Just a start, with no detail, to get us going:

Coatzingo (Queens)
Tehuatzingo (Manhattan)
El Paso (Manhattan, 104th St. location)
La Casa de los Tacos (117th)
Tacquecardia (116th)
the place across the st. from Tacquecardia

That good one on Bedford in Williamsburg
the one on 5th Ave. in Park Slope, near 12th St. maybe?

We need listings on the lower east side, more in the Slope?, Sunset Park, many more on Roosevelt and that area...

I saw flushboing's post on CH about a fish taco place in Forest Hills. I know the fish taco situation in NYC is pretty dire...but I'd stilll love to think there are places out there...

nice timing, i was planning to go to sunset park this afternoon and try a few places.

but i'll mention an astoria place. in the past couple of years a lot of mexicans have moved to astoria, and quite a few places have cropped up. from what i've tried, the standouts is los portales (broadway and crescent) -- great tacos al pastor and suadero. others that i've tried (lengua, carnitas, pollo) are just OK. also i love the scene there -- the al pastor and a large round pan where meats are fried are in the window by the street like many of the tacquerias in DF, and it's a big street party on warm evenings.

also "original mexican food" on 29th street and 30th avenue (blue awning) has really good tamales, but the tacos are just OK.

i've tried many others in astoria (flor de luna -- can be quite good, tacos mexico -- good, el mariachi -- OK, tulcingo V -- OK, and many others i don't remember the names of).


carnitas beyond queens: tortillieria los gemelos in port chester has the best carnitas i've had in the NYC area, though the quality is uneven from day to day; the rest of the menu is pretty good as well. i had some of the best there just last week. they also have fresh tortillas, but they are not made from good masa.

also, there is a taco truck in the bronx at winchester and ward called taqueria giselle (it's blue) that's there every day and has really good carnitas and tacos of various stripes. if i can scan their menu i'll post it.

The name of the one on Bedford in Williamsburg is Matamoros Puebla (between N. 7th and N. 6th) and I eat there probably twice a week. They have about 12 kinds of tacos ($2), most of which are pork and beef. I like the bistek and the enchillada (spicy pork) the best but the lengua, carnitas, and al pastor are great too. Some reviews (like NY Metro's) claim the tortillas are homemade, but they are not. They make their own sopes, though, which are like thicker tortillas with a little rim on the outside to hold in the filling -- red or green salsa, onions, crema, cojita cheese and your choice of taco meat -- and at $1.50 are not to be missed.

And I used to work close to Tehuitzingo and they probably have the best tacos in Manhattan.

Tulcingo del Valle's don't do much for me, apart from their al pastor, which are very good. They roll them up in the conical shape that i find annoying. (So does that place on 5th ave in Park Slope).

I wasn't thrilled the last time I went to Del Valle either.

Forgot to mention the excellent cart on the corner of 97th & 2nd, outside the hospital, on the northwest corner.

Also there's a place in Corona - I think it's the corner of Roosevelt and 107? It's next to a little sort of park, and there's a movie theatre on the block, or what used to be a movie theatre? (maybe Abby will remember the cross street, we stopped there after a Pollada de Laura visit). Anyway, good al pastor.

I'm going Mexican ingredient shopping and taco eating tomorrow in El Barrio. Can't wait. Any suggestions appreciated. I know one good market that I've been in several times, on 116th on the same block as Tacquecardia.

Would you mind company while tripping the tacos fantastic? I'm dying to do what you're planning tomorrow, and I certainly know the neighborhood well enough. Mmm, orejas tacos at Taco Mix!

love the taco trucks at 96th and broadway and 103rd and broadway. both serve fantastic tripe tacos. the one at 96th also does a very respectable pozole from time to time.

There is (or was; they're so sucessful that they were able to get a big, shiny truck for the operation!), a cart at 3rd and 105th run by two women who turn out dynamite tacos, $1 a pop. They started with only chicken, which I'm not crazy about in tacos, but they used lovely shredded dark meat cooked in good lard, and they were a true addiction. They expanded to carnitas a couple of years ago, then to chorizo. I'm not sure about the current offerings. Still always a big line in front. They used to be there only summer, but I think the truck has made it possible to turn it into a year-round operation. Good as a warm-up before El Paso or S. Francisco de Assis on Lex.

