There’s more than just excellent birria de res at chef Jacqueline Anaya’s simple River East district cafe, newly transitioned from her popular food truck, which used to be parked a few blocks away. Tacos dorados headline her small menu of Sinaloa-style cooking: a double layer of toothsome, pan-fried corn tortillas wrap Monterey Jack fused with tender slow-cooked beef; into these we tucked chopped cilantro and white onion, a squeeze of lime, and a dab of piquant salsa verde. The heart-shaped bowl of birria ramen was a revelation, its squiggly noodles swimming in a bath of rusty-red consommé and topped by a generous nest of shredded beef. Garnishes of chopped red onion and cilantro and sliced radishes only enhanced the deeply comforting dish. Almost dessert-like, strawberry horchata was worth every calorie.
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