Surprising food at Toloache in NYC, New York

I am not sure what I was expecting when I went to Toloache with my colleagues; probably simply Mexican food...Well, let say that it went beyond my expectations as you will discover in this post!

This two floor restaurant is very colorful, with paintings representing the Toloache also called Datura Innoxia, a flower used to make love potions, but also in Mexican witchcraft for darker purposes...

On the first floor is the bar, with its impressive choice of tequila, but where they also make fresh guacamole!

The menu, crafted by Chef Julian Medina is not as standard as you may think. Yes, they have tacos and quesadillas, but he made them his own. And for sure, if there was something I was not expecting to see, it was grasshoppers! Yes, you read it correctly: grasshoppers, or chapulines. Apparently it is a common ingredient in some parts of Mexico. There, they serve it in a taco. 

I have never tried grasshopper or any type of insect, at least willingly I guess. And I did not want to order the tacos just for that, as, if I did not like it, it would have been a waste of money. So, I asked our waitress wether it was possible to try some and she came back with a small ramequin full of them.

They are dried grasshoppers that they pan sear. We ate them like we would eat peanuts, putting everything in our mouth. It was crunchy outside and creamy inside, with a strong taste that had some hint of lime. It was good, but not to the point I would replace peanuts with it...

Then, it was time to eat some more usual things! We started off with guacamole. They make it fresh and propose a sampler of the three different kinds they serve:

Traditional (mild):

Simply made with avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, onion and serrano pepper.

Frutas (medium):

This was an interesting one, made with avocado, tomato, onion, Thai basil, habanero, pomegranate, mango, apple and peach.

It was deliciously sweet and I loved the fact that the pomegranate was not smashed, adding a nice texture and tartness to the dish.

The last one was Rojo (spicy):

It was made with avocado, tomatoes, red onion, chipotle and queso fresco. It was a bit spicy, but delicious. In fact, all of the guacamole was very good, perfectly seasoned, made with ripe avocado.

Then I tried the Tacos de Lechon:

It was made of suckling pig carnitas, chicharron (fried pork rinds), cactus salad and salsa verde.

I also tried the Tacos Costilla & Tuetano:

It was composed of beef short ribs, bone marrow, roasted red onions, jalapeños and Thai basil.

Both tacos where served with rice and beans. It was pretty good, but I admit that my favorite one was the short ribs and bone marrow that had bolder flavors, although the one with the suckling pig was interesting, with a bit of crunch coming from the fried pork rinds.

I will definitely go back to Toloache: the food was good and prices were reasonable. But this time, I will probably not eat grasshoppers...Or maybe I will!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!