Ping, it was today!!!! I would have loved to have your company.

I had a fantastic tamale from a woman set up at the corner of 116 & 3rd, good tacos from a truck on 116 near 3rd, but the best tacos were at Taco Mix, on 116 in the middle of the 2nd-3rd block, on the south side, including excellent tacos de buche.

I was already so full at this point, but there are two groceries on the north side of the street, closer to 3rd than 2nd, with taco counters inside, which I will definitely check out very soon.

I did most of my shopping at one of those places, and at the place a couple of doors from Taco Mix.

Great day - lots of people out in the nice weather, music blasting on the street, and a great ingredient shopping haul for amazingly little money.

I love that neighborhood.

Oops. Should have paid attention to time of day when you posted.

And, just returned from boyfriend's mom's in Scarsdale, The House Where Time Stood Still, so I'm a bit off.

So glad you had a good time. Shall we propose a MF mexican get-together? I can't practice my Mexican cooking with aforementioned man. In spite of his having spent significant time in Mexico, his view of what real Mexican food is is truly weird. A sore point with both of us. Grrrr.

Tacqecardia, El Paso.

No foofy Mexican, no how, no way.

I also really want to try this place called El Nuevo Caridad on the corner of 116 & 2nd - I think it's Dominican. It's a major favorite of my doormen.

From CH: la fe in Sunset Park.

Tacos Matamoros, in Sunset Park, has the best tacos I've had in my somewhat limited repetoire save a few places I've tried in Queens, Tacqueria Coatzingo being one of those.

fantasty, on Jan 7 2006, 02:43 AM, said:

That was actually my post (for some oddball reason, unbeknownst even to me, I post under different names on different sites). I stumbled onto that place during my taco crawl saturday and have been waiting to see if anyone else knew about it, as I'm reluctant to publicly rave about a place on the basis of a single visit where I ate only two tacos.

Anyway, on Saturday I first went up 5th avenue (from 57th to 40th or so) to case the area and then back to sample tacos. On the way up, it was still "early" (about 1:30) and nobody was eating at La Fe but they were cooking and the place smelled right. When I went back (around 3:30) there were several families eating there and the cooks were making fresh DF style tortillas (the thick, oblong kind -- are these for huaraches?). I got two carnitas tacos to go (I was stuffed full by then) and they were the best of my short trip. Nothing else was as flavorful.

I'm not an expert on Sunset Park but here's a brain dump of what I've experienced there:

Tacos Matamoros (45th and 5th): Had a suadero torta Saturday there. I didn't like it much (bland). Consistent with first trip. Other people like it a lot -- for example http://www.eatdrinkonewoman.com/2005/06/yo...ero_tacos.html)

Piaxtla es Mexico (around 52nd and 5th -- this place has a big "RICOS TACOS" sign and it is sometimes referred to by that name on CH): Runner up for carnitas. Soups look good. The place kind of gave me the creeps, though.

La Flor de Piaxtla (around 42nd and 5th). Didn't go on Saturday but it's my default place in SP.

La Flor Bakery (around 41st and 5th -- not associated with La Flor in Queens). Don't bother with the tacos. Pastels etc are good if they are fresh; if not, I'd just go to another bakery.

There are also plenty of places in Sunset Park that I haven't tried.

From Best Mouthfuls Washington Heights and the Barrio:

"Best tacos: Tacqueria El Paso; Taco Mix - look out for offal options; Santa Clarita (stall outside in summer months); La Taquicardia is less consistent. A good taco stand on the corner of 3rd and 105th in the warmer months."

I think that overlaps with some comments above - perhaps we can improve it?

I don't recall ever eating a great taco on the Lower East Side. There's not a lot of real Mexican cooking in the neighborhood.

