Monday, September 25, 2017

Like Your Mexican Grandma Cooking for You

I just posted to Chowhound about "La Frontera Taqueria Deli" (257 Battle Ave, White Plains, NY; 914-607-7684), an astounding little Mexican place up in White Plains offering an ultra-rare glimpse of serious Mexican home cooking:
It's pure grandmotherliness. This is how kids eat in Mexico when they come home from school and grandma cooks for them. It's all permeated with love, and utterly transportive. This is the serious stuff. We shouldn't be able to just walk in here and eat this. Usually you need to marry into a family.
In that posting I included a side mention of The Best Mexican I Ever Found in NYC, Oaxacan "Cienaga Grocery And Deli" (10432 Corona Ave, Corona; 347-353-2366) in Queens, which apparently no one ever tried. Some places I rave about become immortal legends, while equally great ones remain untouched. I realize chowhounding isn't for everyone, but if 20 year-old me was a reader of 30 year-old me, he'd be out the door to try every single one of these places.

5 comments:

vhliv said...

All is not lost. The Corona place has been on my list since reading your piece in the early summer, as has what I suspect is a very similar outfit in Woodside that I discovered was also doing a very simple menu in their Bodega, and after two months I still haven't managed to do try that even though it is far more convenient for me that. Now that fall has come and regular pay is flowing in again, I hope to try both.

Jim Leff said...

Care to share the Woodwise address?

This is actually a common biz practice....grandmotherly Mex served steamtsble in a grocery. They're never bad, but seldom this great!

Also, price is cheaper than cooking yourself! Never heard about people aspiring to handle the expense of semi-illegal grocery lunch, but If you're serious, I sincerely hope things go well for you this fall!

Lizard Face said...

Why do you assume no one tried, Jim? I've been several times to Cienaga Grocery And Deli since you wrote about it and have brought many people there. I wrote about one of my visits if you care to read: http://www.baoandbutter.com/food-tour/food-tour-archestratus-bakeri-cienaga-meyers-bageri-milkmade-nixtamal-oddfellows-yunnan-flavor/. I believe Joe DiStefano has also written about it.

I also visited Legend of Taste with a group of mostly Chowhounds and enjoyed it, although I think Guan Fu is worlds better.

And I have every intention of heading up to White Plains to hit this latest Mexican recommendation. Good be a good pairing with O Mandarin.

btw, I hate this archaic blogger commenting system.

Jim Leff said...

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Why do you assume no one tried, Jim?
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No comments, no postings on Chowhound. I don't know what you're enjoying if I don't know what you're enjoying. And it takes me a lot more effort to write than it does to use the archaic commenting system.

Jim Leff said...

Hadn't heard of O Mandarin. I'm skeptical, but will try. Thanks!

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