El Toro Blanco

I haven't seen Z in for-ev-er!! I think the last time we hung out was post Vendy's!! Crazy right? I've noticed that we end up at Mexican spots frequently, but I'm a fan. So when we were deciding between two places, it was pretty easy to pick El Toro Blanco.  The space is well designed with a simple and clean look. It was pretty lively in there and had good energy but it's definitely not a space for quiet intimate dinners. Thankfully we were definitely more on the lively end that night. We of course started our meal with guacamole.

It was creamy delicious avocado with the right blend of spices. But the true winner in the starter column is the spicy habenero salsa in the trio that accompanied the guacamole.

We loved it so much we ended up asking for more to kick things up later in our meal. Although the menu had lots of terrific options, we both decided on the tacos. Z ordered the Baja  Swordfish.

The meaty taco included avocado, roasted jalapeño aioli and citrus slaw. She added some spice to kick it up but definitely enjoyed the tacos. I went with the Camarones en Barbacoa.

It was a good looking taco and definitely lived up to expectations. The roasted tomatoes were not as flavorful as I expected so I also spiced it up with the salsa. There was nothing left on my plate. Of course we had to try something else so we went with a side of poblano rice.

Although it looks tasty it was definitely the most disappointing part of our meal. The rice was undercooked and boring! We mixed in the queso fresca but still got nothing out of it. There was no kick or flavor. Overall a very disappointing side. I had to make up for it with dessert.

The Mexican Chocolate Cake was a notch above what I usually expect. The matchstick churros and dulce de leche ice cream definitely brought this dessert together. The rich chocolate was completed by the ice cream and churros. I was quite pleased and this was the perfect end to the meal.

Our service was definitely subpar but it didn't take away from the meal. I was a huge fan of the variety on the menu and loved the tacos as guacamole. The rice was a low point, but the cake was a fantastic end. I'll definitely be back to more thoroughly explore the variety of the menu!

Hungry yet?

Shrimp Fajitas with Cilantro Rice and Black Beans

Mr. J returned to NYC a few weeks ago! To celebrate his arrival, I made quite the tasty dinner. I've wanted to make Shrimp Fajitas for a while now. When I saw a recipe in the June 2011 Cosmo magazine, I decided to make my version of the recipe.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed

½ red bell pepper, julienned

½ orange belle pepper, julienned

1 small red onion, julienned

1 jalapeno, minced

In a medium bowl, whisk together the first 3 ingredients. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Put the shrimp in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Add peppers and onions. 

Sauté until tender, about 7 to 8 minutes then remove and place in a separate bowl. Add the shrimp with marinade. Cook shrimp about 2 minutes on each side.

Mix the shrimp with the peppers and onions.

Done! I served it in tortillas with a side of black beans and cilantro rice.  Mr. J was quite pleased, as was I. 

Another successful dinner!

Hungry yet?

Lupe Cantina

After good times at the spot next door we were famished! The manager or owner of Lupe Cantina stopped us outside and asked our group to come in. We negotiated a pretty good deal and decided to enter. The menu had a lot of options but our table ended up with a lot of repeats.

The Soft Tacos were my dish of choice.

I requested the flour tortillas stuffed with chicken. It included lettuce, cilantro, onions and pico de gallo. I wasn't expecting much but the chicken was surprisingly well seasoned. It was served with rice and beans which only made it better.  Ms. S and her Mr. K ordered the Chicken taquitos.

Three corn tortillas rolled with marinated chicken and deep fried.  They definitely enjoyed it. A little crunch goes a long way. Enchiladas were also a favorite at our table. 

Corn tortillas green or red lupe sauce. It was served with rice and refried beans.  Mr. S ordered the Fajitas.

The sizzling platter of sweet peppers, onions and cilantro was served with three tortillas, rice and refried beans. Ms. G and Mr. S ordered the Chicken nachos.

I must admit I had a little food envy when their Molcajete plate arrived.  The homemade tortillas chips were topped with refried beans, melted mozzarella, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, queso fresco and sour cream. Presentation wise, this was definitely one if the better looking dishes that we ordered.

