Oxomoco Visited October 2018 4 Forks

Oxomoco  128 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222

Oxomoco has been part of the trend of super hot restaurants popping up in Greenpoint.  I've always loved Greenpoint but it's certainly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the dining scene.  I had been wanting to try this place out and met up with Paige there on a random weekday night.  It was packed but luckily we were still able to get a table there without much of a wait. 

The menu is high end but still relatable Mexican food.  Of course as with any Mexican meal, we had to get the guacamole ($15) - which by the way, when the hell did guacamole become so crazy expensive?? Thanks Trump.  Every time I get guacamole I feel the same way, it's good but never feels any better than the kind I can make at home myself.  But it just feels wrong to be eating Mexican food without smashed up avocados.  The tacos are the main stars here and we got the shrimp, pork cheek and barbacoa (you can get them in twos or threes ($15-$24) - since we were getting so many we opted for the two's version, which I think is the better way to go if you want some variety).  They were all excellent - the meats moist and juicy and all served with really fresh ingredients and salsa.  The tortillas tasted like the homemade ones I got in Mexico City and made with blue corn.   No sour cream or rice and beans to be found here (although don't get me wrong, I love them on the right kind of Mexican food).

It's no wonder this place is so popular.  I should also give a shout out to their cocktail list - my Paloma was excellent.  While Greenpoint isn't always the easiest place to get to, it's places like this that show why it's a great food destination to check out. 

Photo Credit:  Yelp

1 Week in Sweden - Part 3 - Visited 6/30/2018 - 7/8/2018 3.5 - 4 Forks

Kafe Hoga Nord Kyrkogatan 13, 411 15 Göteborg, Sweden                                                        4 Forks

After 3 days in Stockholm, we were ready for something different in Sweden.  When I told most locals that we were going to Gothenburg, they looked horrified.  So I was scared that we made the wrong choice but I actually thought it was a nice "long weekend" kind of destination.  I guess it's kind of like the rivalry between New York and Boston - most New Yorkers could care less about Boston but if someone was visiting from another country, I could see why there is some appeal there. 

Gothenburg is quaint city that's also surrounded by water with a fun downtown area that has lots of shops and restaurants.  The NY Times had just done a 36 Hours in Gothenburg, so we visited one of their recommended restaurants, which, surprisingly was also very vegetarian friendly. 

The cafe is hidden behind an alley way and nestled in between a champagne shop and a record shop.  It's a hipster's dream but it started as a record store and then expanded to a cafe.  The cafe itself is tiny but they have a few outdoors seats in the courtyard which makes for a really pleasant lunch during the summer time.  What I liked about Gothenburg was that it was a bit more local in that most menu didn't have English translations but obviously everyone speaks perfect English there, so the guy behind the counter was more than happy to help us out.   The menu is mostly soups and smorrebrod (open-faced sandwich).  I got the gazpacho soup and Lav got the cauliflower soup and then we each got a different kind of smorrebrod - one had ricotta, cherry tomatoes and artichokes and I can't remember the other one but it had a lot of dill on it.  

The soups alone are a major reason to come here.  They were out of this world.  I know, who thinks vegetarian soup can be mind blowing but they were.  They were clean, fresh tasting and really hit the spot.  We were both shocked at how delicious they were.  The smorrebrod were also tasty yet very traditional tasting.  If you're looking for something healthy, hip and tasty, definitely check this place out.  I just wouldn't say it's the most filling meal but you won't regret it.   Total bill:  $33 USD for two with tax and tip

Puta Madra  Magasinsgatan 3, 411 18 Göteborg, Sweden                                                         3.5 Forks

When you think of Sweden, you don't really think of Mexican food right?  But I guess since this is a university town, there are more diverse food options.  We were feeling a bit tired of the forged/veggie food scene, so when we saw that there was a Mexican restaurant in the heart of downtown, we figured why not? 

The decor and setting of the restaurant is beautiful.  We got to sit up on the rooftop and it was a super fun and lively scene.  The menu is pretty traditional Mexican (not authentic though) - tacos, tostada, ceviche, and empanadas.  We started with the guacamole, a side of black beans and I got the fish tacos.  While I preferred grilled fish tacos, a good beer batter fish tacos always hits the spot too.  Unfortunately, these were a little funky.  They were covered in this weird orange sauce that I couldn't place, a huge helping of pickled onions and then a literal bunch of cilantro (they clearly didn't bother to cut it).  While it was plenty of food, it felt like it was missing some more flavor and toppings.  Instead of the onion, I would have preferred the traditional use of cabbage and while we're at it, freaking sirracha aioli (I know, it's not very authentic but when it comes to beer batter fish tacos, I do love that combination).   The guac and beans were fine - nothing really anything to note.

Although one can't have too high of an expectation for Mexican food in Sweden, it was a bit of a let down.  But I would still recommend it as a place to go as it was packed with young locals and the vibe was really fun.  Total bill: $61 USD/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Saluhallen Kungstorget, 411 17 Göteborg, Sweden                                                                     4 Forks

Yes, I finally had Swedish meatballs.  I had been in Sweden for over 5 days and had yet to have the famous Swedish meatballs.  It's not that I was opposed to it but I honestly wasn't dying to have it and it wasn't really served in a lot of the places I went to.  I assumed it was just a touristy thing and while it probably is, it's still served up in a bunch of more casual places. 

