Profile

Visitors who aren't local may get curious looks; those who don't speak Spanish may have trouble communicating. But take heart, intrepid eaters: The tortillas will justify all efforts. A narrow counter and half-a-dozen stools face the prep area of this tiny taqueria: a fridge, stove, griddle, and, unusually, the tortilla press. Place your order with one of the blue-smocked cooks; if it involves tortillas, like most menu items, she’ll likely whip out a small ball of dough, flatten it on the press, and toss it on the griddle for an on-the-spot, wonderfully flavorful tortilla that's unlike anything your Key Food sells in a plastic sleeve. Tacos here are a good bet, with the usual choices of steak, chicken, and shredded pork. For an extra hit of sodium chloride, try the cesina—chewy little whorls of super-salty beef. Also good is the huitlacoche quesadilla, richly stuffed with the inky, earthy, mushroom-like corn fungus. Weekends specials showcase roasted goat and pozole, the hominy-based soup that’s a beloved, traditional hangover cure. — Jennifer Paull

Carnitas taco, $2.50; huitlacoche quesadilla, $4

Related Stories

Featured In

• The Best Places to Live in NYC: Our Critics’ Favorite Comestibles in Selected Neighborhoods (4/19/10)