This was my Sunset Park experience, but I can't now remember what prompted the comment about the shells:

"Many different styles of taco to be tried from 25th Street onward (street numbers going up). Tacos el Jarocho, a very bare Mexican dining room, offered a ridiculously cheap selection, with very soft, spongy shells. Sadly, they were out of huitlacoche."

I have to eat a lot more tacos in El Barrio before I can comfortably improve on our list. So far, Taco Mix is the best in my experience. But there are at least 3 more places I need to try, based on yesterday's crawl and stuff I've heard and read. El Paso is good too, and it's a sitdown place with beer. Taco Mix is a counter and you stand up to eat your tacos. They have one table in the back but there's no service.

Note: the truck I tried out on the corner of 116/3rd says Tacqueria El Paso on it, but there is no connection to the restaurant El Paso Tacqueria. I asked.

Tough, isn't it? I liked the Sunset Park place, but how do I know if it's worth singling out without trying a dozen others? Ah well, we can only aspire. Or weigh 500 lbs.

What I do with cheap places if I want to cover a lot of ground is buy a thing or two to go from each place and go eat in the car or in a park. Some food goes to waste. Otherwise going to a neighborhood like Sunset Park is not really worth it because it's very likely I'll get stuck sitting down in a place eating something mediocre and getting very full.

Matamoros Puebla on Bedford in Williamsburg is closing at some point in the near future -- the landlords are jacking up the rent and the owners can no longer afford it. (The location is as prime as real estate gets in the WB). They haven't set a closing date yet, but it will be sooner than later. That place has been a constant in my life for the last eight years and I really don't know what I'm going to do without it. Took a couple photos today...

Tacos de bistek y enchilada


Sopes de pollo

Damn. Damn damn damn.

This is very sad. Do you know if they will be opening in a new location?

Not a best, as I haven't had them since management changed, but in downtown Brooklyn/Boerum Hill, Fast & Fresh Deli at 84 Hoyt Street (just off of Atlantic) has expanded their line of tacos to include (among other things): barbacoa de chivo, queso de puerco, cecina, ensalada nopales, and chorizo con huevos. I had a chorizo con huevos torta yesterday and it was great, yummy, gloppy mess of beans, ripe avocado, and mayo. Yum!

lambretta76, on Feb 16 2006, 10:31 AM, said:

Are they open around 6pm for take out?

Steve R., on Feb 16 2006, 11:59 AM, said:

I'm surprised you can hold out that long.

lambretta76, on Feb 16 2006, 03:31 PM, said:

Let's emphasize that they are not the best. They are hit-and-miss, since they reheat their meat. Still, in this neighborhood, it's about as authentic as it gets. ALWAYS stop by when I'm in the neighborhood.

Abbylovi, on Feb 16 2006, 10:20 AM, said:

They said they may try to open a place in Bay Ridge, but they haven't decided yet.

lovelynugget, on Feb 16 2006, 12:57 PM, said:

This is true of any place that serves slow roasted meat like barbacoa. Unless you happen on the place at the moment the meat is finished cooking the first time. This sort of slow cooked meat is always kept warm or reheated before being put into tortillas.

BTW, those tacos look fantastic. I am having intense Red Hook cravings now . . .

Ron Johnson, on Feb 16 2006, 07:36 PM, said:

Of course, but I guess what I meant is that because of the re-heating results are varied. I've gotten some carne asada that was like dried out leather or carnitas like rocks. Other times, just right. It just depends is all.

Still the best option in the neighborhood.

Spent most of Saturday wandering around Sunset Park and stopped in Tacos Matamoros on 5th Ave after hearing Ganda of Eat Drink One Woman endlessly talk it up. My friend and I ordered two tacos each -- I got a suadero and an al pastor, she got a carne enchilada and an al pastor. Tacos are only a buck, which seemed like a giant bargain until we got them and the tortillas were maybe four inches in diameter (same size as Mercadito's), little bite-size things. So downgraded to mere "bargain" status. I really don't feel like I ate enough of any of them to really form an opinion, but the al pastor were really good. The suadero (pork belly I think) were fine but underseasoned. Only had a bite of the carne enchilada but it was good. They give you lemon wedges here, which are not as good as limes if you ask me. I think the staff thought we were freaks for taking photos of the food...

