandolin if you're fancy pants) and spread them on a plate with some sliced avocado.  One is very crunchy and the other is very creamy.  Yin and yang.  Throw some cilantro on the top because that will make it all very Mexican.  If you're not a cilantro fan, leave it out - I know how polarizing it can be.  Mix some Greek yogurt with a squeeze of fresh lime and a few dashes of hot sauce.  Drizzle that over the whole thing as your salad dressing. Finally, crumble some cotoja cheese on top. 

If you tried this you would know you can still have the salad experience - a dang good one - without getting too filled up for the main course.  I hope this was life-changing for you.

Grilled Cheese Tacos

Thanks to some hard partying at a bachelorette party on Saturday night, I was unable to rally for Cinco de Mayo celebrations on Sunday.  My Cinco party was therefore significantly downsized.  There were no margaritas, maracas, or sombreros.  But there were tacos and we all know that's the most important part.

I'm sure you read the headline of this post and thought, "grilled cheese tacos...isn't that a quesadilla?"  I thought the same thing when I saw the recipe title but, no, once I read through the recipe I realized it's not a grilled taco.  It's actually cheese that has been sliced and placed directly on the grill to then be used as the filling of the taco.  It's important that you use Mexican grilling cheese (similar to that flaming saganaki cheese from Greek restaurants).  I also like to throw the tortillas on the grill to give them a nice char.  For toppings you just need some avocado slices and homemade pico de gallo.  Or store-bought; I won't judge.  My cheese slices didn't get the grill marks I was hoping for, but the taste exceeded my expectations.

Happy belated Cinco de Mayo!

Nachos

I was sitting at work the other day when it washed over me - a sudden craving for homemade nachos.  Of course, it would be a few days before I'd be able to turn this dream into reality, but that just made me want them all the more.  I wanted something a little better than the basic ground beef/shredded cheese kind but wasn't in the mood for a super funky take on the classic.  I stuck to the basic flavors but added a few stimulating adjustments.

I decided to go with chicken nachos but not just chopped, cooked chicken.  No way.  I decided I wanted tender, pulled chicken so it was time to pull down the crock pot.  All you need is one large chicken breast with a small can of diced tomatoes and the spice mix for taco seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano).  I also threw in a small chopped onion and jalapeno for good measure.  After 3 and a half hours on high, you've got some great pulled chicken.

I spread some tortilla chips on a tin foil covered cookie sheet and started assembling: chicken, black beans, corn, and shredded jalapeno peppadew cheddar that I found at Fairway.  It won't take long to cook so stick it in there at about 300 and by the time you've finished chopping your avocado and cilantro, the cheese will be melted.  Put your cool items on top of the nachos along with some sour cream and you're good to go.  Using fresh cilantro and a chopped avocado instead of tubbed guac makes a big difference in how fresh the meal tastes.  The chicken was great and since I have a ton leftover, I'll be incorporating it into my meals throughout the week.  Call Dionne Warwick because I'm seeing a rice bowl in my future.

This is the kind of food best eaten while watching sports but, unfortunately, none of my teams were playing when I wanted to eat.  But now I can confirm that nachos taste just as amazing when you're eating them while watching an ABC Family Original Movie.

Salvation Taco

The hot new spot in Murray Hill is without a doubt Salvation Taco.  It's interesting that April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman's restaurant is constantly packed because it is nothing like the places that typically attract crowds in Murray Hill, meaning they've actually paid attention to decor and food quality and have shied away from a frat house vibe.  This different vibe draws in all the people who would otherwise head down to the East Village for a trendy dinner.  I admit, that's usually what I do, but I like having a fun place just steps from my own apartment.

It's a Mexican joint, but I use that term loosely.  The Moroccan lamb on naan "taco" we tried should probably not be classified as such.  Did that make it any less delicious?  Not at all.  What's in a name?  A taco by any other name tastes just as good in my opinion.  The curry cauliflower taco took our taste buds in a completely different direction, this time with a homemade tortilla.  The curry flavor was not overpowering - more noticeable was the flavor of the cauliflower brought out by roasting it.  The tacos are two-biters so I would recommend getting a bunch of things to share.  My father immediately gravitated to the ceviche as a side dish.  I loved the inclusion of jicama as it added a new flavor beyond the accustomed citrus.  The pork rinds on top served as a reminder that the restaurant's roots are in re-mixed Mexican street food.  My pick was the pork belly and pineapple salad.  When I was lucky enough to form a perfect bite with a piece of pork belly, pineapple, and cilantro I was rewarded with a salty, sweet, juicy moment.  The last thing we ordered was sort of an add-on but was probably our favorite dish of the day.  The grilled lamb tongue torta used bread light enough for the delicate meat to stand out but crispy enough on the outside that it didn't fully break down when coated with a garlic herb oil.  I think the tortas may only be available during lunch so it's worth it to try this place midday.

Can Murray hill sustain a place so trendy?  Not sure, but I hope so.

Bonus: there are ping pong tables.

Chicken Taco Salad

When you want a big salad for a meal but are sick of the good old cobb, I highly recommend turning to taco salad. It's healthier than eating actual tacos and is full of protein.

