Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
UES Gains New Guacamole Go-To With Opening Of Epazote
By
Nell Casey
Published Oct 6, 2014
Modified Oct 6, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 6
By
Nell Casey
Published Oct 6, 2014
Modified Oct 6, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Residents of the Yorkville area of the Upper East Side have been mourning the loss of beloved Second Avenue Mexican eatery Taco Taco since it closed several years ago and were dealt another blow when the neighborhood's Cilantro outpost shuttered last month. The two won't be easily replaced, but at least there's now a new option for guacamole, quesadillas and hearty Mexican fare when newcomer Epazote opens this evening. The new restaurant, which purports to be a fusion of Mexican and French cuisines, takes over the former Pitch & Fork space on 1st Avenue as a rebranding by owners Jacques Restaurant Group, who also run longtime Jacques Brasserie nearby.
The herb from which the restaurant takes its name pops up in several dishes, adding a pungent, fennel-esque flavor. You'll find it in one of the four house ceviches; the De Tuna ($15) cures the fish with lime, passion juice, epazote, watermelon radish, avocado oil, scallion and cilantro. The herb is commonly found in dishes containing groovy fungus huitlacoche; here, a quesadilla ($12) comes stuffed with both plus roasted corn, zucchini, garlic and cheese. The mushroom pops up again in the Lobina Rayada Nayarit Style ($26), a pan seared striped bass dish with a huitlacoche-portobello gratin and passion juice-agave-serrano pepper sauce.
Tacos, like one stuffed with slow-cooked duck leg, sweet onions and apples; rich queso fundidos with chorizo or poblanos; and the requisite table-side quacamole—made here with pumpkin seeds and serrano peppers—round out the menu. A brunch service includes a take on huevos rancheros with strawberry, endive, goat cheese and white balsamic, plus a burger with queso fresco and french toast with mixed berries. There aren't any head-sized margaritas here; instead, opt for the delicate Paloma, made with tequila and grapefruit soda.
1606 1st Avenue at 83rd Street, 212-988-1704; website
Tagged
epazote
mexican fusion
new restaurant and bar radar
ues
upper east side
original
Nell Casey
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .