The Bronx's Mott Haven neighborhood, which can be easily accessed by subway from every corner of the city, has become a hotbed of Mexican restaurants in the last decade and not just the Oaxacan gem La Morada, which is also on this list. Santa Clarita was founded in 1971 as a Puerto Rican and Dominican restaurant, but it was transformed into a Mexican one with a charming taco window, a more formal indoor dining room and a relaxing porch that connected them. The shepherd cylinder that turns in the window is particularly good, but tacos dorados (rolled tacos), enchiladas, or anything with shrimp are also recommended. Named after an Aztec dance, El Mitote focuses partly on street food in Guadalajara, the hometown of owner Cristina Castaneda, but it also offers classic Mexican food from around the country.
An early afternoon brunch that is served every day can include tinga tacos with wild mushrooms, ranch eggs or chilaquiles, and an impressive bowl of red chicken pozole as spicy as it sounds, served with cream-colored toast as a side dish. New York City is now home to an incredible variety of Mexican establishments, from small taqueria shops to full-fledged restaurants, offering regional food from Yucatán to Sinaloa, as well as high-end places where exciting culinary inventions are being produced. While much of the Mexican food in New York comes from the south of the country, Taquería Sinaloa comes from Sinaloa, a coastal state located in the northwest. For nostalgic Angelenos and San Francisco residents, New York has a couple of Cal-Mex locations, the most important of which is Lupe's East L.
Mexican food fanatics face the eternal question of where to find a good barbecue on the weekends; La Estancia de la Espiga is the best answer. Looking back 40 years ago, New York's Mexican food scene was dominated by sizzling fajitas, cheese enchiladas and nachos, but the city now has specialized restaurants in many regions, rivaled only by Los Angeles in this country. This East Harlem gem specializes in standard Mexican food with a nod to Mexico City and a special touch to the cuisine of the southern states. Part of a group of three restaurants on the same block owned by a pair of Guatemalan sisters, Brenda Castellanos and Ana Prince, Antojitos del Patron is a cozy café that offers homemade corn-based Mexican food.
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