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Dos Toros Update – Burrito Time

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As you may remember, I gushed over the tacos I ate from Dos Toros. Man, they were good.  And I love their philosophy of using local, sustainable ingredients, not to mention the sustainability of their overall operation.

So, at the time of said taco eating, I was also very curious about their burritos.  The other day, I got a chance to try one, though since it was a takeout burrito I’m not sure the comparison will be truly fair.  That being said…

First off, they get points for wrapping the burrito correction – in foil!

the right wrapping

Believe me, this makes it easy to handle one of these bad boys.  Keeps it warm, too.  And pretty much all taquerias in the Bay Area wrap their burritos in foil.  Dos Toros succeeds in authenticity right off the bat.

Normally, I would get a burrito with black beans; I usually find pinto beans too mushy.  My guy, who graciously brought back the burrito, chose pinto beans.  So, the burrito was a little mushy inside.  However, aside from that, it was damn tasty – lots of delicious stuff in it, including chicken and guacamole and pico de gallo.  There was rice in there, too, which is pretty NorCal authentic.  I did miss the crema, but that’s ok.

Just look at it!  Beautiful.

burrito insides

burrito half

Nom!

This is the closest thing I’ve had in NYC to a Mission-style burrito, and that makes me very happy.  It was delicious – fresh tasting and full of wonderful flavors. However, to make a true comparison, I’ll have to have the burrito in-house and with black beans.  Stay tuned for the next update!

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Dos Toros – An Initial Review

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Back in January, I got wind of a new taqueria in Manhattan, called Dos Toros.  The claim made was that they served good Mission-style burritos.  Having lived in NYC for almost five years (and on Long Island for four), I can tell you that I’ve heard many make this claim, but none have delivered.  And having lived in the Bay Area for 9 years, I think I’m a pretty good judge of what makes for a good Northern CA burrito.

Many of us Bay Area “expats” wish for a source for a proper burrito in NYC, and are constantly on the lookout for something that even comes close.  I’ve been disappointed time after time, but I had great hopes for Dos Toros.  I mean, the owners, Leo and Oliver Kremer, grew up in the Bay Area and ate lots and lots of burritos in SF, so that’s a great start.

I’m happy to say – I think I have found what I’m looking for.

As we were walking home from an awesome evening of beautiful music, we found ourselves on Fourth Ave, a little bit hungry.  All of the sudden I looked to my right and saw the bright orange Dos Toros sign, glowing in the dark.  My eyes and my stomach told me I had to check it out.

Now, since we encountered the establishment at about 10:30pm, I didn’t want to ingest an entire (or even half of a) burrito – I know better than to suck one of these down so close to bedtime (which was around midnight).  So, I chose a taco.  I ate a lot of tacos at Bay Area taquerias, and I know what I like.

This was an excellent decision, as the taco was just enough to satisfy me.  I chose a pollo asado taco, and my guy got a simple bean and rice taco, both served with guacamole, pico de gallo, and green sauce.  And both were absolutely delicious.

This taco is special.  The tortilla itself is made locally by Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona/Queens, and it was fabulous – such wonderful texture and fresh taste; the chicken is raised without antibiotics or hormones; the rice is cooked with chicken broth, which makes it more nourishing than if it was cooked simply with water.  As for the rice and beans, the beans come from Cayuga Organics, the people that supply dry beans and grains for our CSA.  They grow the best beans I’ve ever eaten.  Plus they are local, just a little ways upstate.

Additionally, their utensils and paper products are biodegradable; they compost and recycle; they clean with non toxic, biodegradable products. And like a lot of places these days in NYC, they use reclaimed wood for their tables, chairs, and wall paneling materials (from a barn upstate), and reclaimed tin for the ceiling. To top it off, their energy comes from renewable energy sources. A+ in sustainability.

I plan to return to try one of the burritos, which will be the true test. I have high hopes – Dos Toros, I expect you’ll have the burritos I’m looking for!  I’ll take pictures next time, too.

Dos Toros Taqueria
137 4th Avenue
New York, NY, 10003
212-677-7300
info@dostorosnyc.com

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Tortilleria Nixtamal – Tortillas the Traditional Way

Tortilleria Nixtamal Sign

A couple weekends ago, we decided to venture deeper into Queens to one of our favorite eateries, Tortilleria Nixtamal.  Located in the neighborhood of Corona, Nixtamal is the only place in the city that makes corn tortillas the traditional way – they start with the corn itself, soak it in water and lime (aka calcium hydroxide), grind it up into fresh masa, and make the best, most flavorful tortillas you’ll have outside of Mexico.

“Nixtamal” comes from the term “nixtamalization”, which is the process described above of soaking the grain in a slightly acidic medium.  Just like with any other whole grain, utilizing this soaking process makes the grain more digestible and the nutrients in the grain more accessible to the body.  On a practical level, it makes it easier to grind up, too.  This process was used by early peoples in the Americas.  According to Nixtamal’s website, “There is no precise date for when the technology was developed, but the earliest evidence of nixtamalization is found in Guatemala’s southern coast, with equipment dating from 1200-1500BCE.” Talk about a traditional technique!