Overall Lupe Cantina was uninspiring. The food was fine but I've eaten a better version of each dish elsewhere. The atmosphere is lively and if you bring the right group of people with you, you could end up staying there for a while. That's exactly what we did.

Hungry yet?

RED

One of my absolute favorite parts of warm NY days is outdoor dining! I also love the way warmth garners spontaneity. So last weekend while the sun was shining bright, I sat around in Union Square reading. Since I was already that far downtown, I figured why not go see my favs who live WTFDT (hehe). Mr. M was on his way out but Ms. O was on her way in so I hustled to their apartment and saw them both!  Then Ms. O and I headed out to the Seaport in search of some good eats.  We decided on RED because the menu had enough items on there that sounded tempting.  Our eyes both zoomed in on the Fiery Chicken Wings so I was thrilled that they soon appeared on our table.

They were awesome! They were definitely marinated in a delicious sauce which for some reason I thought had hints of buttermilk but turns out it was bleu cheese - close enough. We were very happy with the flavor and the fieriness of the wings.   Ms. O ordered a salad.

She was pleased with the dressing but the server definitely lied about the size of the salad.  I ordered Chicken Tacos.

I was very excited about the tacos, but sadly they did not meet my expectations.  The chicken was pretty well seasoned but a little bit of salt would have gone a long way. Generally, corn tortillas don’t do it for me – these were mad worse by the dry cold cheese that fell across them. The suuuper runny guacamole didn't help the plate either. The rice and beans were tasty though.

Refried beans are awesome and every time I eat them, it takes me back to my days at UMD and the delicious burritos at Jalapeno Grill. YUM!

RED was not the best Mexican food I’ve had. The service was subpar and at one point our regular water was replaced with flat seltzer. I don’t know who goes around carrying a pitcher of seltzer but something definitely went wrong there.  The wings were delicious and had we stuck to our original plan of appetizers we would have definitely won. Alas, my eyes are too big and when I see food I can’t help but want to eat it. I recommend the wings but not much else.

Hungry yet?

El Centro

My reluctant return to NYC means that I now have to get used to the restaurants again (poor me, my life is so hard - ha!) I have a few outstanding meal dates and I intend to sort them all out this week.  Especially since I'm now 11 on urbanspoon and fast approaching 10!

I had a date with my mentee and when she selected Mexican food, I was thrilled.  There are lots of options for Mexican food on Ninth Avenue close to my office so it was only a matter of picking one I hadn't been to or blogged about.  After perusing the options on urbanspoon, I settled on El Centro.  The reviews weren't stellar but they were pretty good.  When we arrived around 6:15 it was empty in there, but within a half hour the place was packed!  We started with an order of guacamole.

It was quite good, but apparently a little too spicy for Ms. D.  They also served it with their house made salsa which was awesome!

I tried not to fill up too much on the chips, salsa and guacamole but it was so good!  Ms. D ordered the Chicken Enchilada.

Quite the presentation, no?! She was quite pleased with her meal but the portion was quite large so she didn't finish it all.  I ordered the Shrimp Fajita.

Steamy presentation - that's part of the fun in ordering fajitas!  They were quite good and accompanied with rice and beans. As well as peppers, 3 corn tortillas, guacamole and sour cream (which I stayed away from).

El Centro definitely exceeded expectations.  The food was good and not too expensive.  The decor is interesting - especially the table tops and the service was great.  If you're in the mood to explore the many restaurants on Ninth Avenue, you should definitely give this one a try.

Hungry yet?

Toloache

It’s been months since I’ve seen Z.  Our schedules finally lined up and we were able to meet for dinner last week.  We met at Toloache. I’ve passed the restaurant a few times and obvs got excited after reading Sam Sifton’s review, I figured it would be a good bet.  Z and I have similar palettes and often fall victim of wanting more than we can eat.  So of course we started off with the trio of guacamole.  The Tradicional was mild which usually doesn’t do it for me, but this had incredible fresh ingredients.

A blend of avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, serrano apple salad and Mexican cheeses.  We loved it!  The Frutas, medium guacamole was nay the best.

