There’s plenty of Mexican cuisine available across the U.S. – and it goes far beyond Tex-Mex. Here are two restaurants to try.
Guaymas Restaurant in Tiburon, Calif. is the perfect place to start. First, there’s the view. Off in the distance, across the water, San Francisco shimmers as afternoon light slices through the fog. Weather permitting, you can sit outside to fully savor the view.
Start with ceviche de pescado for an appetizer – the daily catch marinated in fresh lime juice with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and fresh avocado. Dip a chip, order a margarita and make the world go away. Follow with pollo en mole – half of a roasted chicken with homemade chocolate mole sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Finish the meal with homemade flan. Then, waddle back down to the dock for the boat ride back to San Francisco.
A few time zones to the east in New York, Antojeria La Popular is set to debut Jan. 25. Home to what restaurateurs call “killer Mexican tapas,” this place isn’t traditional. Toasted crickets on blue corn tostada is a the restaurant’s new take on chips and dip. Wash it down with a pitcher of seasonal red sangria.
This is hands-on cuisine, but worth it if you’re looking for a departure from the traditional. Antojitos, the corn-based street snacks of Mexico are, says Antojeria La Popular, “pressed and molded by hand into different shapes.” They serve to do the heavy lifting for the stuff that goes on top: salsa, cheese, meats and such.
You’ll find this enclave of adventurous Mexican eating at 50 Spring Street Nolita, between Mulberry and Lafayette.
(Image: leyla.a)
Guaymas Restaurant, 5 Main St., Tiburon, CA 94920
Antojeria La Popular, 50 Spring St., New York, NY 10012
