Mexico by Way of NYC

As recently as the mid-90’s, it was nearly impossible to find true Mexican fare on the streets of New York City. Sure, there was plenty of Tex-Mex, but there was not one taqueria or artisanal tortilla hotspot…nada. However, the past few years have seen a massive upswing in the Mexican food front. As acclaimed chefs open up shop around the city, they are offering up uniquely delicious takes on authentic Mexican cuisine. New Yorkers are finally getting a taste of what it’s like to chow down south of the border without being drowned in salsa.

So why did it take so long for New Yorkers to crave the real deal, you ask? Initially, it was difficult for up-and-coming chefs and restaurateurs to cope with New Yorkers’ ever-present desire for guacamole and margaritas as Mexican staples. While there is nothing wrong with guacamole and margaritas, chefs had to strategically ease New York into a more evolved Mexican palate.

One of these young chefs breaking new ground in NYC’s Mexican revolution is Alex Stupak. In an interview with the NY Times, Stupak suggested using guacamole and margaritas as a “portal through which a chef introduces a New York audience to Mexican ingredients that might be as unfamiliar to them as wasabi and Campari once were”.   [pagebreak]

Thanks to this kind of wisdom, in 2011 and 2012, Stupak opened Empellon Taqueria and Empellon Cocina, respectively, to great critical acclaim. Originally influenced by the Mexican food of Los Angeles, Stupak gives his tacos a New York twist by incorporating East Coast-style ingredients and flavors.

While Stupak helped spread awareness of Mexican food in recent years, Chef Roberto Santibanez could be considered responsible for making Mexican food trendy in NYC. In 2002, Santibanez “made it his mission to give trendy East Coast Mexican restaurant chain Rosa Mexicano a makeover as culinary director” (NBC Latino). This makeover led to the creation of Fonda, a restaurant offering Mexican fare with a “contemporary and refined twist” with two locations in NYC. This outpost for authentic Mexican introduced New Yorkers to more of what should be expected from south-of-the-border oriented establishments.

Enrique Olvera is yet another frontiersman in the food revolution of recent years. At his restaurant Cosme in the Flatiron district, Olvera’s cooking “has a way of confirming and subverting expectations of Mexican food at the same time”, according to the NY Times. Cosme’s website goes on to say, “Olvera and his team create dishes rooted in Mexican flavors and traditions, while also celebrating local and seasonal ingredients from the Hudson Valley and surrounding region.” Overall, the unique dishes offered at Cosme let their high quality ingredients shine and create a distinct dining experience.

Another hot-to-trot chef at the forefront of this “new” Mexican is Mario Hernandez. Hailing from the Cuernavaca Morelos region of Mexico, Hernandez brings his innovative take on contemporary Latin cuisine to the tables of The Black Ant in the East Village. Together with owner and mixologist Jorge Guzman, Hernandez opened this modern Mexican restaurant that, according to their website, focuses “on the traditional and uniquely sourced ingredients of Mexico in a contemporary, ‘Cocina de Autor’”.

By straying far from anything remotely burrito or enchilada-like, Hernandez creates eye-opening dishes like Black Ant Guacamole (complete with mango, pomegranate, and black ant salt) and Enchapulinados made with grasshopper crusted shrimp, chipotle aioli, cabbage slaw, and avocado sour cream. Clearly they take their insect-themed name seriously.

Aside from the chefs proliferating the undeniable allure of contemporary Mexican, markets like Smorgasburg in Brooklyn allow New Yorkers to sample the wares of many Mexican-themed vendors. The street food is killer down south, so NY’s should be no different. From Oaxaca Taqueria to the Jalapa Jar, Smorgasburg gives patrons a chance to eat their way around the market and discover all of the intriguing flavors and fare they have yet to experience.

The vendors of Smogasburg along with many new and inventive restaurants are thriving in New York’s newfound Mexican food scene. Thanks to the creativity and innovation of chefs like Stupak, Olvero, and Hernandez, it seems New Yorkers are no longer tied to their longing for mole-drenched, cheese-covered cuisine. It is finally time to embrace the new, mouthwatering frontier of contemporary Mexican in the Big Apple!