It looged great.  And the ingredient list also looked good I mean what’s not to love about avocado, pomegranate, vidalia onion, mango, apple, peach, habanero and thai basil?  Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up the expectations.  We’re a fan of spice so maybe that’s why this one didn’t do it for us, but maybe it would work for someone else.  Our favorite was def the Rojo.

A spicy guacamole filled with avocado, tomato, red onion, chipotle and queso fresco.  YUM.  They also had this fantastic salsa.  

We definitely asked for another bowl.  We almost filled up on the guacamoles and chips, but of course we also ordered a couple of other dishes.  In unison we ordered the Langosta.

Two spicy lobster tacos, morita salsa and avocado.  Heavenly!! I really loved the tacos.  They were well seasoned the lobster was amazing and it was an ample amount too which isn’t usually the case.  They do come in corn tortillas though and I’m very much a fan of flour so I was a tad disappointed.  Of course our last item was the Camarones Toloache.

Quite the presentation, no?  A plate of roasted garlic shrimp, crispy tortilla, black beans, chayote squash "spaghetti salad" and cascabel salsa.  I was a tad overwhelmed.  The combination of flavors was good but the crispy tortilla was definitely necessary amidst what sometimes felt like a pile of mush.  They could have also kicked it up a notch with a variety of spices but otherwise it was good.  While I was stuffed to the brim, I was of course in favor of ordering dessert.  We went with the Pastel de Chocolate.  

Warm Mexican chocolate cake with dulce de leche ice cream.  Awesome! There's a lot to be happy about when there's chocolate oozing out of chocolate.  The ice cream made it even better!  Toloache was great.  The food was good and the company was better.  It also has a very lively atmosphere and the staff is extremely attentive.  Rare to find a decent restaurant in midtown amidst all the pre-theater spots.

Hungry yet?

El Vez - Philadelphia

I fully intended on posting food news yesterday but in truth knowing that I would be out of town this weekend means I had less motivation to compile the list. (sorry!) I'm in Philadelphia for a firm retreat.  We are staying smack in the middle of Philly at the Ritz-Carlton.  I was initially excited because of the potential for delicious treats at the hotel, but that was quickly dispelled during our reception last night.  Breakfast this morning wasn't much better.  So for lunch, I set out on a little adventure to El Vez.

I read about the restaurant on Urbanspoon and figured if it was number 10 of all the restaurants in Philly, it had to be pretty good.  It was a surprisingly sunny day in Philadelphia so Ms. F and I sat outside.  Our server was very attentive and helpful in letting us know her favorites on the menu.  We started out with the "Indian Red" Lopez guacamole.  The guacamole is made with the usual ingredients and spicy crab, cilantro and salsa roja.

It's served with warm tortilla chips and red salsa.  The guacamole was amazing!  Fresh avocado, red onions and tomatoes mixed into a creamy delicious texture and topped with crab and salsa roja.  There definitely could have been more crab but I wasn't complaining (too loudly).  The chips were also really good and I definitely ate more than I intended.

Shortly after we started dipping into the guacamole, our Open Faced Shrimp Quesadilla arrived.

Looks just like pizza right?  This quesadilla contained oaxaca and chihuahua cheeses with pasilla chile sauce, red onions, jalapenos and of course topped with shrimp.  Woweee! This quesadilla was incredible.  Although it had tons of cheese, it somehow didn't taste too cheesy.  The onions and jalapeno added a nice contrast and bit of spice to the cheesy flavor.  Yup, I was definitely a big fan!  Once we devoured our quesadillas, our Sea Bass Tacos arrived.

The tacos were served with sweet potato puree, grilled scallions and fried jalapenos.  The sea bass was seared and sat on top of the sauce.  I was pleased with my first bite, but as I continued to chew, I realized  there was an odd taste that I wasn't ready to taste.   Somehow, they snuck a hint of cinnamon into this dish! Crazy yea? It actually worked pretty well but I needed the jalapeno to help cut through the sweetness.

After that taco, we were looking for something spicy.  Our waitress informed us that spicy isn't really their thing at El Vez and she recommended that we try the Duck Gorditas.

