Tacos!

Living in Long Beach, CA, I got spoiled for Mexican food. Literally every corner had a Mexican restaurant, and you could absolutely not go wrong. Each was better than the last, it seemed. Most Sunday nights, myself and a friend would try a different one, and never left unsatisfied. Now that I'm in New York, it's a much different story. It's pizza joints on every corner, and most of them are run-of-the-mill, at best. Tex-mex is pretty easy to find, as well as mid-level Mexican restaurants, but real, actual Mexican food seems to me to be hard to come by. 

But I think I may have found some:

It doesn't really look like much, I know. It looks like a million other delis or bodegas in the city. I actually stumbled upon it--we were in the bar next door on Lauren's birthday, and I went to the ATM to get cash. While waiting, I read the flyers and newspaper clips displayed in their window, proclaiming greatness. I had a taco that night, and it was good. But I ate it walking down the street, and after a few beers, so, you know...probably didn't enjoy it as fully as I could have.

Lauren and I found ourselves in the same neighborhood yesterday while we were ring shopping. We were looking for a snack, and the taco popped into my mind. We stopped and got two goat tacos each, Lauren with the green sauce, and I with the red. I also ordered a tamale, almost as an afterthought.

In a word...delicious. If you haven't had goat meat, Lauren describes it as a combination of dark turkey meat and pork, but maybe a little more fatty. I think that's pretty accurate. The meat here is stewed, and juicy, and fatty, and wonderful. It's got a great mouth feel, and is spiced in a way that compliments, but doesn't overpower, the taste of the meat. The tortillas are obviously not out of a bag, and are soft enough to soak up the juices nicely. Topped with onion, lettuce, the great red sauce, and lime juice...excellent. 

The "afterthought" tamale will be ordered first next time. I always say the best tamale I have ever had was purchased in a bar in Chicago out of a Igloo cooler carried around by a middle-aged Mexican man. This was a close second, I think. It was moist without being soggy, and the pork filling was excellent--there could have been a bit more of it, but the corn meal was tasty enough that you didn't dwell on it. Again, with the red sauce, lettuce, onion, and lime juice. I will be getting two of these next trip. 

One way Lauren and I measure the quality of food is how much we talk while we're eating it, and we were pretty silent for the two or three minutes it took us to scarf these down. If you're ever around 13th Street and Avenue A, you should stop. As for myself, I will probably begin making excuses to be in the neighborhood.