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taqueria

EAT LOCAL: Navigating the Taco Scene

May 23, 2017 By Beth Kaiserman Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: mexican food, taco trucks, tacos, taqueria

With taco trucks, Asian fusion and dessert tacos, it can be hard to navigate Brooklyn’s taco scene. Here are a handful of places that pair perfectly with a warm spring day.

 

The al pastor and carnitas tacos at Varrio 408 are some of Brooklyn’s most authentic tacos.

Varrio 408

When Martin Medina moved to Park Slope 27 years ago, NYC was a soulless place with no avocado toast.

Ok, it probably had more soul, but avocado toast hadn’t yet swept the city. In fact, people even barely knew what avocados were, Medina said.

He opened Park Slope’s first taqueria and still serves up authentic tacos in fresh-made tortillas all these years later. You can watch the tortillas being pressed at the front station at Varrio408, formerly La Taqueria, a go-to spot for authentic tacos inspired by Medina’s California upbringing and travels through Mexico. The restaurant’s tacos al pastor, for example, use a recipe he found in Mexico City, which is known for the dish of slow cooked pork slices from a spit with onion, cilantro and pineapple. The carnitas is simmered in its own fat, just like in Michoacán. The restaurant also offers taco platters by the pound.

“I wanna stay very simple and very original. I don’t want to fusion-ize it,” Medina said.

Rachel’s Taqueria, next door, has more of a Tex-Mex feel.

 

Brussels, cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, jalapeno hummus and salsa verde will make you feel like a goddess at Miti Miti.

Miti Miti

If anywhere has an upgrade from the expected, it’s Miti Miti. Owned by the same folks as Bogota Latin Bistro across the street, Miti Miti is Tacos 2.0. They’re large and stuffed with lots of nice fresh ingredients, almost like a burrito-taco hybrid. Try one for happy hour during lunch (Mon.-Fri. 11am-4pm) or dinner (Mon-Thurs. and Sundays 4pm-11pm.) For a hearty dose of veggies, the green goddess has brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, jalapeno hummus and salsa verde. But the jerk chicken taco is the real star with tender, juicy dark-meat chicken, mango, cucumber, guacamole, pickled onions and crema. “It has a little spice but a soft balance to it,” co-owner George Constantinou said. There are also weekly taco specials and if you save room, apple pie tacos for dessert.

 

Pan-Latin favorite Palo Santo’s taco happy hour features fresh ingredients and tasty made-to-order tortillas, like these barbacoa tacos.

Palo Santo

Palo Santo was already a favorite spot for its Pan-Latin eats and colorful, serene setting. You can escape the crowded city life with a free taco every week day (Mon-Thurs. 6pm-10pm) with purchase of a beer, wine or sangria. The taco selections rotate, but on a recent visit there was barbacoa, fish and Koreanos, a Korean-inspired taco with tender beef marinated in homemade chili paste, kimchi juice and soy sauce. The tortillas (corn, masa, salt and water) are made-to-order.

 

El Atoradero brings some of the city’s best tacos to Washington Ave.

El Atoradero

The move from the Bronx to Brooklyn in 2015 may have been bittersweet for chef Denisse Lina Chavez, but the well-lauded spot became an instant hit with the Prospect Heights crowd. The staff serves up delicious tacos like can’t-miss carnitas, chicken tinga and lengua. It’s pretty spacious and has a backyard for warmer months that will be one of our first stops once the sun is out. The owners also opened Madre Mezcaleria next door in February.

 

Tacos Morelos brings tasty tacos to Union Street for your on-the-go summer sustenance.

Tacos Morelos

In the neverending L.A. versus NYC debate, we always hear that L.A. has the best taco trucks. But Tacos Morelos on 5th Ave. and Union St. is a pretty big contender and of course the perfect stop for summer. Stroll to the park or hang at one of the tables on Union and 4th for some flavorful, not-too-greasy street tacos. For just a second, imagine you’re in L.A., inhale deeply, and eat another taco. Keep riding the wave of those Cali vibes with a beer down the street at Pacific Standard.

 

The spots:

Varrio 408 412 5th Ave. varrio408.com

Palo Santo 652 Union St. Palosantorestaurant.com

Miti Miti 138 5th Ave. mitimitinyc.com

El Atoradero 708 Washington Ave. elatoraderobrooklyn.com

Tacos Morelos 5th Ave. and Union St.

 

 

Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: mexican food, taco trucks, tacos, taqueria

The Finds / Dining in the Hood

April 18, 2016 By Beth Kaiserman Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: beef, beef carpaccio, breakfast, burrata, coffee, italian dishes, Live music, Local restaurants, mexican food, Park Slope, prawns, Smorgasbord, steaks, taqueria, Windsor Terrace, wine

Local Restaurants Bring Smorgasbord of Tastes

Stroll through Park Slope on a sunny day, and your eyes will usually find a restaurant you’ve never noticed. There are so many places to eat, it can be impossible to choose one. Here’s a rundown of a few unique spots we’ve found in the past year that tickled our taste buds. Have a spring adventure and check one out for yourself!

