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“Papatzul”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Latin/Mexican	Soho	Moderate	Good

sip of sangrita, bite the lime and lick the salt, repeat. This method is meant to open the appetite and the palate, she offered. And she is right. You also really get to taste the tequila by sipping it slowly. The chaser gives you a jolt of tomato and spice. The lime is a burst of cheek-puckering tart juice, and the salt is the element that really ties the whole thing together. Order a few while you look over the menu, along with a molcajete (those big stone bowls) filled with some of the best guacamole in the city ($8), and you’ll get this great slow buzz that doesn’t overwhelm, just makes you feel warm and happy from the inside out.

While we negotiated the menu and decided what we would have for dinner, a group of 15 or so friends took their seats at the center communal table, and began passing pitchers of margaritas ($27), molcajetes of guacamole and fresh spicy salsa. One of the couples brought their baby, a tiny little peanut who looked to be about 3 months old. He was placed on a banquette behind the table in a little car seat where he stayed, lulled by the din of the happy crowd, sleeping soundly. As people passed him by to head to the bathroom or to go home, they all stopped and cooed at him. He didn’t stir. He was quite content. I was slightly alarmed that his parents had their backs to him, and seemed to be concentrating more on their dinner than their son, but the margaritas and the meal that follow, does demand a certain amount of attention. So I guess I can understand. I guess.

Anyway, we the baby-less followed up our sangrita with a round of fresh and tart margaritas served in wide squat tumblers. I had several of these. I was flying to New Orleans the next day and decided I’d like to begin my vacation early. And then we began to explore the menu. Fresh corn masa cups ($7) were first up. These are nicely corny, like warm dense polenta cups. They filled up with tangy goat cheese, and piled high with roasted mushrooms and diced zucchini ($7). What’s not to love? Ditto the trio of quesadillas ($9) stuffed with poblano peppers, chorizo, wild mushrooms and cheese, folded over like calzones, and then fried so they are crisped on the outside, warm and cheesy on the inside. Why are quesadillas not made like this more often? We also loved the ceviche ($10), served in a sundae glass overflowing with plump shrimp and slivered scallops, dressed in citrus juices, stocked with finely minced chiles, nice ... [more, click below]

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Posted: December 25, 2006

Other restaurants in Soho :
+ Balthazar   + Savoy   + Blue Ribbon   + Lupa   + Public   + Kittichai   + Lure Fishbar   + Barmarche   + Porcupine-- CLOSED   + Ama   + La Esquina   + Jerry's- Closed Now   + The Tasting Room   + Papatzul   + Shorty's.32   + The Monday Room   + Ed's Lobster Bar   + Aurora   + Provence   + Tailor   + Hundred Acres   + Delicatessen, By Guest Reviewer Julie Besonen   + The Mott   + The Dutch   + Cherrywood, by Guest Reviewer Dara Pollak   

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