For those of you who know me, you know that I love a good food hall.  I love the smells, sounds and feel of being surrounded by such variety and choices.  This place was no exception.  It's smack in the middle of town and Lav and I decided to grab something to eat before our 3 hour train ride back to Stockholm.  While the hall isn't overwhelming, I still had a hard time deciding what to get and finally caved and decided to get the meatballs.  There are a few stalls that have them and I picked one that seemed to have the most people around.  I got it straight up traditional style with white gravy, mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce.  The meatballs were enormous and delicious.  I don't know what kind of meat they used but it was very moist.  Not that you really needed it since it was covered in gravy and then with the combination of buttery mashed potatoes and sauce, there was no way each bite wouldn't be yummy.  I guess since Sweden is cold 8 months of the year they need super hearty comfort food like this.  It reminded me of Thanksgiving food but with a small twist.  

I loved everything about it but I also didn't think I needed to load up on more meatballs on my trip.  The one nice thing about this meal was that it was probably one of the cheapest and most filling meals of the trip.  Total bill:  $7.80 

Photo Credit:  https://eatandtheworld.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/goteborg/

6 days in Punta de Mita - Part 3 Visited 5/11 - 5/17/2018 3-4 Forks

Don Pedro's Bar and Restaurant  Calle Marlin 2, 63734 Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit                 3 Forks

After being "trapped" at the lovely St. Regis for a few days, I was itching a bit to explore outside of the resort.  Enter Sayulita.  It's about a 30 min drive and it could not be more different than the St. Regis.  It is a small sleepy, hippie, surfer town and it was a breath of fresh air.  Not that I don't love to be pampered a bit but it's also nice to be able to sit down and have a $2 beer every once in a while.  The town is right on the beach and there are tons of young and old surfers just hanging out in the waters all day.  There are a bunch of cute shops and bars near the Square but beyond that not much else.  It's very much a backpacker town but we did see a few families there as well. 

After walking around for a bit and buying some cheap gifts, we settled on Don Pedro's for dinner mostly because it was right on the beach and we got a fantastic view of the sunset.  The set up of the restaurant is a bit weird because the downstairs is huge but they were having a salsa class when we went, so they took us upstairs to eat.  Despite it's great location, it was fairly empty, although a few more people did trickle in later.

The menu is not really Mexican - they had pizzas, pastas and grilled meats so it kind of was catering to American tourists.  They gave us these really tasty homemade chips to start and delicious pico de gallo that tasted like it was just a fresh jar of tomatoes poured in a bowl. I started with the octopus carpaccio and had the ahi tuna steak as my main course.  The carpaccio was refreshing but it wasn't really carpaccio or at least how I envision carpaccio to be.  It was more like a ceviche in that it was cut up into small chunks and served with red chilies.  As for the tuna steak, it was like any other tuna steak I've had before except it had a huge piece of sinew running through my steak which was quite unappetizing. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes and thin crispy onion rings.  It honestly felt a bit like a Trader Joe's meal and I'm not saying that in a terrible way but just that it was pretty basic. 

While the food was just ok, the views are lovely and I could definitely see myself sitting there with a cold beer and chips/salsa all night.   The other pro to this place being that it's not on the resort was that it's super cheap.  Total bill:  $24/pp for tax and tips

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Venazu  W Hotel, 63734 Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                                         3.5 Forks

After 4 amazing days at the St. Regis, Holly and I moved to the W Hotel about 30 minutes away to check out a different scene.  I may be getting too old for the W Hotel or maybe we were just super spoiled by the St. Regis but it was just a very different feel.  There were parts of this hotel that I did like better though - the beach was 100% better and more expansive.  And there were a few more onsite restaurant options as well - although it's probably because there is literally no where else to go near this hotel. 

There is a Spice Market (yes, that same Spice Market) but since we were in Mexico, we figured we'd go to the more Mexican focused restaurant.  Since it was low season, there was practically no one there which was kind of weird but the waiter was so nice and super friendly that he made it less weird.  We started with a fresh corn salad it was was fantastic.  Light, refreshing and came with yummy chunks of Oaxaca cheese.  For my main dish, I got what was described as a "sea bass" but it definitely wasn't of the "Chilean" variety and tasted much more like a regular white fish with a slightly weird chili rub on it.  It was a huge piece of fish and I couldn't even finish it.  Of course we had to end the meal with churros which is always a winner.  They were warm and served with the standard yummy dipping sauce of chocolate and caramel.  The meal was satisfying but not necessarily something I have been dreaming of since I left.  But if you're staying at the W in Punta de Mita, it's not a terrible option.  Total bill:  $115 for 2 people with tax, tip and drinks

Chevicheria W Hotel, 63734 Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                                  4 Forks