The presentation definitely looked good.  The gordita was stuffed with duck confit and chihuahua cheese.  It was topped with some combination of nuts and poppy seeds and served with pickled cucumber and mole negro.  I was so full by the time this arrived that I was only able to eat a small portion.  It was REALLY delicious.  I wish I could have eaten more but I could barely drink water let alone push another morsel into my mouth.

El Vez was definitely a good look and it's no surprise that they're currently ranked #10 Philly restaurant on Urbanspoon.  The service was on point, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was extremely lively.  Considering the track record at the Ritz, I'm happy I had such a delicious lunch so that way dinner won't matter much.  Although I must say, considering Eric Ripert owns a restaurant in here, they better step their game up!

Hungry yet?

Café Habana

After last night's debacle I had no desire to eat anything that I didn't make. So when Mr. G suggested that we go to Café Habana, I reluctantly agreed.

Cafe Habana on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth streets was the place to be on Thursday night.  The relatively small restaurant was completely full and there were a number of people outside waiting for tables. I knew then that this was a good decision.

Within 20 minutes we were seated at a small table in the back near the stereo which played Stevie Wonder, MC Hammer, Michael Jackson and some Cuban tunes. We started off with an order of Mexican corn.

Grilled corn with cotija cheese sprinkled with chili powder. It was phenomenal!!! The chili powder was only on one side of the corn so when I needed a break I would flip to the other side with a cool taste of melted cheese. The few parts that had blackened a little from being on the grill also tasted amazing.

The corn was so good I would have ordered more and ate it as my entree. However I was quite happy to have the Baja Fish Tacos.

They were incredible! The taco was in a corn tortilla that was hard enough to stay in one piece but soft enough that it didn't scrape the roof of my mouth. The beer battered catfish was juicy, well seasoned and tasty. The taco also contained cabbage, tomatoes and spicy crema. For those that are not a fan of white sauce, the sauce was definitely not offensive. I barely noticed it.

The tacos were accompanied by rice and beans and salsa negra. The salsa was excellent and I dipped my taco in there several times. The rice and beans were seasoned to perfection.

This was one dining experience that I didn't want to end. The incredible flavors were only one part of what made this enjoyable. The service was on point and the music added a fun and playful atmosphere. Café Habana is totally worth the trip and I highly recommend it.

Hungry yet?

Chicken Quesadillas & Spicy Mexican Rice

I definitely needed something easy tonight, but couldn’t quite figure out what to make.  I started surfing the various websites I look at for food inspiration and saw a Mexican fiesta spread.  I realized then that quesadillas are quick and delicious.  Couldn’t just make quesadillas though, had to get some sides going too.  So here we go…

Spicy Mexican Rice inspired by/adapted from Chelsie Kenyon

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cooking oil 

1 small onion, peeled and diced

2 shallots, peeled and diced

2 cups of rice

2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

3 1/2 cups chicken broth 

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup taco sauce

1 teaspoon oregano

Preparation:

Begin to sauté the onions in the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. 

Add in the shallots, rice, and jalapeno and stir frequently until the rice begins to turn golden. Add the broth, tomato sauce, taco sauce, and oregano and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. 

Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 15 minutes (or longer, depending on how long it takes for the water to evaporate). When rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork and voila this is what you’ve got.  

The rice isn't as spicy as I would like.  The chicken broth is crucial though. Totally better than using water. 

While the rice is cooking, you should start on the quesadillas.  They really don’t take any time.

2 flour tortillas (may be labeled as sandwich wraps depending on your grocery store)

½ lb chicken breast, cut into small strips

salt and black pepper to season

1 tsp red chili pepper

¼ cup shredded cheese

Heat a small skillet and spray with cooking spray.  Add chicken and spices.  

Continue to stir and flip chicken pieces to make sure both sides are cooking.  Once chicken is cooked, heat up larger skillet to medium heat.  Place tortilla on skillet.  Add cheese.  Once cheese has melted a little, add chicken.  

Fold in half then turn over so the other side can brown.  Remove from plate, cut into quarters and serve with rice.

I also heated up a can of black beans with a little pepper.  You can also add the beans and rice into your quesadilla instead of serving on the side.

Hungry yet?