Tacos Matamoros

Pollo (Chicken), Enchilada (Spicy Pork), Suadero (Brisket), 

Pastor (Roast Pork) and Chorizo (Sausage)

I read a little article listing a few New York taco spots that were worth the trip and noticed one that was "on my way home" so of course I had to plan a visit.  As my luck would have it, that very day, Charlie was working in the area of this one restaurant that caught my eye and he wanted tacos for lunch. So I get a phone call that went something like this:  

Charlie: "Hey Babe do you still have yesterday's paper"?

QF:  Sure do!

Charlie:  There was an article about taco places...one of them was in Sunset Park.

QF: Oh no, you ARE NOT going there without me...

Charlie: C'mon, there's nothing to eat out here.  I'm hungry!

QF: Fine! Tacos Matamoros 4508 5th Ave, but were stopping there on the way home today, I want to try them too!

Quiting time was slow to come but when it finally did I made sure we made a beeline there.  I had to hear all day about how delicious the tacos were.  Taco BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!! Show me the TACO so I can rave about them too!! His rationale for going there without me is that he considers himself "The Queen's Official Food Taster."  YEAH OK, I'm sure it's a great sacrifice on his part, however, I am grateful because he has a very good palate. 

These tacos come in two different sizes Pequeno (small $1.25 - $1.75) and Grande (large $2.25 - $2.50).  Perfect because I wanted to try as many varieties as I could in one visit.  My selection is pictured above (Chicken, Enchilada, Suadero, Pastor and Chorizo).

When I was done adding radishes and sauces this is is what we feasted on:

Did we ever enjoy them! We didn't even need that second layer of soft taco, each one was gone in two bites!  They were all very tasty and fresh but if I had to choose my favorite it would be the Enchilada. Super flavor, balanced spice and simply tasty.  

I'm glad we tried Tacos Matamoros back in September, Pre-Zagat.  This photo was taken on Saturday 10/9/2010, sadly, Tacos Matamoros has been invaded, the secret is OUT!  

Lady Lobster Roll

I was wandering around Park Slope early one afternoon, just wasting time.  I love to walk but usually get in trouble because there are so many great food options.  Just about every street offers some kind of food temptation.  Sure enough I happened upon the chalkboard outside of TEN and a little something caught my eye. The Lady Lobster Roll.  A tempura lobster tail with avocado, wrapped in sushi rice and PINK rice paper then garnished with red and green tobiko....sigh. Pretty isn't she?       

                                                    

Here I am going on about how captivating this roll was and have said nothing about the taste.  The lobster was moist and and slightly warm inside the protective cocoon of the tempura and had good crunch.  The coolness of the avocado and pop of the tobiko was a perfect combination.  The only thing I didn't care for was the orange drizzle.  Soy sauce and wasabi would've been enough for me.  It was kind of like they were trying to give a Pretty Lady a fancy hat.  She didn't need it. 

Little Shoe

Scarpetta......I have been waiting for a while to visit and had my wish granted last night (Thank You Charlie!). An intimate dinner celebrating my birthday! What an amazing treat! Let me tell you all about it......

First off it was an incredibly delicious and satisfying meal, all I expected and then some. However, if you're looking for a quiet setting, this ain't it. This place is loud, loud, loud and was packed from the sidewalk seating to the wine vault. Good thing our table for two was small or we would've had to BBM each other.

We started off with our wine selection. I am a lover of all things wine, but God knows I haven't sampled every one out there....YET. This is why I take full advantage of the Sommelier, I told him my preferences and price point and presto..he suggested a delicious Altariva Valdadige 2005 Enantio......absolutely perfect!

Next came a warm bread basket filled with freshly baked crusty bread, rolls and stromboli along with a dipping trio of orange infused olive oil, caponata and marscapone. My favorite....the caponata. Second....the stromboli. It smelled so good and tasted even better. Did I mention all the bread and pasta is made fresh in Scarpetta?

We decided take our waiters suggestion. Scarpetta encourages you to share appetizers and pastas. They also serve appetizers as entrees or pastas as appetizers. So feel free to mix it up!

First we shared an appetizer of Braised Short Ribs served over corn and carrot farro, prepared risotto style. Big plus for me, because farro is one of my favorites. This dish was amazing, from the creaminess of the farro to the tenderness of the short rib, we were off to a great start.

Next we split an order of Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil. It was the simplest of dishes with very straightforward taste and by far the course I enjoyed the most. Who the heck knew spaghetti could taste like this?? Major points for providing a fork and a spoon! The only way to eat spaghetti as far as I'm concerned.
The pasta was as it should be, al dente, the perfect bite and simply delicious. Every fork full was a melding of pasta, tomato and fresh basil. Everything you need is in that perfect little pasta dish, don't you dare spoil the experience by adding anything to it. A word of warning, make sure you save some bread so you can sop-up the sauce. This dish alone will have me back at Scarpetta very, very soon......

Our selection of entrees were of the land and the sea. He chose the Sicilian Spiced Duck Breast prepared medium-rare and served with root vegetables and caramelized endive. A very generous portion that looked as amazing as it smelled. I'm not a huge enough fan of duck to eat an entire order and will usually taste it, but this time I didn't. Suffice it to say that his plate was clean in record time....

I chose the Branzino. A delicious fillet with perfectly crispy skin. It was served over clams, potatoes and truffles. Totally decadent, a total birthday queen preparation. I was floored and yes I even shared it....