Ugh, this is a terrible photo of what was otherwise one of my favorite meals on the trip.  I wish I had more time to eat there more than just once but I was only at the W for 2 nights, so I had dinner here by myself after Holly left.   This isn't really a restaurant but a super casual truck next to the pool that serves a bunch of different kinds of ceviches and nothing else.  I rolled up in a bathing suit and shorts and sat on a stool with a beer.  Love it.  I can't tell you how fresh and delicious these dishes were.  I was so excited and overwhelmed by all the options that I ordered two for myself for dinner (ceviche Yucatan and Ceviche Nayrait) and they were definitely plenty as a whole meal.   I don't remember what was exactly in them but rest assured they were both exactly what a ceviche should be - a bit of tang but clean tasting.  I was hoping I could squeeze in one more meal here before my flight out but they are only open from 11-7pm and I had to leave at 11:30, so it was cutting it a bit too close.  My only complaint is that it's a little bit pricey for what it is but hey, this is what happens when you're in a pretty isolated hotel and it's a price I was willing to deal with on my last night here to not eat another mashed potato dish.  Total bill:  $37/pp with tax, tip, and a beer

6 days in Punta de Mita - Part 2 Visited 5/11 - 5/17/2018 4 Forks

Sea Breeze  St Regis Resort,  Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                                    4 Forks

I am normally not a huge fan of eating breakfast at the hotel because it's almost always overpriced and not great food.  But I must say that my breakfast meals at Sea Breeze were lovely and while still expensive for the region, not bad considering the quality of it.  

I won't review every breakfast that I had here but I'll say that unless you are super hungry, there is no need to get the buffet as I think it's like $45.  I was super full with just a breakfast entree and side for half the price.  Since I was in Mexico it only felt right to get a Mexican breakfast dish, so I went with the old standby of huevos rancheros (290 pesos) and a side of pork sausage (75 pesos).  A word to the wise, share the side of pork sausage as you get 6 links and it was a lot for 1 person to finish.  The huevos rancheros were great and super filling.  

When you actually sit down to have a nice breakfast it totally makes a difference on the rest your day but it's hard to do it when you're not on vacation and have someone who will make it for you.  Again, I don't know what other breakfast food places there were in the area but this was a nice choice if you're in or around the resort.  Total bill:  $32 for 2 people with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Starwoodhotels.com 

Blue Shrimp  Av El Anclote 10, Col. Punta de Mita, Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                4 Forks

Blue Shrimp is another beach side restaurant on the other side of the gates right next to Tuna Blanca.  It's a little bit more laid back but it was a pretty similar vibe.   As you would expect, the menu is all about shrimp here (duh) but they also have a few other dishes like tuna, octopus, burgers and steak.  But it seems silly to come to a place with shrimp in the name and not get shrimp, right? 

Holly and I started with the tuna sashimi and I got the shrimp fajitas while she got the coconut shrimp.  The tuna sashimi was plentiful but it looked like it was frozen and then thawed as it was not super red but more of a pale pink color.  Totally fine but it's not like your getting melt in your mouth tuna from a Japanese fish market.  As for the shrimp dishes, jesus it was like shrimp on steroids.  They were the biggest pieces of shrimp I've ever seen.  They were very plump and cooked to the right temperature and texture - a bit of crunch but not too overcooked where it's too tough to eat.  I was very impressed with the amount of shrimp they gave us and it tasted quite fresh, not frozen.  The fajitas were great and incredibly filling.  It left no room for dessert but our really sweet waiter slipped us a free small sliver of chocolate cake which definitely hit our sweet tooth spot.  That's how you do it right in trying to get a bigger tip - they didn't try to guilt you on leaving a bigger tip because I did it anyways given how nice they were here.  Total bill:  $51 with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

6 days in Punta de Mita - Part 1 Visited 5/11 - 5/17/2018 3-3.5 Forks

Mita Mary Boat Club  St Regis Resort,  Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                 3.5 Forks

Ahhh, Punta de Mita.  If you ever get the privilege to spend some time at the St. Regis in Punta de Mita, don't hesitate to go!  I had a few weeks off in between jobs and needed a quick but super relaxing get away.  Mexico is always an easy choice because it's cheap and not that far.  I hadn't really gone to the Pacific side of the country and I was able to get a fantastic IATA rate at the St. Regis, so I figured why not?  I was a little worried that I would be bored because it's a resort with not much around it but honestly it's so relaxing that it didn't matter. 

The downside is that you don't have a ton of restaurants to choose from but the food at the St. Regis was pretty decent (although I heard some people at the resort complaining about it and one person said she got food poisoning but I was ok).   Holly and I got to the resort a bit early, so our room wasn't ready.  We were starving because we took an ass crack of dawn 6AM flight out, so we headed to their casual beach side restaurant for lunch.  I give them 5 forks for the scenery and service but I wasn't blown away by the food.  The menu itself is awesome - it's very seafood focused with things like octopus tacos, tuna tostadas, grilled shrimp and a variety of ceviches.  I got a shrimp quesadilla (140 pesos or $7), grilled corn (140 pesos)  and we split a ceviche (275 pesos or around $13).  Since we were on a resort and a fancy one at that, the prices were definitely not what I was accustomed to in Mexico but all things considered it's still affordable by US standards. 