Suadero on the left, al pastor on the right.

I've been to Matomoros twice and I didn't like it much either time.
I have some taco pictures from the bronx which I'll try to post.

A wonderful California taco crawl.

Steven Dilley, on Jul 20 2006, 09:29 PM, said:

Quote

I love that.

And her boyfriend's name is Taylor Umlauf. Are you sure this is not made up?

Bittman on tacos.

Quote

This is a pretty confusing paragraph. He really should add that burritos are made only with flour tortillas. If you roll the corn tortillas and fry them, you have a flauta or tacquito.

An enchilada is defined as something that has been "chile'd", not something with layers. I've had enchiladas that were dipped in chile sauce and then folded in quarters.

I think he's in dangerous territory.

Dios santo...there are so many errors in Bittman's article that it may as well have been written by that Lebanese mother, the one with the Old El Paso tacos.

To start with, taco does not mean sandwich. Taco literally means 'wad'. Torta means sandwich. And it's all downhill from there.

If you roll the tortilla, it’s a burrito, which appears to have been created in the American Southwest; if you layer food on top of it, it’s an enchilada...no, and no. A burrito isn't rolled. And as Rancho said, it's made with a flour tortilla. And an enchilada--oh, what Rancho said again, among other things.

Turkey would probably be most traditional...turkey tacos? Not in my neck of the woods. Turkey with mole, yes. But turkey tacos are definitely not traditional. I've been in a lot of taquerías, and I've never seen turkey on any menu.

Many people add salsa for brightness as well...brightness? How about picante? Sheesh.

...slow-roasted pork, called carnitas...with all due respect to Jaymes and her fabulous recipe to be made at home, carnitas are traditionally made by boiling big hunks of pork in oil.

...skirt steak is what you most often see made into carne asada ...no. What is most often made into carne asada is peinecillo, an extremely thin cut similar to sirloin.

OK, I'll shut up now. Maybe I'll go look for a taco al pastor made of goat. For pete's sake, I've never heard of such a thing. Pork. It's pork.

*sigh*

/end rant/

cristina, on Jul 25 2006, 09:43 PM, said:

You should say, "...with all due respect to Jaymes and Diana Kennedy..." since "my" recipe is an adaptation of hers. I get the credit, but surely nobody thinks I made it up all by my gringa self.

And I have tried the "boiling in oil" method but, first of all, dislike boiling large vats of oil, despite the fact that I do have gorgeous vats, having bought them when I was in Mexico visiting Cristina.

And secondly, I just like the taste of the Diana Kennedy method, especially considering that it works out so well for home cooking.

Jaymes, on Jul 25 2006, 08:58 PM, said:

Chula, you needn't get defensive! I think all agree your recipe is super but not very traditional. There's no right or wrong but the world would be a little sadder without your version of carnitas. But it's odd for Bittman to describe carnitas as slow cooked pork.

Personally I like to give myself a "boiling in oil" facial everytime I make carnitas. The pores just open and say "ahhhh!" when I lounge over a pot of chopped pork simmering in its own fat! Look lovely, be lovely, as I always say!

Jaymes, on Jul 25 2006, 10:58 PM, said:

I bet more people have made carnitas estilo Jaymes than have made carnitas estilo DK. Your gringa self is just dandy, and so is your recipe.

Now I want to go back to Carnitas Aeropuerto--or in the immortal words of Ranchito, Aeropuerco. I was supposed to go on the 11th, but it's been postponed. All this talk about carnitas and my mouth is watering.

cristina, on Jul 25 2006, 10:43 PM, said:

I was thinking the same thing. I really can't get through most of his articles these days. I realize they are pitched towards a "newbie" audience but why dumb things down so much if the correct version is just as easy? Anyway, Philly has had some great taquerias open in the past decade, I am sure it is the case also for most other big east coast cities.

