Wanting to explore my new neighborhood of Sunset Park and accompanied by a friend who was starving (she's small but the girl can eat), we headed to 5th Ave for what I assumed would be killer Mexican. Affirmative.
Tacos California Restaurante feels more like a diner than a most Mexican restaurants I've been to. It was simple, modern, and well staffed - no lassos on the wall or pictures of la virgen, however, the neutrality of the decor was belied by the makeup of the diners - my friend and I were the only non-mexicans in the joint. As we looked over the menu we were served a complimentary plate of radishes with a garlic cilantro sauce. It really set the tone for what was a fresh, savory, and tasty meal. We shared a carne asada burrito and enchiladas with mole poblano. We also had an order of freshly fried tortilla chips with guacamole. We feasted, enjoying every bite, the authenticity, the friendly service, and the freshness. It was as satisfying a meal as I've had in a while.
Our two entree's, chips and quacamole, a coffee and a horchata (sp?) came to $20 and change before gratuity. Holla! TCR is located on 5th Avenue and 46th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Tacos California Restaurante feels more like a diner than a most Mexican restaurants I've been to. It was simple, modern, and well staffed - no lassos on the wall or pictures of la virgen, however, the neutrality of the decor was belied by the makeup of the diners - my friend and I were the only non-mexicans in the joint. As we looked over the menu we were served a complimentary plate of radishes with a garlic cilantro sauce. It really set the tone for what was a fresh, savory, and tasty meal. We shared a carne asada burrito and enchiladas with mole poblano. We also had an order of freshly fried tortilla chips with guacamole. We feasted, enjoying every bite, the authenticity, the friendly service, and the freshness. It was as satisfying a meal as I've had in a while.
Our two entree's, chips and quacamole, a coffee and a horchata (sp?) came to $20 and change before gratuity. Holla! TCR is located on 5th Avenue and 46th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
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...best this side of Harlem...gotta try the tamales on 45th Street.
and if on a Friday or Saturday night, you don't feel like trudging over to the "City" those mexican restaurants have a classic nightlife -- common scene: dim lighting with a disco ball and disco lights illuminating the restaurant, faded streamers commemorating the 2002 World Cup brought to you by Corona, juke box with its own illuminating effect playing rancheros or bachatas, men scattered around, sitting reclined against the wall befriending empty bottles of corona/tecate/sol/negra modelo for $3 each, staring with unfocused eyes ahead reminiscing/thinking/contemplating/pondering -- doesn't matter, it's just a time to be solo, unflustered, a break from the jobs, a time away from the 5 roommates, one or two who, chances are, is a mirror image diagonally placed in the room with his compatriota cervezas served by brown lolitas with mini skirts who await breaks from serving their next-door neighbors to talk among themselves about the girl who works in the record store on the corner who thinks she's got it good 'cause she's done working for the day when she closes up the shop at 8 and chills with her boyfriend when he's off from his one and only job at that restaurant in the east village making good money (at least good enough to have only three roommates in a two-bedroom facing the cemetery) off the tips that the waiters make from those blanquitos who have no problem giving a little extra. little does he know, that when he works dinner, she's got a dominican who drives a nice car and takes her all the way to guachinton jai to sit in a room with disco lights and streamers commemorating el clasico mundial de beisbol brought to you by Presidente, juke box playing bachatas or merengues. that's it. all she has to do is sit pretty and be proud that she got a boyfriend who takes her away, no one knows her here, she can be proud, she can sit up proper, flatten her skirt with her palms, fold her legs and just sit pretty while her other man mingles with his boys at the bar eating alive the brown lolitas who make their presence known as they strut across leaving drinks at the tables for the couples on the dancefloor who in the darkness look like one human clump with four legs. She would never dance like that, she's a good girl, but if it makes him happy, if it makes him like her more, if it makes him want to keep taking her away. she misses her mami. quick, dry your eye, he's coming over, tell him you're just fixing your makeup. smile, take his hand, dance, start thinking of why you need to be home soon, a reason enough for him to let you leave without a grimace, make it quick because that A train goes local after 10.
anyway, I'm sorry, where was I? oh yeah, excellent tamales. It's the spot around the corner from the Salsa school.
You have to try Tacos Nuevo next to International Restaurant on fifth and 44th---
love love love sunset park- wait until you discover the gigantic free clean public pool at the park this summer
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