Zocalo
Contact Info:
Address: 174 E. 82nd Street
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10028
map: View the Map
Phone: 212-717-7772
Website: http://www.zocalonyc.com/
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine:
Mexican
Takeout:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Payment:
Amex Visa Mastercard
Cititour Review:
Commuters who think they know the pleasures of Zocalo, located in the Grand Central Dining Concourse, truly don't know the half of it. The superior eating is to be had at Zocalo's original Upper East Side location, where chef Julian Medina turns out sophisticated variations on classic Mexican fare. As wonderful are the margaritas are here, it's Medina's thoughtful cooking that had the restaurant packed to the rafters on a recent Monday night. To accompany that first cocktail, consider sampling the house's two tasting trios. Of the three guacamoles offered, I preferred the spicy rojo, with a dash of chipotle, over both the pleasant classic version and one mixed with chunks of mango and topped with shreds of fresh lobster. Choosing a favorite among the three excellent ceviches is a bit harder, but chunks of salmon given both flavor and color by hibiscus flavor won by a nose over firm shrimp in a watermelon and horseradish bath, and super-fresh tuna marinated in sour orange and yellow tomato. (All the guacamoles and ceviches can also be ordered separately.) If you've been disappointed by most tamales in town -- and who hasn't been -- you'll be unusually pleased by Medina's well-prepared version. The corn tamale is wrapped in a banana leaf, topped with pieces of braised pork, and accompanied by yummy roasted corn in a zingy pipian sauce. Medina's sure hand with seafood even caused me to rethink my general dislike of trout and octopus, both of which were specials on our visit. The octopus arrives in a kicky barbecue sauce, while the trout is wrapped in Mexican bacon, with the result being firm and flavorful but not fishy. He also does a fine job with seared achiote-rubbed tuna given extra dash by a habanero sauce. Only Kobe beef tacos didn't live up to expectations – they were perfectly fine, but not special enough to be the menu's top-priced item (at $26). I'm not sure I think "The Definitive Vanilla Flan" lives up to its billing either, though it's very tasty. The ooey-gooey soft chocolate mocha cake is a cut above most variations of this ubiquitous finale (and the dulce de leche ice cream ain't half bad either). For something truly different, try a big bowl of summer fruit marinated in lemongrass-cilantro water and crowned with a dollop of watermelon sorbet. It's refreshing and refined, just like Zocalo itself.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton
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