La Loteria: A New Modern Mexican Eatery Takes Over The West Village!

By: Anne M. Raso

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the wonderful grand opening party for La Loteria as well as eat there as a “civilian” and as a food blogger. There are Modern Mexican eateries popping up all over the city like sidewalk cracks, but La Loteria is exceptional. They use local produce (with the exception of their avocados which come from Mexico) and prime meats and co-owner cousins/executive chefs Julieta Ballesteros and Jaime Herrera aren’t afraid to climb out on a limb and create interesting fusion dishes.

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A Little Slice of Mexico at Cafe El Presidente

By: Finance Foodie

Cafe El Presidente, the newest offspring from the owners of super chill and hip Nolita taco shop Tacombi, recently opened this year in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. Being a fan of Tacombi, I had to stop by last weekend for lunch and check this new kid on the block out.

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Epazote: Your New “Go-To” Mexican Eatery On The Upper East Side!

By: Anne M. Raso

I fell in love with the French-inspired Mexican of Epazote in Yorkville. I like the casual yet dusky atmosphere, complete with Day Of The Dead and rural Mexican colorized photos on the wall and friendly, efficient service, it’s definitely going to be your next “go-to” neighborhood eatery. The prices are right and many of the plates can be shared. They also have the classic guacamole called Guacamole Azteca ($13) made in a mortar and pestle in front of you and to your exact specs, which is the way a lot of people start off their meal. At their recent press tasting, I found the guac chef had over a dozen ingredients he could add to the classic mix of fresh avocado, salt, chopped tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice.

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Viva Mexico! Rosa Mexicano ‘s Desde 1984 Menu

By: Finance Foodie

In 1984, Chef Josefina Howard opened the first Rosa Mexicano in New York City’s Midtown East. Since then, the concept has expanded to 14 restaurants around the world, as demand for authentic and regional flavors of Mexican food has exploded. To celebrate the restaurant’s 30th anniversary, the Desde 1984 menu was created to allow guests to savor the most loved Rosa dishes over the past three decades.

Desde 1984 Menu

Hecho En Dumbo: The Bowery's Best Mexican?

By: Anne M. Raso

I fell instantly in love with the understated Hecho En Dumbo in the East Village. It is just one long room with exposed brick walls and pipes and pretty much no art on the walls--you would think it was a hipster hang if you just looked at the bar crowd but the dinner crowd is a true mix of folks from the uptown business crowd to local tattoo artists. The food is served in a straightforward manner, with farm to table ingredients, fast service and respectable size portions.

Orale: Hip Mexican On The Upper West Side That Doesn't Disappoint!

By: Anne M. Raso

The Upper West Side's Orale is a place that is as appetizing on the eyes as on the palate. There is a fun atmosphere--barrio style florescent graffiti lines the front walls and the dead center features 100 of bottles of Jarrito's soda against a lit wall (creating some very unique "pop art”). There is also some interesting Day Of The Dead art placed in key spaces in both the bar and dining area. The staff is friendly in this month-old eatery and will customize the food without charging you extra and with no hassles.

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Teqa Revisited: New Chef, New Cuisine!

By: Anne M. Raso

I was lucky enough to attend a dinner to meet Teqa’s new 28-year-old chef Steven Cruz (who was hired a few months ago after doing a long stint at the now defunct Orchard House on the Lower East Side and in private catering). Cruz started our dinner by announcing that the midtown eatery was changing over from traditional to modern Mexican. I was able to sample several dishes that were delightful, washed down with a Jalapeno Gratinee between the appetizers and entrees (talk about a thorough palate cleansing—what a “bang” it gave off)!

Avocado Ensalada

Out of this World O(a)wesome at Otto's Tacos

By: Finance Foodie

While exploring the East Village with my family during the Thanksgiving holiday, we stumbled upon the newly opened Otto's Tacos on 2nd Avenue. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the Asian food we consumed during the week, we decided to go off the usual routine and add a bit of L.A.-styled Mexican to our repertoire. With a simple menu of 5 tacos (Carne Asada, Carnitas, Chicken, Mushroom and Shrimp) along with some original sides like Masa Fries and Chips and Guac, this was exactly what our tired and not wanting to think minds needed after a long day of shopping.

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It's a Date Kinda Place at Ofrenda West Village

By: Finance Foodie

Last Thursday night, the Mister and I were faced with our usual conundrum: In a city as expansive as the Big Apple, where to go for dinner? We were feeling a little spicy (but wanted something a bit more festive than our usual burrito bowls at Chipotle), so we decided to check out Ofrenda, a cute and casual Mexican spot in the West Village. Having passed by this hard to miss spot on 7th Ave South numerous times, I was drawn in by its patio seating combined with the nice balmy Fall night.

The Man With the Thick Accent Cocktail