Word of the Week.

Vegetarian - A bad hunter. Someone who survives by consuming not food, but the stuff that food eats.

In context:

The vegetarian was forced to subsist on slower prey, such as the broccoli and carrot.

The Virgin Post

As most Saturday's start at the Loon's Nest I am awakened by the aroma of one of my roommates making breakfast for the rest of the apartment. Or something like that. Actually I stumbled down stairs to find my roommate drunkenly pouring a glass of water for himself. We quickly settle into the living room and watch a TWSS filled episode of Extreme Loggers. Seeing my roommate's pain I realize there is only one solution for this hangover, which I normally share with him.

Tacos.

Now the original idea was to head down to the Red Hook Ball Fields where I hear a large gathering of street vendors sell the cities best authentic south of the border fare. Then I realize it is 32 degrees out and the vendor season is well behind us. Not willing to give up on our taco craving we head to a small Taqueria in the Lower East Side. La Esquina sits on the tip of a tapered block on the corner of Lafayette and Kenmare. This small, and I mean Al's Breakfast small, taqueria has all the hallmarks of good food. The kitchen is fully visible. The menu, flatware and napkins are all paper. Most of all it's cheap. At approximately 3 dollars a taco this joint is proof that New York eats can be done on a budget. Miraculously the roommates and I are able to secure 3 of the 8 stools in the restaurant. Armed with Coke and El Yucateco we dig in.

I started with Carne Enchilada, a warm corn tortilla stuffed with shredded pork, onion relish, guacamole and chunks of pineapple. The tortillas were soft, yet held up to some serious eating. The guacamole was prepared fresh and in the traditional Mexican manner; blended until liquefied so it can be drizzled on top rather than spooned in. The onion relish was just sour and tart enough to contrast the sweet pineapple without over powering. And best of all the pork. THE BEST and most versatile food on the face of the planet. Slow roasted, tender and juicy. A great start.

Next in line the Pescado a la Plancha (or something like that...). Now I'm sure SoCal does this taco better than anyone else and I was a little hesitant to make my first fish taco made in a small hole in the wall taco shop in Manhattan but I was pleasantly surprised. Fresh sea bass (judging from the firmness and fattiness of the meat) grilled to perfection. Smokey and lightly crisped on the outside and tender and light on the inside. All of this perfectly complimented by razor thin red onions and a a pseudo Mexican tartar sauce. Amazing.

Finally the Carnitas Michoacan. Somewhat disappointing to say the least. Still delicious but it just wasn't what I was looking for and definitely did not stand up to the first two tacos. The crispy chunks of pork, fresh onions, cilantro and salsa macha were all freshly and artfully prepared but just didn't impress me the way the other two tacos did. But you be the judge.

The verdict: Amazing tacos. Some of the best I've had and there is definitely a return trip in the future. In fact this is my new budget friendly alternative to the highly lauded Caracas Arepa Bar (post coming your way soon). If you are in New York this is a must have. I can't wait for the hot summer months when the patio is open and I can tip back a beer, put my elbows on the table and eat.