I like using crisp lettuce for this, like romaine hearts. Instead of using ground beef, I decided to go with chicken to cut down on the fat. I covered nugget-sized pieces of chicken with a mix of garlic powder, chile powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne, and cumin (all the ingredients of taco seasoning that I already had in my pantry - no need to buy those packets!), drizzled with olive oil, and sautéed til it was cooked through (about 5 minutes). In a bowl, lightly toss canned black beans, canned corn, chopped tomato, onion, and avocado. I would have liked cilantro but the store was out (no worries, it tasted just as good). Cover a bed of lettuce with the corn/black bean/tomato/avocado mix as well as some shredded cheese (pepper jack or cheddar are good options). The chicken goes on last. Worried it won't feel like a taco without sour cream? The quick and easy homemade dressing you prepared will solve that issue. Greek yogurt will make you forget you wanted sour cream in the first place and it makes a great base for creamy dressings. Mix it with scallions and adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo. (Once you have a can of these, you'll find plenty of ways to use them). I had some buttermilk in the fridge from when I made biscuits so I used just a teeny bit to thin it out, but if you don't already have it there's no need to buy it for this recipe. The adobo sauce is spicy, a little sweet, and has great smoky flavor. This dressing takes the salad from good to great - and if you're going to compete with the Cobb, you better be great.

Salmon Tacos

If I'm able to cook a healthy, delicious dinner while I'm doing laundry and haven't even gotten back from the gym til 9:00 pm, I'd say that must be one worthwhile recipe.  Salmon tacos are just that.

I drizzled salmon with olive oil, topped it with chile powder, paprika, and cayenne, and stuck it in the oven to bake while I separated and loaded my laundry into the machines.  It still had some time left to cook after I started the wash so I prepped the toppings while it finished cooking.  I made a sauce by mixing greek yogurt, cilantro, lime, and salt.  I also chopped up an avocado.  I then ran down to put my clothes in the dryer and by the time I came upstairs, the salmon was ready to come out of the oven and the tacos were ready to be assembled.  

I would have preferred corn tortillas, but the store was out and flour worked just fine.  The yogurt sauce had all the sour flavor and creamy texture of sour cream with none of the guilt.  And avocado, well, avocado goes well on everything.

I may have decided to make this because I was in a rush and looking for something to keep my new year's resolution in tact, but I can tell you I'll make it even when health and time is not on my mind.

Mi Casa

After Allison broke her wrist on the first run of the ski trip, she got to pick the restaurant. A Train wanted Mexican so Mark whipped out the iPhone to compare the two Mexi restaurants on Yelp. Mi Casa won out as the best in Breck so off we went.

Mi Casa has all the usual Mexican dishes like quesadillas and tacos, but they've also added some Rocky Mountain touches like elk enchiladas (my father's choice) and buffalo fajitas. You know you're in Colorado when game is automatically added to the menu, regardless of cuisine.

We started with queso because, well, there was no way I would allow otherwise since it suspiciously doesn't exist in NYC. It was a great version with extra peppers to take it beyond the regular melted white cheese dip. My Mom and Allison shared the carnitas and cleared the plate. Mark got the shrimp diablo (pictured). It showed up murder-red so you knew it was going to be spicy. It packed some heat, but the polenta cake took your mind off of it a bit. I've never seen polenta in Mexican food, but I'm not going to kick it out of the club. I ordered the chorizo quesadillas and added mushrooms. I know there's not much to quesadillas, but I thought this was delicious. Perfect cheese to filling ratio with a nice drizzle of Serrano crema. This quesadilla didn't need mounds of sour cream, guac, and salsa to make it taste right. It was perfect as is.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that Mi Casa is Nuevo Latino, but they certainly gave traditional Mexican the mountain treatment. If I'm traveling all the way to Colorado, I want to infuse a little of the local pizazz into the food. It also gave Allison the opportunity to self medicate with margaritas and cervesas, which may be better than modern medicine.

Buford Highway: Queens in Atlanta

I know Jen was upset to leave New York, but she, Matt, and Avery have made themselves a beautiful life in Atlanta.  They told me one thing that eased the transition was seeing how close they were to Buford Highway.  Buford Highway is a sketchy area, but one that's worth visiting if you want authentic ethnic cuisine.  Matt and Jen are adventurous eaters and often ventured all over the city (usually in Queens) to find the most legit food so this felt like home to them.  It is a loooong strip of restaurants (mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mexican) so we ended up eating both lunch and dinner there on Sunday.

Our first meal was dim sum at Oriental Pearl.  It was just as good as the New York Chinatown restaurants, and nearly as busy.  For supper, we went to El Rey Del Taco for Mexican that went beyond the chicken/beef options.  We tried to get in as many different meats as possible (one taco each of tongue, cheek, and steak, a pork burrito, a chorizo quesadilla, and a mixed grill dish that had three meats including [most notably] bacon - that last one was pure hangover food in the best way possible.)  The food was greasy and delicious and came with an amazing green sauce that we poured over everything.

Atlanta has emerged as a premier dining city with all sorts of nouveau cuisine.  While it's nice that there is no shortage of unique restaurants for date night, girls night, or a birthday, I highly recommend you trek to Buford Highway when you're in the mood for something cheap and different.

Starting Avery out on chopsticks early