Now you would think that after all this great food and wine we'd have one of the incredible desserts offered on the menu. Nope....he wanted a cannoli. Good thing Mona Lisa was open until 9pm and we made it there with 7 minutes to spare!

it's not Eggplant Mozzarella......

I enjoy lazy, relaxing Sunday's. I just rarely get to have them. I had a baby shower to attend and so of course my first thought was "what are we going to have for dinner"

I don't know about everyone else but I rarely eat at showers. I'm not exactly sure why, somehow I always look forward to coming home to a good meal. This Sunday, eggplant parm was on my mind.

After our usual Sunday morning trip to the vegetable stand and Fairway we got cracking in the kitchen. In our home the eggplant must be peeled because if it's not, Charlie won't eat it. I can't say I blame him because eggplant skin can be pretty unpleasant. The eggplant must be breaded and fried as well. We're pretty healthy eaters and have tried grilling it, but really what's the point? It's eggplant PARM, some things you just can't mess with.

One question, how many of you actually add the Parm to your eggplant parm?? You had better believe that I do and plenty of it!

Peel, slice, egg wash, bread crumbs, fry, drain.....repeat. All the components prepared and ready for assembly in the evening.

I loved walking into my home and smelling a delicious meal ready to be eaten. Fixed a quick salad and poured some wine and devoured it!

Thank you Charlie and his reluctant sous! QueenFoodie is one happy Mom!!!!

Sipping an iced coffee early on a Saturday morning is a wonderful thing!

Mine is cold brewed at home. It takes about twelve hours for the process from start to finish but the result is a smooth, less acidic coffee. I find it to be well worth the extra time. Not a bad payoff for a once per week process!

What I am most looking forward to today is lunch. Nothing fancy, very simple and it's homemade. Hummus and veggies! I whip up a batch of hummus every week with the help of my food processor. Sometimes it's plain, sometimes I add marinated artichokes or kalamata olives or eggplant, just about anything that appeals to me. Then I prepare some raw vegetables for dipping. Some of my favorites are: radish, jicama, celery, carrots and sugar snap peas. It makes for a very satisfying lunch....without the guilt.

Here's my recipe for Hummus:

1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 lemon (juiced)
1 clove of garlic (2 if you really enjoy a garlic, like I do)
2 tbsp of Tahini paste
Extra-Virgin Olive oil

Optional:
1 small jar of marinated artichokes (drained) or
10 sundried tomatoes or
1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives or
5 oil packed anchovies (drained)

Pop everything into the food processor, and give it a whirl slowly adding the olive oil. You want to achieve a smooth consistency. Just check it often, too much olive oil produces a thin hummus.

The hummus will keep for a week, refrigerated. Enjoy!

Brisket.....Meatballs

I enjoyed some of my favorite things this weekend. I wasn't concerned for a second about calories, it was all about self-indulgence.

Pizza on a Friday night is a must and I always enjoy it. Seems a shame to leave that last lonely slice in the pizza box. So I don't...and its sooo good.

Blue Smoke has such delicious brisket. A mix of lean and marbled meat is the way to go. Their sesame slaw and sweet potato fries are nice sides. Who knew Prosecco paired so nicely with BBQ?? I'm still wondering why anyone would want deviled eggs at a BBQ joint. Fried green tomatoes I understand, but deviled eggs???

A rainy Sunday equals pasta in my opinion. Well, ANY Sunday equals pasta in our home. This Sunday was no exception. Smoked Mozzerella Stuffed Meatballs with Gemelli and a dollop (a huge dollop) of ricotta. The Barolo went down really well. There was a nice arugula and tomato salad with my homemade balsamic dressing, it never made it into my plate....

By the way, I couldn't resist, the meatball was calling to me at about 10pm. I'm weak.....so I answered it's call.....

Alcapurria Let Down

My search for the perfect alcapurria continues. Not since I ate my Aunt Angela's alcapurrias have I tasted one quite as good as hers. My Mom has made them and they are very yummy, but even she knows they are just not as good as Aunt Angela's. Charlie and I attempted to make them at home. Although they were very tasty, they were not the right consistency and the mess from frying them cured me of ever attempting to make them again. The picture I took of Charlie grating green bananas was worth the effort!

What exactly is an alcapurria? It is a deep fried patty made of grated green bananas and root vegetables, filled with seasoned ground meat. It seems everyone has their own version of it. I have found that the kinds you make in your home and the kinds you find in spanish restaurants are different in texture and color. But they both have their merits and I am a fan of them both.

A few months ago a good friend told me about El Bohio on 5th Avenue at 46th St in Sunset Park. One day after work I tried their alcapurrias and loved them. They were savory and crunchy, there was a nice portion of meat in every bite. Queen Foodie was very happy!

This past Wednesday I got the urge for one and so we drove by. I was disappointed when Charlie came back to the car empty handed. 4 o'clock in the afternoon and the had NO alcapurrias. It had to be a joke....

Yesterday we decided to give it another shot. Here I am dancing in the car as I see Charlie walking towards me alcapurrias in hand!! Woo Hoo!! We wrapped them in napkins and took a huge bite, so happy to get my fix.....

WTH?? These were not the alcapurrias I had previously enjoyed. These were bland and had a slighty sour taste. The filling could barely be called a filling, there wasn't much there. They were doughy and cold. Very disappointing.

Time to find a new spot....gotta hit Broadway in the Burg. Or maybe its time to give grating and frying at home another shot.