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“Toloache”

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

he New Yorker a few weeks ago about whether certain foods taste better standing up. In the case of tacos, I’d say the answer is yes. In my mind, they should be devoured in streetcart posture, torso slightly hunched forward to prevent excessive shirt staining, fingers working to keep the soft warm tortilla wrapped around the messy fillings, and the back of your free hand moving fast to wipe a trail of crema and salsa from your chin. Staying seated just feels odd, but it is a real restaurant after all so I guess as long as you’re standing in your mind, you’re okay.

Served on warm floppy crepe-like corn tortillas, the tacos come filled with everything from beautifully beer-battered hamachi (all puffed up like a fillet of fish from Chip Shop) topped with spicy jicama slaw and guacamole ($9), to saucy braised veal cheeks with a hit of sassy chile de arbol salsa ($9), and the Chapulines—the one taco that had the table uttering Craig’s forbidden “interesting” in unison. Chapulines, for those who are not familiar with the term, are Oaxacan-style dried grasshoppers that are tucked into tacos and lavished with lime and jalapeno. “I like my grasshoppers wet, not dried” Craig said, smugly pretending to be some sort of cricket connoisseur. “Yes, Craig, I agree with you,” Jim said. “I like mine with lots of soy sauce.” We were all having a great time with the grasshopper jokes, but honestly, when they arrived they really weren’t that scary. They aren’t whole (they’re diced up), and they don’t have much taste other than lime and jalapeno. They are more a textural element—a crispy crunch—than a flavor component. But they’re a fun fear factor dish and if you’ve got the nerve, they’ve got the ‘hoppers.

You won’t need any nerve to enjoy the sopes de requeson ($9). What you will need is will power not to order seconds and then thirds. These might be my favorite dish on this menu. Medina takes warm silver dollar sized corn cakes (sopes) and tops each one with a spoon of Mexican ricotta cheese, a bit of salsa ranchera (red and medium spicy), and a perfectly fried sunny side up quail egg that covers the cakes with a bull’s eye and brings to mind a Dr. Seuss illustration. These are one-bite morsels that give you a little sweet, a little hot, a little warm and a little cool, and you’ll wish they took mor ... [more, click below]

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Posted: October 1, 2007

Other restaurants in Midtown :
+ Lever House   + Aquavit   + RM   + Joseph's (formerly Citarella The Restaurant)   + Town   + Artisanal   + The Oyster Bar   + Geisha   + David Burke and Donatella Restaurant   + Riingo   + Amma   + Cafe Sabarsky   + The Stone Rose Lounge   + BLT Steak   + V, The Steakhouse-- Closed   + Bar Masa   + Cafe Gray   + The Bar Room at The Modern   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + The Cafe at Aquavit   + Bistro du Vent-- Closed   + Shaburi   + Xing   + The Modern   + Bar Americain   + Alto   + Park Blue   + Mainland-- Closed   + Nobu 57   + Quality Meats   + Dona-- CLOSED   + Daisy May's   + 7Square-- CLOSED   + Amalia   + Fireside   + Anthos   + Patroon   + BLT Market   + Toloache   + Mia Dona   + Park Avenue Summer   + Convivio   + The Oak Room by guest reviewer Julie Besonen   + At Vermilion by guest reviewer Elaine Weiner   + Lunching at Inakaya, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Marea, by Guest Reviewer Susan Kane Walkush   + Le Bernardin   + New York Central -- A Reason To Eat at the Grand Hyatt Again   + Pampano Botaneria by Dara Pollak   

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