I must admit I like that he credits al pastor tacos to lebanese, though I honestly can't imagine a lebanese putting fruit in any kind of savory dish, let alone sliced pineapple.

are "tacos al pastor" also called "tacos arabe" in some places, or is that something different?

Tacos arabe are something different. They are generally made with marinated lamb (the meat is grilled vertically, however, like tacos al pastor), and are served on pita with a creamy salsa based on pureed garbanzos. More like shawarma or giros than anything else, I think.

cristina, on Jul 25 2006, 10:47 PM, said:

Which is a much better name, and when I win the lottery and head off to Mexico to start a business, I'm going to franchise Aeropuerco.

He forgot the fresh cilantro. Pah.

rancho_gordo, on Jul 25 2006, 10:31 PM, said:

I believe Panama's late dictator, Manuel Noriega, used the same beauty method.

cristina, on Jul 26 2006, 09:51 AM, said:

Ahh, ok. Therein lay my confusion -- I saw them grilled vertically in a Taco Inn and thought they might be the same meat as al pastor. Thanks for clarifying!

I note that on the NYT website, Bittman is taking a pretty good skewering from someone named Patalarga.

I plead the 5th.

cristina, on Jul 28 2006, 06:55 AM, said:

If I were you, I'd take a victory lap.

Had a couple of pretty darn decent tacos (carnitas, lengua) at Casa de los Tacos on Friday. 117th & 1st. Cute place all around. Nary a word of English, and the rest of the food looks pretty good. We were on our way out of town so we didn't sit, but we will soon...the menu is very Mexican, as is the whole place and vibe. They have tacos de oreja de cerdo, and tacos de buche de cerdo...I'll be back. Menu is good. What are gringas? And what are sincronizadas? (both listed de maiz and de harina).

omnivorette, on Jan 23 2007, 12:13 AM, said:

Gringas are generally tacos with cheese (melting cheese as opposed to dried) and sometimes carmelized onions instead of the standard cilantro/raw onions that tacos are generally served with..

sincronizadas are basically quesadillas but made with flour tortillas and often a meat or other filling..

Muchas Gracias, Juuuucy (rhymes with Luuuucy)

Cheer at the Marathon -- mile 21 where last year our friend hit his wall. He ran by, saw our signs, high fives all around, and this year he looked great. Conveniently, this was at 1st Ave & 116th, so was able to make a Taco Mix stop after. Had two vegetarians in our group, but screw them -- I wanted me some tacos. They waited outside while I (and others) ate my fill. A carnitas, a chorizo, a bistec and of course, an al pastor. Really hit the spot.

Took them a year and a half to do so, but they finally closed, without warning on Sunday... they were gutting the place yesterday as I walked by. I'm gutted too. Will really miss those sopes.

Is there anything out near Graham street like it, or past there? I don't remember seeing anything -- but given how many places in Astoria that are of the same concept and similar quality I would be surprised if there weren't something out in Bushwick.

There's that taqueria that's part of the Los Hermanos Tortilleria in Bushwick. And there are a few under the JMZ line on Broadway. But Matamoros was on my way home.

And this on broadway under the JMZ: http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0746,s...a,78317,15.html

Saturday's perfect weather was an excuse for us to take a walk down 5th Ave. in Sunset Park. Just three blocks away is the Asian mile on 8th Ave. but 5th is solidly Latino. The people watching was choice and there was plenty of other stuff to see.





I'd been meaning to try Tacos Matamoros for awhile and since we were walking past the 57th St. branch it seemed like the perfect time to drop in.

Deb had the spicy pork taco and I had the the chorizo. A $1.50 buys you a regular taco and for $2.50 you can upgrade to the grande. We splurged. The name is a bit of a misnomer - two grandes would make a light lunch and one served nicely as a snack. The ingredients were fresh and the spicing jazzed it up a bit. They served radishes, limes and hot sauce on the side and we took advantage of them.





They've got a full menu and based on our taco tasting I'd happily go back. While the place is utterly bare bones it's clean and the serving staff is very sweet. The movie posters are a bonus.

love the posters