Mercadito Cantina

Admittedly, New York is not a hot spot for great Mexican food. A quest for the authentic Mexican flavors that can easily be found on the West coast will usually take you on a trek to the farther reaches of Queens or Brooklyn. Those who stay in Manhattan, determined to get their fix, will often find that indulging in a quality Mexican meal on the island will set them back quite a bit. Mercadito Cantina falls into the latter category. However, the caliber of the food at this tiny but inviting East Village restaurant makes the $20-30 price tag worth it for this deprived New Yorker.

Guacamole - traditional and camote (cinnamon spiced sweet potato, roasted jalapenos, toasted pumpkin seeds). The Camote's autumnal spin on guacamole rounded out the sharp, summery flavors of the lime and avocado nicely. The result was a dish I wouldn't mind having as comfort food on a wintry day. Mercadito's chips are great as well.

Chipotle guacamole: pineapple, pickled chipotle, tomatillo pico de gallo and mint. This is what pineapple salsa would be if it decided to be guacamole for a day.

Pescado tacos: tilapia, chile poblano, tomatillo-garlic mojo. How can something so simple be so good? As someone partial to Baja-style fried fish tacos, I was skeptical when the New York Times declared Mercadito's seared tilapia rendition one of the best in the city. After one bite, I was a convert. You won't miss the fried batter with these fish tacos. The skin of the tilapia is seared to a perfect crispness; it provides a great contrast to the creaminess of the avocado. The skin was also seasoned to just the right degree - enough to accent the tartness of the tomatillos while still allowing the clean, delicate meatiness of the fish to shine through.

Carne tacos: hoja santa marinated grass fed skirt steak, salsa verde. Another winner. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the assertively beefy flavor of the meat was almost a shock. The salsa verde counterbalanced the subtle richness of the beef.

Tacos al pastor: ancho-guajillo marinated red snapper, grilled pineapple. Mercadito's aquatic riff on this traditionally pork-oriented dish won my favor as well. The fish was fine-textured and flavorful, and stood up well against the sweetness of the pineapple. Mercadito does a good job of taking lowly cuts of meat and fish and elevating them to great heights in their tacos. I recommend going with a friend and sampling several different tacos (the tacos come two or three to an order - don't bring too many friends).

Hongos y huitlacoche: wild mushrooms, fresh huitlacoche. The combination of both the mushrooms and the huitlacoche (a.k.a. Mexican truffle) resulted in an incredibly earthy dish with a deep mushroom flavor. However, this dish suffered from a bit too much salt.

Mercadito Cantina performs on almost every dimension, making it one of my go-to restaurants. The service is incredibly friendly and accommodating. I dined at the restaurant on a chilly, rainy day and both the bartender and the server offered to close the doors and the windows so my companion and I wouldn't be cold. The staff didn't even seem to mind when we changed tables twice in an effort to avoid the draft coming in. We ended up at the bar, where Giovanni, the bartender, told jokes and made sure we were taken care of for the evening. He even had the servers turn up the lights so that I could get better pictures of the food. (Thanks, Giovanni!) The decor is simple and pleasant, not overly trendy, and it is the perfect place to catch up with a friend or have dinner with a small group.

So until I can reside on the West Coast for an extended period of time like our Californian friends and partake in Mexican food snobbery everywhere I go, I will gladly be returning to Mercadito Cantina again and again for their delicious fare.

Mercadito Cantina

172 Avenue B

New York, NY 10009

(212) 388-1750

Reservations accepted - the need for reservations increases the later in the evening you want to dine.

Best dishes: Guacamole, tacos

Special deals: All-you-can-eat taco Mondays for $23; all-you-can-drink Sunday brunch.