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Inside Cafe El Presidente, NYC's Shiny New Taqueria
By
Nell Casey
Published Apr 24, 2014
Modified Apr 24, 2014
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By
Nell Casey
Published Apr 24, 2014
Modified Apr 24, 2014
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California snobs might claim NYC doesn't have good tacos but we know that's not true, especially if they're coming from the team behind Tacombi at Fonda Nolita, which turns out some of the freshest tacos in town. Their latest venture is Cafe el Presidente, a hybrid taqueria and Mexican market opening next Monday on West 24th Street west of Madison Square Park.
Inside the vibrantly colored space you'll find several ready-to-eat stands including an all-natural juice bar that also serves housemade sodas and a Veracruz style coffee bar serving espresso and other caffeinated beverages. But the food gem here is the large taqueria at the far end of the room, which turns out meat, seafood and vegetarian tacos made with corn tortillas mixed and fabricated mere feet away by Fonda Nolita head chef Luis Aguilar. Standout fillings by head chef Chef Jason DeBriere include the tender, expertly seasoned carne asada and the succulent shrimp; tacos run between $3 and $12 for fillings like lobster. And don't miss the excellent ceviche either.
There's booze too, including cocktails (around $12) like the super fresh Paloma, made with Cabeza tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, agave syrup and club soda and the Smoked Coke, made with Joven Mezcal, Angostura bitters and fresh squeezed lime wedge. Cocktails are made with the juices and sodas made fresh on site; beers ($6-7) include Carta Blanca and Bohemia.
Tortillas are prepared and pressed daily, if not hourly, on the restaurant's Tortilleria Vista Hermosa; customers can even watch them make their way down the conveyor belt. The restaurant also plans to sell the tortillas for at-home use; expect unusual flavors like Sweet Potato-Corn and brilliant pink Beetroot-Corn in the lineup. Additionally, they'll be stocking products from Villa de Patos, a company in Mexico that produces gourmet milks, cheeses and drinks and will also be offering locally-sourced meats and produce as a supplement.
30 West 24th Street, 646-429-8284; cafeelpresidente.com. Open Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. to midnight; Weekends 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
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