The ceviche was a mixed seafood one and it felt more like they dumped some seafood in a bowl of pico de gallo.  It was too heavy on the pico (it could have been more acidic) and not enough focus on the seafood but overall it was a refreshing dish to have right off the plane and it was also already hot as hell outside.  My quesadilla was a bit on the small side - it looked like half a quesadilla and it wasn't super gooey but it's hard to go wrong with hot cheese in a tortilla (to be fair, I got this pool side later on the trip and I'm pretty sure it all comes from the same kitchen and it was bigger and tastier).  The corn was eh - it wasn't Mexican style corn with the mayo and cheese on it  It was literally a small piece of steamed corn with nothing on it. 

While this review doesn't seem super glowing, I would definitely come back here - especially given that the resort has very limited casual restaurant options.  It's the perfect place to roll up if you've been sitting by the pool and want a change of scenery.  One thing to note, I'm not sure if we were super tired or what but the welcome margarita and then the one here knocked me and Holly OUT.  They were delicious but lethal so watch out.  Total bill:  $70 for 2 people

Photo Credit: Yelp

Tuna Blanca  Av. El Anclote S/N, 63734 Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                  3 Forks

You may ask yourself why did you put a picture of a pot of flowers for this review?  I'll get to it a bit later but it was the favorite part of my meal.

As I mentioned earlier, the St. Regis is in a gated community and it's a far walk to the main gates, but once you get past the main gates there is a small town that has a few restaurants.  They catered to mostly to the people on the resorts and I wouldn't say it's a town you should hang out in otherwise as there isn't a ton to do.  We ended up taking a 140 pesos taxi ride to the restaurant - again, which isn't crazy expensive but when you think about it, it's a <10 drive="" for="" min="" nbsp="" span="">

Tuna Blanca is right off the main drag and it's a nice outdoor restaurant with a lot of turquoise blue decor.  It's a fairly eclectic menu with a variety of seafood and meat dishes as well as a tasting menu.  I learned my lesson from San Miguel and while I love a good tasting menu, I didn't see the need to indulge here.  Instead I got the suckling pig tacos to start and Holly got the mozzarella and heirloom tomato appetizer and we both got the lamb duo.  The tacos came on 2 blue corn tortillas and served with radish, guacamole and salsa with a square piece of suckling pig.  It was tasty but I expected the pig to be a bit moister and more tender since it was of the suckling variety.  It was definitely not like the ones I got in Mexico City.  Next came the lamb duo which was served as a chop and shoulder.  They insisted on the meat being cooked medium/well done which is not how I usually like my meat but I didn't want to offend them because it seemed to be the culture here.  The dish was served with cactus, polenta, baby corn and what looked like a grilled piece of oaxaca cheese.  Again the dish was fine, I am just not a fan of my chop being that overly cooked - I like some pinkness to it which this did not have.  If our meal ended here, I would have said it would be 3.5 forks but then we got dessert and it was hilarious and amazing.

We ordered the chocolate mousse to share and they bring out this giant flower pot that had real flowers in it.  The soil was all chocolate mousse and it was sprinkled with chocolate candies that looked like stone.  It was enormous, delicious and hilarious all at once.  They really mean business when they say it's to share but it's to share with like 5 people not just 2.  We barely made a dent in it before calling it quits.  The restaurant has very elaborate presentations here - the table across from us got some other giant dessert that had a large Eiffel Tower sculpture attached to it and another table got the pumpkin soup where they brought out this giant gourd and served the soup out of it.

If the meal had ended there I might have been included to give it 4 forks because of the dessert.  But when we paid the bill the waiter asked how much we'd like leave in a tip and I left around 12% and he commented how it's customary to leave 20% in Mexico which I know isn't true.  It made me feel like he was trying to rip us off because we were tourists and I did not appreciate that.  I generally tip 20% in the US and I am very empathetic to the fact that most servers rely on tips but to be called out on it was rude.  I noticed when I got home that he went ahead an applied a 22% tip despite what I told him - very uncool and really makes me want to move the rating down below 3 forks but I'll be nice this one time.  Total bill: $63/pp with tax and tip

Flats Fix Taqueria Visited 5/11/2018 3 Forks

Flats Fix Taqueria  30 East 16th St., New York, NY 10003

I'll keep this review short and sweet since there's really not anything complicated about this place.  Allison and I were going to go to Blue Water Grill because she had these gift cards for Be Your Guest but sadly we were told they were no longer valid there.  Oh well, at least we were told before we sat down and ordered.  So we walked around Union Square to figure out where to go - we wanted something super casual (clearly the opposite of Blue Water Grill) and easy and Flats Fix fit that bill exactly.  It's a small super casual place right around the corner - we picked it mainly because it had outdoor seating but the table and chairs are a bit wobbly so I wouldn't say you will be super comfortable. 

