El Centro

Let's talk about food!

I'm going to try something a little different this year... restaurant reviews!

We'll start with a place I visited last year, but it was phenomenal and has stuck with me, so I figured why not start there?!?!

In case you are ever traveling to NYC, have spent the entire day shifting from a cramped airplane seat on a full flight, to a cramped train seat, to rush-hour subway traffic with 50 pounds of luggage, a sinus infection and a broken toe... this is the place for you! It was the perfect find, after a harrowing day of travel; quick and kind service, delicious food, and tasty margaritas. The giant neon cactus above the entrance was a beacon, pulling us home!

Restaurant: El Centro
Address: 824 9th Avenue @ 54th Street, NYC, NY 10019
Phone: 646.763.6585
Web: www.elcentro-nyc.com

The Service: quick, friendly, efficient

The Ambience: eclectic, homey, comfortable; a tight fit at some of the tables, but the booths and chairs were comfy; lights were down, atmosphere was relaxed, post-work drinks and appetizers for some, full meals for many; I loved the Corona-bottle-chandeliers!

The Food: We both tucked into a large bowl of tasty chips, lightly salted and warm! In my opinion, the salsa was closer to spaghetti sauce; the tomatoes were coarsely chopped and I didn't taste much cilantro or jalapeno, but it went down smoothly with the super-tasty chips. And after 12 hours of traveling, who really cares?!?!
For the main course, we both chose the pozole soup with chicken - a white hominy soup with avocado, radish, and oregano. All I can say is YUM and I have to figure out how to recreate this dish! The soup was warm and roasty with just the right level of spiciness (my sinuses actually started to open!). The pozole melted in my mouth and the broth was perfectly complemented by a few thin slices of avocado and shredded chicken. The radish added a nice crunch to the soup and I happily finished the whole bowl.

The Drinks: margaritas on the rocks with salt - solid, zesty, not too sweet, not too much ice; they went well with the chips and salsa (and they went quickly)

The Money: $10-20/person for entree and one drink - seemed pretty reasonable to me for an NYC dinner

Cheers! (Or should I say Ole!)