Otto’s Tacos Conquers NYC

It’s a warm summer day in New York and I’m scarfing down shrimp tacos with serrano crema and masa fries at Otto’s Tacos. Owner Otto Cedeno walks me through a masa fry. House-made masa (ground corn dough) is rolled out onto slabs, cut into strips about the size of a pinkie finger, and then deep-fried. The result is like a robust In-N-Out fry, “but better,” adds Cedeno, especially once dipped in chipotle mayo, Chef Joe LoNigro’s bread and butter. “It’s addictive. I’m just going to make sure this one isn’t poisoned,” jokes Cedeno, as he samples a fry.

Otto’s has been open ten months and has fierce taco competition. Though New York Mexican food takes a lot of negative heat, some heavy hitters have recently entered the ring. April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig opened Salvation Taco, Alex Stupak of Empellón Cocina is opening a casual al pastorstyle taqueria, Danny Mena debuted Sembrado last year, and Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese opened Mission Cantina after an extensive taste testing in Mexico. Collectively, they are changing the taco consciousness in the Big Apple. No longer are New Yorkers settling for lackluster fillings and stale, store-bought tortillas. Like its competition, Otto’s Tacos is trying to establish a stronghold in this select but growing list of tastemakers.

Cedeno grew up in Southern California, the son of Nicaraguan and Ecuadorian parents, eating his parents’ traditional cooking, platanos maduros and sopa con pollo. He also grew up eating LA-style street tacos from carts and take-out windows whenever he could get his hands on them. “I loved food,” he says, “I love it more now, but I’ve learned about self-control. And the gym.”

After graduating from NYU in 2007 with a degree in filmmaking, he made ends meet as a freelance producer despite the recession. A couple of years ago, looking for his next move, he considered business school. But Cedeno thought to himself, “Man, wouldn’t it be fun to have a taco place? A modern brand but a very traditionally-rooted menu with the best tacos you’ve ever had made from scratch?” The thought turned into an idea, the idea into a plan.

Next, Otto's Tacos opens for business… [pagebreak]

The next thing he knew he was meeting with investors and raising funds. He went back to California in search of a chef and found one in Joe LoNigro, a friend of a friend who worked at an Orange County restaurant. Cedeno tried one of LoNigro’s taco specials and was hooked. “As soon as I took one bite I knew Joe knew what we were going for," Cedeno said. "It was love at first taco.” LoNigro moved to NYC shortly after and started developing the Otto’s menu. The two men wanted a focused menu, the best tacos they’d eaten growing up in SoCal, plus a few sides and a dessert. And they knew this would involve making their own tortillas.

Today, cooks press masa into thin round discs eight at a time and griddle them to perfection right in the restaurant’s window. Otto’s serves five tacos – asada, carnitas, chicken, shrimp, and mushroom – every one you’d find at LA’s best taco truck. Keeping with tradition, Otto’s makes its refried beans with lard, “aka love”, and the churros trump any vendor selling in the subway.

Otto’s has a steady stream of customers due partly to its location in the East Village. A stones throw from NYU and St. Mark’s Place, it's where Cedeno lived in his college days. “I love this neighborhood. It’s given me so much," Cedeno said. "When I asked myself, ‘Where do you want the original Otto’s to be?’ for me… it was the East Village. This is my way of giving back." In the short time it's been open, Otto’s has thrived thanks to heaps of press and a smart social media plan. So, what's next? 

“Having a restaurant is like having a child, so what you’re proposing is that I have another child, which to me, right now, is crazy talk because my first child is barely ten months old," Cedeno said. "That being said, we would love to see more of these. If it happens, it happens, but for right now we’re focused right here.”

Cedeno is also thrilled to be a part of the greater taco movement in New York. “It’s an honor to be a part of it," Cedeno said. "There are some amazing restaurateurs involved with [the taco trend] that I look up to and Joe does, too. So, to be in the same breath with those guys, it’s really awesome.”