This is not some authentic Mexican place where grandmothers are hand rolling the tortillas and the pork has been sitting and marinating all day.  It's almost closer to a Chiptole style meal except you're sitting down.  You can get 3 tacos for $13, so I got the shrimp, mushroom and chicken tacos.   They were all very passable and got the job done but they certainly were not on the level of the mind blowing tacos you will get in Mexico City - but I don't think that's what they set out to be anyways.  While the size of the tortilla is the same as most places since they don't pile on the meat and toppings, it feels a bit skimpier and not as satisfying.  The yellow rice and beans weren't that great but since the tacos are a bit on the smaller side, they help fill you up.  It's a decent enough place  (the shrimp taco was the stand out in my book) if you're Union Square and need an easy bite but having just been in Mexico City, it's hard for me to get my mind away from high standard tacos.  Total bill:  $31/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Another 48 Hours in Mexico City - Part 2 Visited 4/13-4/15/2018 4 - 5 Forks

Maque  Av. Ozuluama 4, Col. Condesa, 06100 México, D.F.                                                      4 Forks

One of the great things about Mexican food is that you can even have it for breakfast and it's still tasty!  While we had been in Mexico, we had only really had 1 real breakfast and even there, I ended up having a chicken enchilada instead.  So we were determined to get real breakfast with eggs.  I found Maque which is on this cute street in the Condesa area right near the park and it was completely mobbed on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  We were about to walk away but the hostess told us it would only be a 15 mins wait, so we stayed.  Turns out that she was right, so even if you see a huge crowd, try to wait it out. 

The inside is super cute - it's almost got this European pastry/cafe feel inside.  The menu has everything variation of Mexican breakfast you can imagine.  I ended up getting a traditional huevos rancheros since I hadn't really had that yet on our trip and a few people who we passed on our way to our seat at it at their table it it looked tasty.  When you sit down, you are offered a bread basket and initially I was going to say no because I didn't want to eat too many carb but do yourself a favor and get the corn bread cake.  Jesus, it was on the best pieces of bread I've ever had.  It's not like the dry mealy corn bread you get at home (don't get me wrong, a good piece of corn bread at a BBQ place can be quite tasty) but this is almost like a cake.  It was super moist and had bits of corn it in.  Definitely don't miss out on it.  

In terms of the huevos rancheros, it was s perfectly tasty dish.  No complaints with it at all and I don't remember what Jen or Kevin had but they also seemed perfectly content with their meal.  I would also recommend a cappuccino here as well - it was the right balance of sweet and bitter. 

You can also grab breads and pastries to go here and sit outside the park, but I would recommend waiting in line and eating inside.  It was a fantastic way to start off the day and I'd also spend some time in the surrounding neighborhood of Condesa as well - lots of cute shops to pop into along the way.  Total bill:  $40 USD for 3 people with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

La Capital  Av. Nuevo León 137, 06140 México, D.F.                                                                 4 Forks

Jen had an old friend who lived in Mexico City, so we met up with her for dinner on Saturday night.  I was excited to try a restaurant recommended by someone who actually lives in the city and this place didn't disappoint.  It was also in the Condesa neighborhood and you could tell that it was frequented by a lot of locals.  It seemed like a fun, hip place that would exist in the East Village area - it's a pretty large space with a nice outdoor terrace in the back which is where we sat. 

The menu is contemporary Mexican and very extensive - lots of ceviches, tostadas, tortas, salads, grilled meats and main entrees.  I should also note a lot of fantastic cocktails too - there's a mezcal drink in a clay pot with grapefruit, orange and lime slices with a spicy salty rim that's delicious. Unfortunately, I don't remember everything that we ate there (the night was a bit hazy from the drinks and running around all day) but I do remember ordering the cochinita pibil to start and I got the tuna steaks for my main.  Cochinita pibil is slow roasted pork with spices and marinate and served in a banana leaf - it was moist and delicious although a bit heavy to start off a meal.  But I love anything wrapped in a banana leaf!  As for my main, the tuna was nicely seared and it was kind of your traditional tuna dish but with a chili rub on the outside.  It was served with mashed potatoes and sautéed veggie - so except for the chili rub, it was the kind of dish you would find at any other upscale restaurant.  It was actually a huge portion and combined with all the other food and drinks I had had, I don't remember finishing my plate which is very unusual for me. 

Overall, it was a super fun place and glad that we got to check out a place that probably wouldn't have been on our list if we were left on our own for dinner.  Even with it being a nicer sit down restaurant, the total bill was still completely reasonable considering that we each got multiple drinks.  Total bill:  $43/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

El Hidalguense  Campeche 155, Col. Roma Sur, 06760 Ciudad de México                                5 Forks

You know you are with the right group of friends when you are all willing to possibly miss your flight just to squeeze in one more epic meal on the trip.  While everything we ate so far was amazing, this place was my favorite and I felt like I had to give at least one place on our trip 5 forks.  It's only open on the weekends and even then only until 6pm, so we were very lucky to have been able to squeeze this in our trip.  For some reason, I thought it was going to be a quick food stall stop, so we didn't really leave ourselves a lot of time for our meal.  Instead, it's a casual sit down restaurant that was jammed packed when we got there.  But we were determined and really sweated this meal out.  It was about a 10-15 min wait - the place is a very well oiled machine so don't worry if you're on a tight timeline.

This is THE place for lamb barbacoa - the menu is all in Spanish so we had to piecemeal our order and because we were under the gun, we kind of ordered hastily.  I would definitely recommend taking your time to order because when looking around, it looks like most people ordered barbacoa by weight and made their own meals.  We got what we thought was a zucchini quesadilla (I'll explain in a bit) and barbacoa tacos with hard shells and soft shells.

