MexiQ Charms Us Again

After watching a healthy dose of football last weekend, Dan and I paid a visit to MexiQ, the Mexican-BBQ fusion joint on 30th Avenue.  Having been there once before, and really enjoying the food, I wanted to introduce it to Dan, who I knew would love it.  Assumption confirmed...we got ourselves a convert. 

Here are some of the yummies we tried that night:

Crispy Pork Guacamole - Wanting to try this the first time around and not having the opportunity, I couldn't miss this chance.  Dan was only too happy to go along with the plan because let's face it, not many can say no to crispy pork.  What I envisioned and what we actually got was not far off - crispy golden bites of pork that were deliciously crunchy on the outside but nice and tender on the inside.  I wasn't sure how it would stand up to the guac, but the two complemented each other beautifully and were quite the duo.  The pork went fast, as you can imagine and we managed to polish off all the guac by the end of our meal too.

Tacos - Dan and I got two orders of tacos, which we split, as there were two per order.  Our choices included the baja fish grouper tacos as well as the bbq brisket tacos.  Both looked absolutely gorgeous on the plate, enveloped in a double layer of soft flour tortillas and each paired with a unique salsa.  I loved this little touch that really showed attention to detail - the fish tacos being paired with grilled pineapple salsa while the brisket tacos accompanied by a spicy creamy corn salsa. 

Although both tacos were really yummy, I preferred the fish tacos, which were light, flaky and were coated in a slightly sweet batter.  The pineapple salsa was the cherry on this Mexican sunday, adding a sweet and slightly spicy element too.

Beer - With over 48 craft beers on tap, it was hard to make a singular decision.  However, the minute I saw they had Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, I wanted nothing else.  I loved the spicy, sweet undertone with each sip.  The beer was hearty and robust and the perfect way to celebrate fall.

Service and Cost:

No complaints about the service, as we were paid attention to from start to finish.  I didn't feel that the service was absolutely polished and some of our waitstaff was a little awkward, but there were no major hiccups to report.

Costs are moderate to inexpensive and the dinner set us back about $45 total including tax and tip.  It was a good, casual way to spend a Sunday evening, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

3 Mmmms

MexiQ Kitchen & Draught - 37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103 718.626.0333

N/Q Train to 30th Avenue

www.mexiqny.com

Being a VIP at Mexicue Rules!

Since I've had my eye on the Mexicue Truck last year and also since trying it, I've been following it quite closely, happy to find out they now have 2 brick-and-mortar locations.  Looks like business has been good.

The second one of these restaurants opened up just last week, and since I get Mexicue's e-newsletter, I was all over it.  Recruiting work friends, Wanda, Courtney and Kelly to come along for the adventure, we took a long walk over to the new locale, only to find out we were its first customers.  As in, first customers ever! It was really exciting, and not only were we graced with delectable Mexican bbq, the cost was au gratis.  Yep...free!  It was a gesture we really appreciated, and yet another reason to rave about this place.  4 words - we will be back!

Atmosphere:
Located in a most unusual spot on the Lower East Side/Chinatown border, the new Mexicue is tucked away on Forsyth Street between Broome and Grand.  True that you have to pass through a grimy, bustling area to get there, but once you do, the experience is 100% worth it.  

Set in a roomy locale on the bottom of a brick three-story building, Mexicue is brand spankin' new and it shows.  As soon as we stepped in, we smelled the newness that emanated from the dark wooden furniture and a couple of simple embellishments such as the birch candles.  

I liked that there was ample seating for both small and larger parties and the overall vibe was casual, simple and non-pretentious - just like the food.

Food:
Since we were the very first people that walked in the door, Mexicue's menu was still a little limited, as a lot of the slow-cooked bbq items such as the brisket were still being prepared.  Despite the slight disappointment, they had pretty much all their tacos available and we were happy to dig in.  Mexicue graciously treated us to a generous helping of three types of tacos - short rib, chicken and veggie.

Tacos - Being that we were all pretty hungry, our excitement upon seeing these tacos was huge.  As mentioned, we received three varieties, out of which two were meat based and the other veggie.  I tried all three, and as my friend Wanda noticed, I liked each new taco progressively more.  First trying the short rib, I was impressed by its rich, smoky flavor which was juxtaposed with sharp pickled onions, lettuce and cotija cheese.  

Then I tried the chicken tacos and yet again, I was in love.  This time a bit more.  The soft, shredded chicken meat was perfectly seasoned (as Wanda confirmed too) and it was topped with a to-die-for creamy bbq sauce that added a touch of elegance and decadence.

However, as you can probably guess, the veggie taco was my ultimate favorite.  Consisting of sweet-as-candy beans, mixed with smoky bbq flavors, it was also seasoned with slightly spicy, crunchy habanero slaw and thin strips of tortilla chips on top.  Each bite was a pleasure and the end result was wonderfully filling. 

