Dos Caminos, Times Square, NYC
5/5 STARS!
“I just want to sit
here and play in the salsa.”
My sister-in-law,
Felicia, dreamily uttered these words on Sunday afternoon, as we sat, marveling
over a couple of crazy fresh margaritas in a brand new Mexican eatery in Times
Square. We’d been on our way to The Blue
Fin to grab some quick pre-show sushi, when we just happened to stumble upon
Dos Caminos. The manager informed us that it was only their 4th day
of being open before warmly welcoming us with a round of free drinks. At the
first sip, a big, bright grapefruit flavor flirted with sea salt and tequila on
my tongue.
“Yum,” I said and
smacked my lips together, as Felicia took a sip of her mango-cucumber margarita.
She raised her eyebrows and nodded with
unabashed gratitude at her drink.
This place was
good.
In my experience,
so many restaurants take a week or two to get it right. Not Dos Caminos. This
underground cantina, with its melted candle sculptures and funky décor, was on
the right track to score a five star review from me and my palate. And, that
was before I even tried the food.
Our server was
lovely. She engaged in just enough conversation and made sure that we had ample
time to make it to our show, since we were on a bit of a tight schedule. We let
her know we had a matinee to get to, and she made it happen for us. Also, she
was an aspiring Broadway actress. She told us all about how she played Ursula
in The Little Mermaid and how she adores character roles. I love theater
people. They fit right into my tribe.
The manager
noticed us, complimented us, and even showed us the incredibly swanky private
VIP room where he’d hosted a few fashion week parties a day or so before. He answered our questions and seemed
genuinely apologetic that they were out of one of their signature dishes.
The grasshopper
guacamole.
Yeah – it’s made
with actual grasshoppers.
Listen - we would
have stepped up to the plate had the challenge presented itself, but I can’t
say we were too heartbroken over missing out on the grasshopper guac. Especially
after our waitress told us that it was chunky. I was totally golden with plain
old avocado.
So, the food.
Dear God in heaven, THE FOOD.
We decided to go
for small plates, since we had limited time and a post-theatre dinner
reservation at an Italian restaurant. We wanted to have room for pasta later
on. So, we ordered:
-Traditional guac
and chips.
-Grilled shrimp
salad with cotija cheese, cilantro, and crispy fava beans.
-An app trio of plaintain empanadas, pulled chicken taquitos, and lobster tacos.
The trio was
served with three varieties of salsas – tomatillo, traditional, and habanero,
In the end it was
the habanero salsa that did it.
The first airy
giggle escaped Felicia’s lips while she was savoring a sweet plantain empanada
slathered with salsa. I thought I must have missed the joke and went on noshing,
joyfully. When the second burst of ethereal laughter chimed out, I gave her a
funny look.
“What are you laughing at?” I asked, only to
be answered with another round of giddy twittering.
“I just really
like this food,” she said, simply, nearly out of breath from the foodgasm that
had apparently rocked her world pretty hard and sent her into a fit of the
giggles.
The food giggles.
We had a good
laugh at this newly discovered phenomenon before finishing every last bite of
yum in front of us.
When it was time
to skedaddle out of Dos Caminos so we could make it to our matinee, Felicia
expressed her desire to stay and play in the habanero salsa. She was drunk on
deliciousness and the memories that our meal had evoked.
Spices just like
Uncle Benny and Aunt Esther used to cook with.
Flavors that took
her back to her late grandmother’s table, where she used to eat enchiladas and tamales with her Dad’s Mexican family.
This is what good
food does. It stirs your soul.
I was
drunk on the joy of having shared the best Mexican food I’d ever eaten and a
trip I would never forget with my sister-in-law, Felicia, who also happens to
be my best friend.
Moral of the
story~ Next time you’re in Times Square, eat at Dos Caminos.
It’s food-giggle
worthy.
Even though I
don’t cook a ton of Hispanic food, this week my recipes will have a Southwestern
flair. In honor of my sister-in law who
came all the way to New York City to celebrate my birthday with me and also in
honor of the brand new restaurant in Times Square- Dos Caminos, I give you
this, my go-to meal on a day when I have no time to fuss.
Sneaky Chili and
Quesadillas with Salsa Frrrrresh.
S Sneaky Chili – So named, because when you sneak veggies like zucchini and spinach into chili, your kids don’t notice. To them, it's all just more yummy, chili-flavored chunkiness. Also, I use ground turkey, just like my mom always did. It gives the chili a mild, sweet flavor that kids love, and it’s healthier than the fattier ground beef. My children love this, and the neighbor kids often show up at my door on chili night! I always have enough to share.
2T olive oil
2 lbs ground turkey
1 bag frozen onions or 1 large chopped white onion
1C zucchini – diced (optional)
1C fresh spinach – leaves chopped into small pieces (optional)
2t chili powder
1t salt
1 can chili beans in sauce
2 cans tomato sauce
How to– Brown the ground turkey and onions in olive oil with salt and chili powder. Add the veggies here if you’re going to sneak them in. Once the meat is cooked, add the can of beans without draining it and the tomato sauce. This can simmer for 15 minutes and be ready to eat.
Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream, and your kids will love you!
1.
Quesadillas
with Salsa Frrrrresh – my brother, Tony, named this salsa, bc it bursts with fresh
flavor. It’s a great time to harvest those garden goodies and use them in this
salsa!
Ingredients
Quesadillas
Flour tortillas
Shredded Mexican cheese
Shredded rotisserie chicken
¼ C cream cheese
1 tsp Chili powder
Pam cooking spray
Salsa Fresh
3-4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can of corn or fresh corn if
you have the cobs
1 can of black olives, sliced
½ C chopped cilantro
Pinch of salt
Splash of red wine vinegar
How to –
Mix softened cream cheese, Mexican cheese, shredded chicken and chili powder in
a bowl. Spray a large frying pan with Pam and heat on low. Lay one flour
tortilla in the sprayed Pam and place cheese and shredded chicken mixture on
top. Top with 2nd flour tortilla and let cook until cheese is
melted. Flip and cook for about a minute on the other side or until the
tortilla takes on a golden glow.
Repeat this to make as many quesadillas as you like.
Mix all salsa ingredients in a bowl. Top quesadillas with
this.
This salsa can be made ahead and can be even better when the
flavors have had some time to meld together.
Also, this can be transformed into an Atkins-friendly meal by nixing the quesadillas and making it into a
salad instead. Top some crunchy romaine
with the shredded chicken, Mexican cheese and Salsa Fresh, and you have a
fantastic salad. You can add some black beans as well if you dig the all
natural carbs.
Try this meal on your busiest night - when you have to do a gazillion pages of fourth-grade math and then drive one kid to dance class and the other to softball. Truly, this chili is so fast, and it will get your kids to eat vegetables without even realizing it. BONUS! Salsa fresh is also great for parties. People inhale it!
Please post a comment if you've tried any of my other recipes!
And Cheers til next time!
Have a yummy week!
2.
YEP! It was that good. I would recommend a trip to New York just to eat there. XOXO Felicia
ReplyDelete;) We will play in the salsa yet!
Delete