Despite it being a casual, sit down place, they run this place like a factory - servers are very efficient and milling around everywhere.  The table comes with lots of salsa, chopped up onions and limes - be very careful with the salsas.  We all did taste tests and even with my newly found tolerance for spicy food, they were a bit too much for me.  So when I had said we ordered what we thought was a quesadilla - we assumed there would be cheese in it because what kind of quesadilla doesn't???  Well this is where if we had more time to read the menu and/or ask questions we might have found out what we did wrong.  But the zucchini blossoms came in blue corn tortillas with no cheese in it - just chopped up zucchini blossoms.  Oh well.  It was tasty none the less but obviously missing a big component.  But honestly that's not why you're here.  You're here for the meat and it absolutely does NOT disappoint. 

The tacos also came with fresh delicious blue corn tortillas and they were stuffed to the gills with barbacoa in them.  It was plentiful, fragrant, tender and seriously everything you would want in a taco despite it not having any sour cream, guacamole or other things that you typically pile on in the US.  I added a squeeze of lime, onions and a hint of the medium salsa to spice it up a bit but it was still very clean tasting - every bite was fantastic.  The hard taco might have been a better choice just because it held in the juices more but honestly they were both yummy. 

We pretty much only had 35 mins to shove all this food in our mouth and throw down the bill, which we did but I would definitely recommend spending more time than we did.  The only downside is that they do not take credit cards but other than that, there really is no downside here for me.  Total bill:  $33 USD for 3 people with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Another 48 hours in Mexico City - Part 1, Visited 4/13-4/15/2018 4-4.5 Forks

Taqueria Los Parados  Monterrey 333, Col. Roma, 06760 México, D.F.                                     4 Forks

Instead of flying back home via Leon, Jen, Kevin and I thought it would be more fun (and faster) to fly home through Mexico City.  Of course this meant another few straight days of serious eating, which none of us were upset by.  As I had mentioned in my post from last year, Mexico City is seriously one of the greatest and most underrated culinary destinations in the world.  The food is second to none and compared to the other great food cities of the world, super cheap.  I normally hate to visit the same city twice for vacation because there are so many other great cities in the world to visit, but I really didn't mind coming back to Mexico City. 

The cool, hip neighborhood is the Roma Norte/Sur area, which is where our Airbnb was.  We had just gotten off a 3.5 hr bus ride from San Miguel and starving.  We quickly googled best tacos nearby and Taqueria los Parados came up on our search a few times and it was only a 10 min walk from our place.  While it's not a restaurant, it's not really a street stall either.  Instead it's got a few counters you can stand at while you shove your face full of tacos and quesadillas.  The menu is large and expansive and to be honest, we didn't really understand everything that was on there but we just ordered a bunch of tacos al pastor, beef tacos, and beef quesadillas.  You can never go wrong with that combination of food.   

What's great about this place is that they have a nice selection of condiments which some of the street carts just don't have space for.  They have a huge vat of pico de gallo, diced onions and guacamole.  Yum!  We poured everything on each thing we got and it was all fantastic.  Super flavorful, the meat was moist, the cheese nice and gooey, what more could you ask for?  The tortillas were fresh and held up well with all the toppings we put in there.   While it felt a bit more sterile and had less character than sitting on a plastic stool on the street, if you're in the area and have a hankering for delicious tacos,  it's definitely worth checking out.  Total bill:  $22 for 3 people

Maximo Bistro  Tonalá 133, Col. Roma, 06700 México, D.F.                                                  4.5 Forks

After three straight days of Mexican food, we finally switched it up and got something that wasn't Mexican.  Instead, we got French food and it was nice to get a bit of a reprieve from it all.  Mamixo Bistrot got rave reviews from a friend of ours (and yes, Anthony Bourdain is also a huge fan) and the place was packed when we were there, so we felt like we made the right decision.

The menu changes seasonally and is beautifully pressed on a thin paper with gold trim.  We originally got the Spanish version of the menu so it was a little bit hard to figure out what everything was and we could have really made do with it, but we finally got the English version which helped.  The food here is elegant but not stuffy.  Unfortunately, we were all still a bit stuffed from our earlier lunch and I was honestly still reeling in pain from all the multi-course tasting menus we did earlier in the week (note: that they also have a tasting menu here but there was no way we could do another one), so I was glad to switch over to a more seafood focused meal.  We got the octopus ceviche to start and I got the seared scallops for my main.   It felt really good to eat clean, non-cheese based food and the portions were just right.  The scallops were a pretty decent size, seared nicely and served with sautéed Swiss chard.  