Guacamole, Chips & Salsa - Starting our meal with these Mexican starter musts, we enjoyed them a lot, mainly the guac, which was nice and creamy, with a bit of a kick too.  I loved that about Mexicue overall, as they stay true to their name and core concept of elevating their flavor quotient and incorporating into it spicy, smoky bbq flavors.

Service and Cost:
Needless to say, the service was wonderful, no doubt attributed to us being their first VIPs. Even though this was a special circumstance, the people that ran Mexicue seemed genuinely nice and I think would've acted that way even if the restaurant was busy.  They forgot to give us napkins and plates at one point, no doubt letting first-day jitters get the best of them, but none of that irritated us.  We totally understood that a new place sometimes takes a little time to iron out its kinks.

Although we didn't pay for our meal, I looked at the prices and they range anywhere from $3-$4 for a taco, $3.50 for sliders, $2 - $5 for sides and $7.50 for salads.  

Mexicue - 106 Forsyth Street, New York NY 10002
646.559.4100
N/R/Q/6 Train to Canal Street
www.mexicue.com 

MexiQ Kitchen & Draught Brings on the Flava and Spice

MexiQ Kitchen & Draught - 37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.626.0333
N/W Train to 30th Avenue

After a lot of enticing press coverage about MexiQ and given that I'm a huge fan of Mexican food and BBQ, I went to check it out last week with Fran, a friend and colleague of mine. What started off as a cold, rainy night, turned into a pleasant (and filling) evening of good food in a cheery, funky atmosphere. I'll get into the details in a minute, but in a nutshell, I think it's a major step up from its weak predecessor, Balu, that a lot of Astorians just couldn't wait to see go.

Atmosphere:
A cross between a bar and restaurant, MexiQ offers a fun, playful vibe with warm colors and cheery decor that isn't too gimmicky. Although the atual space hasn't changed from its predecessor, it's a lot friendlier and not as monochromatic. They've kept the TV screen in the far back right of the restaurant, but instead of scenes of tropical fish, which didn't have much to do with anything, it now showcases vintage Western flicks, further solidifying a Southwestern theme.

One other aspect which I have to stress is the awesome (and very eclectic music) we heard throughout our meal. Ranging from The Shins to the more obscure, Mumford and Sons, I really enjoyed their indie music mix--a rarity in 30th Avenue cafes, which are drenched in mass popdom.

Food:
Clear from its name, MexiQ dishes up modern Mexican food with BBQ flavor. Think chicken wings with spicy cilantro achiote BBQ sauce, Mexican style fried chicken, adobo rubbed ribs, pulled pork carnitas and more. Fran and I started off traditionally, with guacamole, then took it up a notch with the braised meat tasting, only to end on a sweet note with a tres leches cake.

Guacamole - Although there were four different types of guacamoles on the menu, we chose the most basic of its kind. I was a little disappointed at that, as the other flavors sounded really different, incorporating lime poached shrimp, roasted pork belly and even chicken cracklin'. No matter...the classic would do just fine, I thought. Even though it was passable, I'd leave it at that, as it lacked an injection of flavor and spice that some of the best guacamole has. Overall, I'd suggest more fire and salt.

Cazuela Tasting - Fran and I were excited to try this little smorgasbord of braised meat including carnitas, brisket and shortrib. First off, it looked gorgeous, divided into individual cast iron dishes with little shot glasses of fixins including sour cream, pickled red slaw, guacamole and MexiQ's spicy house sauce on the side. There were also two packets of soft flour tortillas, which we opened immediately and filled with the tender meat. I first tried the meats individually, stuffing each in a separate tortilla. But as time went on, I combined the three. All permutations were delicious and smoky, my favorite being the carnitas, which had a slightly sweet taste from a pineapple marinade. The coca-cola reduced shortribs were a close second, with a nice kick at the end and a slightly sweet touch from the coke syrup. Yum!

Tres Leches Cake - I was personally running out of room but Fran suggested we try dessert. We went with a tres leches cake that was hard to refuse. It was just divine - a moist, dense cake with tons of flavor on its own, and when drenched in MexiQ's concoction of 3 milks (tres leches) including coconut, condensed and whole milk, it was to die for. On top of that, it had silky caramel on top. Plain and simple, this dessert was legit.

Drinks - In addition to all the food, I wanted to mention that MexiQ has an impressive drinks selection, boasting 48 beers on tap. I took advantage of that and tried a special fall brew, the double chocolate stout from Young's. It was a great drink to sip on, on a cold Fall night and went perfectly with the hearty meat and corn based menu items.

Service and Cost:
Our waitress was nice and sort of low-key, which was good. She knew the menu well and checked in on us periodically, without being too overbearing. No complaints at all. I also liked that the servers who gave us our food explained what was on each plate thoroughly and knew their ingredients to the T.

Costs are moderate and include:

Appetizers - $6 - $32
Salads - $9 - $12
Quesadillas - $12 - $18
Entrees - $21 - $32
From the Smoker - $16 - $26
Burgers - $7 - $13
Sides - $4
Desserts - $8 -$9

2.5 Mmmms