Well. Let’s face it. There is literally nobody that doesn’t like Mexican food. At least I can’t imagine anyone. It has a little bit for everyone, no matter what you’re restrictions. Over the past couple of months, I’ve been seeking out a few Mexican restaurants with stellar reputations, and all three delivered on taste, creativity and hospitality. I strongly recommend them all. That’s besides the fact that they all having some amazing cocktails!
Oyamel
Oyamel is located in the Hudson Yards Building, which in and of itself is always a fun spot to visit. This restaurant is owned by José Andres, which means it’s an automatic yes for me. I have never had a bad meal at any of his restaurants. I went with my girlfriends on a late summer afternoon, sat at their great half inside/half outside seating, and we ordered a ton of food and drinks. What a great time we had.
We ended up ordering a whole array of small dishes, one better than the next. The lineup consisted of Camarones Al Mojo De Ago Negro (which are sautéed red shrimp with shallots, árbol Chile, poblano peppers, black garlic and lime). Outstanding. Next: Quesadillas De Chicharrones (pork belly quesadillas), also amazing. Then there was Suadero ( braised beef short ribs), there may have been a tug of war over these. Atun Pacifico was a delicious ceviche, and my personal favorite of that evening were the Frijoles Refritos, which are basically refried black beans with a Mexican crema. This was simple divine. I will go back as soon as the sun peeks out in the spring, I loved it! And please have a Watermelon Margarita, it was so, so delicious.
Covacha
The Upper West Side is one of my favorite areas in NYC, it’s so spacious and versatile, It just draws me in. Of course there are plenty of restaurants that are calling my name here, including Covacha, This restaurant has been recommended by the Michelin Guide, and I can see why. I had three dishes, one of them to go of course, I’m only human. All three were outstanding, and also immensely pretty! Guacamole Ashes is a very, very smooth Guacamole, and it served with blackened tortillas and Chile ashes. What? Lord have mercy, it was ridiculously good. So different, I loved it. Their Flautas are very popular, which means of course I had to try them. They are crunchy and delicious, served on two salsas (guajilla and tomatillo), visually stunning, and even more delicious. Pork Belly Carnitas? Hell yes. They are served with all the usual trimmings, and the porkbelcy is cut into little cubes, not withholding on the crunch. Probably best in town!
El Fish Marisqueria
This is another great restaurant located on the Upper West Side. This place is a little more fancy, and as the name suggests, El Fish focuses on seafood. Chef Medina brings us dishes from Ensenada, Mexico, refined and perfectly seasoned.The dishes I tried here were: Tuna Taquitos, made tartar with avocado mayo and chili oil, cute and delicious. Tacos de Langosta, which are essentially Lobster Tacos, and I’m here for them. Never had them with lobster, and here they are done right, withs salsa Macha, avocado and chipotle mayo, just excellent. Last I tried Fideo Seco, a dish made with Mexican noodles, lobster, black truffles and a creamy tomato chipotle sauce. It was the finest Mexican dish I ever had! Besides everything being very, very good, the plating was immaculate. What a great spot.
Leave a Reply