If I had ended my review here, I would have probably given it 4 forks.  It was absolutely a delicious meal but what put it over the edge was this freaking amazing cheese plate we got at the end.  I know said we were sick of cheese but really that was a lie.  They had this incredible camembert cheese that was insane.  It was served with a giant fresh honey comb and fruit compote and we were all in heaven.  Obviously if you do not like intense, strong cheese don't get it but if you do, this will definitely make your night.  Unfortunately since the menu changes seasonally, it may not always be on the menu but if you see it, get it!   This was definitely one of the pricier non-tasting meals we had on the trip but if you're looking for a low key yet sophisticated meal, this is right up your alley.  Total bill:  $238 USD for 3 people including tax, tip and cocktails

72 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - Part 3 Visited 4/10/-4/12/2018 3.5 - 4 Forks

Ignacio Ramirez Mercado Colegio s/n, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                      3.5 Forks

One of my favorite things to do when I'm traveling in another city is going to their local markets - super markets, flea markets or farmers markets, really any market.  You get a great view into more authentic local life and usually there are lots of fun unique local food stalls there.  Ignacio Ramirez Mercado in San Miguel de Allende is no different.  It's a pretty huge local market with your usual tchotchkes but they also have a decent food scene in the middle of the market.  Mind you, it's Mexico so it's not a nice fancy food court but more laid back stalls.  We didn't really know what was what so we randomly picked a place that looked good and had a few locals eating there.  I don't really know what it was called except there was a sign that said Birrieria 71 next to it (which I read is a spicy Mexican stew - which makes sense because there were a lot of locals eating some kind of soup dish).   

We got there early enough for breakfast but I went with a chicken enchilada and Kevin and Jen had chilaquiles.  It's a small stall with one communal bench outside but you can see them making the food so you know it's fresh and homemade.  It was a solid enchilada with verde sauce, although the shredded lettuce and tomato slice was kind of meh  - the dish tastes similar to some of the other Mexican food I've had in the States.  While I was totally happy with my meal, I felt like compared to the other food we had while in Mexico, I wasn't overly in love with it but I did love that it was a very local and authentic place.  Total bill: $10 USD for 3 people 

Aperi Quebrada 101, Zona Centro, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                              4 Forks

Another day, another fancy tasting menu.   This one was in another beautiful boutique hotel, Dos Casas Hotel where dinner was in their gorgeous open air courtyard.  Of course we came here for the tasting menu but in hind sight, we all wished we had ordered a la carte because the 8 courses ended up being waaaay too much food.

We started with a lovely beet salad, moved on to an artichoke and fennel dish, an entire hunk of duck foie gras (note that if you plan on tasting all of your dishes, don't finish all of them like we did.  Eating all of the foie gras was a big mistake for stomach space), an octopus tacos with black bean pure, corn fungus with smoked trout, an enormous piece of pork belly with sweet potato puree and roasted zucchini, and THEN another giant piece of pork with scalloped potatoes and carrot puree - this is where we all pretty much felt like we were going to keel over and explode.  We were so full, it was actually painful.  Being this full prevented us from really enjoying most of the dishes that came after the smoked trout dish.  Of course, they ended with dessert which was a piece of chocolate cake but at this point, they could have served anything and I would have wanted to throw up. 

In the end, we all felt like we had pushed our stomachs to the limit.  That being said, I really enjoyed the octopus taco and the pork belly.  Similar to the other tasting menu, they really need to reduce the portion sizes so that people can fully enjoy all the dishes.  I think 5 dishes is the right amount for a tasting menu otherwise it's just too much.  We all thought that the tasting menu at Moxi was a bit better but it might have also been because it was a few courses shorter.  That being said, Aperi is still worth a visit.  One note, since Kevin doesn't eat seafood, he got a brown butter sage pasta dish that was out of this world - so if you come, definitely check out the pasta dishes here.  Total bill: $396 USD for 3 people including tax, tip and cocktails

72 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - Part 2 Visited 4/10-4/12/2018 4-4.5 Forks

Carnitas Bautista  Salida a Celaya #55, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                    4.5 Forks

After our successful street meat adventure the night before, Jen, Kevin and I were all about finding more delicious street meat options.  Jen had read about this place on another travel blog (While Yelp and TripAdvisor are still great research options, I love reading other people's travel blogs for ideas) and since carnitas wasn't an option at the last place, we were jazzed to try this place out.  A word of warning, it's quite the hike out of town - we may have taken the long way there and it was hot AF the day we decided to go, but it felt like we had walked to another town to get there.  It's located in the 'burbs of San Miguel - it's an interesting walk because you get to see real life and lots of school kids running around but just be sure to have your walking shoes on. 

But the reward is some of the most succulent pig you've had in a while.  The place is pretty much a shack and zero English is spoken.  Your choices are pretty much tacos, tortas and gorditas - all stuffed with carnitas.  The entire pig is sitting under a heat lamp and it's already been butchered and shredded but you can see the crispy skin and elements of certain body parts.  There are 3 women who sit there hand making the masa and tortillas in front of you so you know it's fresh.   We opted for the torta and gordita as our first round.  She asked us if we wanted white meat and I reluctantly agreed but that ended up being a BIG MISTAKE.  While I know that dark meat isn't as good for you health-wise, it's by far the tastiest part of any animal.  But we were trying to be healthy and had good intentions.  The torta was basically a huge sandwich with nothing but white meat stuffed inside.  Honestly, if the meal were just this dish, I would have given the place 3 forks.  The bread was dry as was the white meat - it needed more moisture and flavor to it.  Luckily the gordita turned things around for us.  I had actually thought gorditas were things that Taco Bell made up, but I guess it's a real thing. The masa for the gordita was super tasty, crunchy and held the meat in well.  Based on this delicious bite, I felt like I had to round out the experience and get a taco.  Since I don't speak Spanish very well, I had to do a lot of pointing and said "no blanco" which I'm not even sure if the right terminology.  The woman pointed to her stomach which I interpreted as tripe which is really the one part of an animal I'm not down with.  I ended up pointing to a bunch of dark looking meat and she threw it on a taco for me.  After my bite, I confirmed that dark meat is the way to go.  It's juicy, tender and holds much more flavor to it than white meat.

