I love having the excuse, any chance I get, to visit Tortilleria Nixtamal, and it's been quite a while. Getting that itch for their delectable tacos and tamales, Dan and I decided to make a pit stop for lunch, after visiting friends, Grant and Katie in their new casa. Unfortunately, the drive over was quite hellish, but as always, it was so worth it, making us forget about all those pestering traffic escapades. Here's what we had:
Tamales:
We can never come here without including a hefty tamale to our order. This time around, we tried two varieties including the chicken mole and the chicken with red salsa. Both were flavorful and delicious, and we loved putting both the red and green (really spicy) salsa sauce on top for added flavor. While I liked mine, I thought they could've gone heavier on the mole sauce, which seemed a little bit like an afterthought. The chicken tamale however had larger pieces of meat inside and was definitely more generously doused in red salsa sauce, which was just delicious. Dan gave me a bite of his and I secretly wished I ordered it. Next time!
Tacos:
Since we both got tamales, which were very filling, we thought that ordering two additional tacos would be enough. And it was. The Al Pastor, with rotisserie pork, sweet chunks of pineapple, chopped onions and cilantro were nomtastic, as my friend Meg would say. The pork had a nice smokey-sweet flavor, which totally hit the spot and felt like the perfect bite of slow cooked meat. Although it didn't need much else, we were totally obsessed with the red salsa sauce, which we put on top anyway.
Additionally to this, I also got the barbacoa taco, with seasoned lamb, prepared by being steamed in maguey (agave) leaves, which just like the Al Pastor, made it ultra tender. This was definitely a lot spicier in flavor, as it was topped with green jalapeno peppers, which gave it that extra kick. While it definitely gave your tastebuds a jolt, it wasn't too spicy and went perfectly with the deep, rich flavored meat. If you're a lamb lover, you're going to love this non-traditional, sophisticated taco.
Service and Cost:
As always, the service was fantastic and the perfect amount of attentive. Since all dishes take just a short time to prepare, we were in and out of there in about a half an hour, but could've stayed as long as we wanted. They had the football and basketball games on, which is an added bonus for all you staunch sports fans.
Costs remain inexpensive and for the above mentioned lunch, including a beer and two lbs of tortillas to go, we paid about $33 with tax and tip.
3 Mmmms
Tortilleria Nixtamal - 104-05 47th Avenue, Corona NY 11368
718.699.2434
7 Train to 103rd Street
www.tortillerianixtamal.com
Choza Taqueria - 66 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10010
212.213.0708
N/R/6 Train to 23rd Street
http://www.openaircafenyc.com/Choza, a new outpost of the Open Air Cafe restaurants located in Manhattan's Financial district has made its way into Midtown. And there must be a reason. Well there is...their stuff is good. Real good actually. I was happy to be invited there last week, and along with work friends, Leann and Tara, we embarked on a deliciously colorful and filling journey of Mexican fare.Atmosphere:Although Choza is a no frills, small place with maybe 3 sit-down tables and two rows of stools, it's worth the visit whether you dine in or take out. There's not much of an ambiance, as it's more of a grab and go type of place, but we did take a seat and found our surroundings comfortable.
As soon as you walk in, you'll notice the service area up front, where you choose your food. If you don't feel like sticking around and eating here, Madison Square Park is conveniently close by and could be a nice way to enjoy Choza's eats.
Food:
Choza's offering is simple yet very enticing, consisting of tacos, burritos, salads and a couple of daily specials. Given this straightforward menu, we seized the day and went for it all. Even though we had some clear stand-outs, for the most part, everything was really fresh and enjoyable.
Elote Corn - If you're wondering what this is exactly, just take a gander at the picture above. Also known as Mexican Corn, Choza's version was truly spectacular. We bit into each piece with gusto and enjoyed the soft, juicy kernels that were slathered with spicy mayo, zesty lime juice and soft-as-snow queso fresco. We all agreed that this was corn on the cob raised to the nth level.
Chips and Guacamole - The best part of this side dish were the chips, as they were crunchy, airy and obviously homemade. We popped them like candy and dipped them into the creamy guac, which in my opinion could've used more spice.
Pork Tamale - A special of the day, I was curious to try it because I generally love tamales. After chomping on the first bite, I was surprised that it wasn't on the regular menu. The soft corn filling was decadent and not unlike a thick pudding that melded beautifully with the slow-cooked pork. Topped with a mild salsa verde and salsa roja, the flavors in this dish sang--and because it's corn-based, it was also filling.
Tacos - Hands-down my favorite part of the meal, everyone agreed that Choza's tacos were exceptional. I loved the double soft corn tortillas that I learned come from no other than my favorite tortilleria in Queens, Nixtamal. Right away, you can tell that the tacos exemplified quality, just from the way they looked - sturdy tortillas, beautifully colored meat and fresh salsa on top. We ordered four different types including chicken, chorizo, beef and pork. Out of those, I preferred the chorizo and the pork because they had the most kick, tickling the tastebuds to euphoria. The other three varieties were also yummy but were on the milder side.
Burritos - Leann and Tara both ordered chicken burritos and seemed to enjoy them. Unsurprisingly, they were hard to finish because of their large size. I had a bite just out of curiosity and found that the tortilla got a little soggy from its contents. In my personal opinion, I'd stick with the tacos, tamales and that delicious elote corn.
Service and Cost:
The service was lovely and very personal. We felt that the employees knew a bit more about what they were serving than in your average taqueria. I'd say that overall, the service seemed very efficient - for example when a long line formed towards the mid-point of our experience, it seemed to go rather quickly.
Costs are affordable, given the wonderful quality of the food and on average, lower than competitors such as Chipotle:
Tacos: 3 for $6
Bowls: $6.50 (meat and fixins without the tortilla)
Burritos: $6.50
Salads: $6
Sides: $2 (small), $4 (large)
3 Mmmms