The corn that Tortilleria Nixtamal uses white dent corn from Illinois. It’s a non-GMO corn, as well as non-transgenic.  It’s also certified kosher.  The resulting masa is used for their tortillas and their tamales, which are cooked with lard that is rendered locally in the neighborhood.  They also use the whole corn for posole (aka hominy, a sort of soup/stew made with corn).

They make the tortillas there with a giant tortilla machine that came here straight from Mexico:

La Machine

It is really a neat sight, and la machine is the only way they can make as many tortillas in a day that they need.  Often they sell out of tortillas by the end of day.

Shauna, one of the owners, usually takes our order and always has great suggestions and recommendations.  She is obviously proud of her work and business, and will even give you a tour of the downstairs cooking space if you ask!

I’ve tried a number of dishes on the menu, and my favorites are the guacamole and chips made from their tortillas; the chicken tacos and rajas tacos; and the unorthodox Italian tamale (filled with sausage and peppers as an homage to this traditionally Italian neighborhood).  However, everything I’ve had there is extremely tasty.

Nixtamal Guac

Sausage and Peppers Tamale

I do love their tortillas and always take home a pound when I leave.  Love how the tortillas are prepared, from the quality corn, to the traditional way of preparing the grain, to the final result – a soft, toothsome delight of a tortilla.  I know I will always get a wonderful meal when I’m there.  If you live in NYC, definitely make a run to Tortilleria Nixtamal!

Tortilleria Nixtamal
104-05 47th Avenue
Corona, NY 11368
http://www.tortillerianixtamal.com/

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New Leaf Cafe

new leaf cafe

Last month for Valentine’s Day, my guy suggested we celebrate with brunch at the New Leaf Cafe in Manhattan. New Leaf Cafe is the little restaurant in Fort Tryon Park near The Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum dedicated to art and architecture of the Middle Ages. It’s a lovely setting.

The Cafe is managed by the New York Restoration Project, founded by Bette Midler in the mid-1990s. While cleaning up the park, she and her friends came upon this little stone building from the 1930s, and decided it would be good as a restaurant. Within a few years, the New Leaf Cafe opened for business.

I had been to the Cafe years ago and had happy memories of that time – strong coffee and delicious chocolate cherry bread pudding.  I had just enjoyed a walk through the park and a brief stop in the Cloisters, with my friend Jo and her young daughter.  We wanted a little something to eat, the place was crowded hardly at all.

cafe on the hill

For brunch, though, it was packed.  Unfortunately, they don’t take reservations for brunch, so it’s best to show up as early as possible and put your name on the list.  We got there at 11:45 a.m. and were told we’d have an hour wait.  Fortunately, it ended up only being a 30 minute wait.

What I didn’t know is that the New Leaf Cafe is a sort of locavore/farm-to-table restaurant, which thrilled me!  The meats, eggs, and dairy come from within 100 miles, and come from humanely-raised, pastured animals.  Most everything was organic.  And best of all, it was fantastically delicious.

I ordered two eggs served over smoked mozzarella and roasted tomatoes and sausages.  He ordered a burger made from grass-fed beef.  So, so good.  I didn’t take any pictures during our meal; it was more important to focus on the taste of the food, the beautiful surroundings, and each other.

The beautiful space contains simple lines, lots of wood, and it reminds me a little of a combination of the spaces at Greens in San Francisco (the openness) and Chez Panisse in Berkeley (the wood and lines). Our server was wonderful as well, being helpful when needed, an being attentive without overbearing. She smiled and laughed a lot, too.

They do take reservations for meals other than brunch, thank goodness.  Do yourself a favor and have a meal at the New Leaf Cafe.  It will be a delicious and beautiful experience.

New Leaf Cafe in greener times.

Photo Credit: (cc) Susan NYC via a Creative Commons license on flickr.

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Vesta

vesta

There is a lovely little restaurant in our neighborhood, called Vesta.  Their menu is “inspired by Italy”, and that inspiration yields real deliciousness.  I was there recently for Superbowl Sunday, and it turned out to be a great place to watch the game.

The special menu looked very tasty – meatballs, pizzas, sandwiches.   I asked Joe, one of the owners, about where they source their meats, because my goal this year is to eat meat that is pastured and sustainably/humanely raised and avoid CAFO or factory farmed meat.  It’s a real challenge – suffice it to say, I’ve eaten a lot of meatless meals when I’ve gone out.

Joe was so accommodating in telling me the details of their meat sources – and I’m happy to say, it’s good sourcing!  I ended up choosing the thin-thin pizza with Long Island duck, wild mushrooms, and goat cheese.  It was delicious.  One of the wines we had was also really interesting – it was an Italian white wine, whose grapes were recently rescued from the brink of extinction, and made into this lovely, minerally wine.  Talk about sustainability.

If you’re in Astoria, it’s worth a visit.

20101

Vesta Trattoria and Wine Bar
21-02 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
tel. 718-545-5550
http://vestavino.com/