I noticed that other locals were just buying platefuls of carnitas and then making their own meals from it - something I wish we had done but lesson learned.  Despite the long hot walk, this was a wonderful experience.  You can probably just as easily take an Uber there too.   Total bill:  185 pesos or $10 USD for 3 people.

Moxi  Aldama 53, Centro, Zona Centro, 37700 San Miguel de Allende                                     4 Forks

Despite all the great street meat options in San Miguel, there are quite a few high end places you can go for dinner.  Moxi was our first foray into fancy pants dining in San Miguel.  It's located inside the gorgeous Matilda Hotel - I will say that San Miguel may have the highest number of beautiful boutique hotels per capita I've ever seen in any city.   Except for the Rosewood, there aren't a ton of large chains and every hotel seems to have a either a cute courtyard or rooftop bar.  

Unfortunately the night we had dinner here it was pouring rain, but we had an awning to cover us for most of the night.  Most of the luxury restaurants in town have a tasting menu and that's what we decided to do here.  Compared to the tasting menu prices in NYC, these meals are a total steal.  It was a 6 course meal for $53 USD.  Yes, you read that correctly.  You can also get a wine pairing but we decided to stick with cocktails instead.  The courses were as follows:  beef taco amuse bouche, then the actual dishes (1) mushroom tamale (2) French onion soup with zucchini blossoms (3) corn risotto (4) striped sea bass (5) mandarin orange sorbet (6) chocolate mousse. 

There wasn't a huge Mexican flare to the meal but it was all executed perfectly and had great presentation.  The one thing we all noticed was that despite this being a tasting menu, all the portions were real entree sizes.  Usually when I get tasting menus, the portions are smaller because you know you're eating many more dishes than normal.  Needless to say, by the time we got to dessert, we were all stuffed to the gills.  The mushroom tamale was the winner of the night although there weren't any complaints about the other dishes. 

Overall for the ambience, quality and amount of food, it's most definitely worth the price even if it's on the pricier side of town.

72 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - Part 1, Visited 4/10-4/12/2018 4-4.5 Forks

Luna Rooftop Bar   Nemesio Diez 11, Colonia Centro, San Miguel de Allende                       4 Forks

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I was thrilled when Kevin, Jen and I finally made it happen this year.  It's a 1.5 hr drive from the Leon airport (or 3 hrs from Mexico City) and the entire town is the definition of adorable.  Cobble stone streets everywhere, gorgeous rooftop bars and restaurants and picture perfect weather.   The most famous place in town is the Rosewood Hotel - it's super swanky/gentrified compared to everything else in town but it's definitely worth a visit just to see the views from the rooftop bar.  It is simply breathtaking and even though the cocktails and food are triple what you would pay at a local joint, if you're from NYC or any major US city, the prices are totally manageable.  We got a few delicious margaritas, guacamole and fries because we were staving but planned to get real food elsewhere.   I wouldn't stay here for dinner as you can get much cheaper and more authentic food elsewhere but you must come during sunset and get a few cocktails and nibbles.  Total bill:  $78 for 3 people

Andy's Pastor Taco Cart -  Insurgentes 85, Centro, Zona Centro, 37700 San Miguel de Allende 
4.5 Forks

Now this is why you come to Mexico.  If I haven't already mentioned it before in my other entries, I think the food scene in Mexico is seriously some of the best in the world - especially the street food.  I know some people are squeamish about eating street meat but you are seriously missing out if you don't eat it in Mexico.  Andy's is exactly the type of place I love.  We had a hard time finding it at first - they don't set up until past 7pm and it's not like they have a sign or anything.  We just patiently waited next to a bar where we thought it was and soon enough we smelled the sweet smell of meat being cooked.  If you're looking for it, it's on the major street right off the Square next to a garage. 

It's a small cart with 4 plastic chairs max, so get there early.  They basically have tacos al pastor, beef tacos and quesadillas.  We were pigs and we each ate 3 of almost everything.  Most locals come and grab 1-2 tacos, but we ordered everything we could get our chubby American hands on.  If you don't know what al pastor is, it's pork on a spit covered in adobe spices and served with onion and pineapple.  It's got a delicious sweet and salty combination.  The corn tortillas were clearly home made and held up well with all the meat stuffed in it.  While the tacos were good, we all commented that we loved the beef quesadillas the best because of the amazing oaxaca cheese they used - the key being that they slightly burn it on the grill before putting it in the tortilla.  We could have eaten here every single day and been incredibly happy.  I didn't try all the salsas but obviously they have a line up of mild to hot AF salsa for you to choose from.  The only complaint was the limes were super dry (they were all dry in San Miguel for some reason) and we had a feeling that we were maybe being overcharged because we were tourists but in the end it was still worth it.  Total bill:  400 pesos or $22 USD for 3 people