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Julian Medina first hit Manhattan's foodscape with upscale theater-district eatery Toloache, before moving on to a duo of mid-priced restaurants under the Yerba Buena name, and now he's worked his way into the cheap-eats scene with the financial district's Toloache Taqueria. This taco shop-cum-quick-concept joint serves the refined spins on Latin fare that made Chef Medina a household name (and earned him an Iron Chef battle), for under $10 a pop. The tacos are certainly the most popular item and, given the taqueria designation, a must-order. Handmade corn tortillas hold beer-braised brisket, chunks of pork, or huitlacoche, each with its own unique accoutrement. The protein choices can also be added to a base of rice and beans for a flour-tortilla-wrapped burrito. But it's worth it to look beyond the obvious orders to sample a top-notch take on Caesar salad, tortilla soup, and an acidic and piquant ceviche of daily market-fresh fish. — Lauren Bloomberg

Tuesday is taco day at Toloache and the line weaves out the door starting at noon.

Puerco taco, 3 for $10; Caesar salad, $7.50; tortilla soup, $6