 

Carnem2

Carnem — 318 5th Avenue

Carnem, which opened last May, offers up classic steaks, sauces, and seafood with a side of whimsical delights like pork belly cotton candy lollipops. Yes, it’s a delicious tender pork belly surrounded by a pink cloud of cotton candy, served on a stick. For the more straightforward meat fare, the beef carpaccio is excellent: filet mignon, served with fried capers, parmesan, oyster cream sauce, and crispy potato skins. The menu, curated by owner Jacob Krumgalz, offers a bit of fun with your standard steakhouse staples, perfect for a celebratory night out.

 

PrawnShop-0

Prawn Shop  —  669 Union Street

If you thought the closest thing Gowanus had to the seashore was the Whole Foods patio next to the canal, you’re wong. Prawn Shop has asnwered the call for local, sustainable seafood, including creative seafood boils like the Far East, with sweet potato, green curry and coconut. They source from New York and New England, and Prawn Shop aims to showcase local fish and seafood, even if the options are less widely known. Hang out at a communal picnic table outside and enjoy dollar oysters and prawns for happy hour, or try out the newly launched brunch menu. Also, the chalkboard behind the bar helps you decode the art of crab shucking using Breaking Bad references.

 

Varrio408-4

Varrio 408 412 — 5th Avenue

The crew from Rachel’s Taqueria, two doors down, opened this spot last year, slinging fresh tortillas and Mexican fare from Tijuana. Watch them make the nicely blistered tortillas using a comal, and order meats family style for build-your-own tacos. Tacos, burritos, and mulas are also available à la carte. Don’t skip the carne asada al carbÓn, with perfectly juicy medium rare skirt steak. It’s a no-frills spot to eat some quick tacos with a homemade agua fresca, or take food to go. Visit Rachel’s Taqueria for a more sit-down experience.

 

Hugos4

Hugo and Sons 367 — 7th Avenue

On the first warm night of March, Hugo and Sons was buzzing with hungry, happy people. Andrea Taormina was running the show, seating people into slick, red booths and serving dishes inspired by his childhood in Palermo, Sicily. A delicious burrata is made light and refreshing by celery, apple, pine nuts, and parsley, with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The pappardelle with sausage, fennel, and chili peppers had just the right amount of spice that sneaks up on you while you bite through perfectly cooked pasta. A fairly simple menu offers mostly Italian dishes with a few French and American foods as well. Find pizzas, pastas, salads, a full kids’ menu, and also gluten-free dough and a gluten-free bun for the burger. A fun spring activity might be working your way through their pasta selections and asking Andrea for wine suggestions, including a few unfiltered orange wines.

 

Krupas0

Krupa Grocery — 231 Prospect Park West

Settle in for a nice breakfast at this charming spot right by Prospect Park, owned by the folks behind Slope Cellars and Windsor Wines across the street. Breakfast is served from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and brunch is served on the weekends. The energy was sunny as I enjoyed breakfast gnocchi with fried eggs, bacon, kale, squash, and breadcrumbs and large lemon ricotta pancakes, and neither dish was too greasy or heavy for a satisfying morning meal. But the highlight was their serious attention to the beverage program, especially the coffee from Irving Farm Coffee Roasters. Good coffee is crucial to a solid breakfast spot, and Krupa offers both a rotating hot coffee option and a rotating nitro iced coffee. The cafe portion of the restaurant is open daily for grab-and-go coffee and pastries from Ovenly. There’s also a rotating Kombrewcha on tap, and the draft lineup changes regularly. The spot’s name pays homage to the newsstand that was there for twenty years before the restaurant. (The landlords still live upstairs.) The space was then styled in honor of legendary jazz drummer Gene Krupa. Enjoy a Tuesday night dinner accompanied by live music at 8 p.m. Though it was too early for me when I visited, the panko-crusted shrimp burger is calling my name for lunch or dinner.

 

image2Shrimp Boil with Far East Sauce, Prawn Shop.

 

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Burrata with apple, celery, pine nuts, and parsley, Hugo and Sons.

 

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Breakfast gnocchi, Krupa Grocery.

 

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Beef Carpaccio with oyster cream sauce, crispy capers, potato skins and parmesan, Carnem.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: beef, beef carpaccio, breakfast, burrata, coffee, italian dishes, Live music, Local restaurants, mexican food, Park Slope, prawns, Smorgasbord, steaks, taqueria, Windsor Terrace, wine

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