114 Kenmare Street (at Lafayette)
New York, NY 10012
646-613-7100
Rating: Safe but cool
Cuisine: Mexican
Entree Price: $18-$28
Hours: 6PM-2AM every day. Reservations required.
Most addictive dish: none identified.
Review
There is something about this place that reminded me of a favorite book as a child, and the defining moment of that book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, happens at the very beginning. Lucy crawls into a seemingly ordinary wardrobe and pushes her way to the back. She is surprised at how far back it goes, continuing past overcoats, dress shirts and pants to come out on the other side. She discovers that the wardrobe is actually a portal, and lucy emerges in a new and magical world. It was that sense of escapism, mystery and secret that pulled me into the book as a kid, and it is that sense of adventure that still attracts the child inside all of us to places that transport us to a faraway land, where we can leave the burdens of the real world behind.
There is a contingent of restaurateurs in New York who must have been inspired by Lucy, as well, and are drawn to the idea of escapism. We see their work in places like La Esquina.
***
I met my party at the prescribed location at 6PM, and we all stared at the place in front of us confused. We had reservations at La Esquina, and the name of the dive taco stand in front of us was also La Esquina - same address. Had we made a mistake? We walked in, and there were seats available, but they certainly didn’t look like the ones we were expecting. Then, out of nowhere, a woman with a clipboard appeared in front of a grey door marked “employees only.” She considered us for a moment and then asked, “name?” We were on the list, she nodded and opened the grey door. As we walked through, rounded a corner, and went down a sparce, cement staircase, we all knew what was happening…we were Lucy, making our way through the portal to the other side. It was exciting. A few more turns, a walk through the kitchen, and we emerged into the subterranean, incandescent-lit restaurant we had almost assumed was an urban legend.
The experience of discovering La Esquina is worth the trip alone, and the atmosphere in the restaurant is an exercise in theatrics, complete with antique-esque lamps, weathered floors and ceilings and the occasional wrought-iron bars – that make it feel like an en-vogue prison in places. Celebs have been known to hang out here, which means you’ll have the usual gawkers, hipsters and cool kids. A few expats and euros will probably round out the crowd.
It’s too bad that all of the pomp that accompanies the design of La Esquina is abandoned in the food. Most of the items on the menu seem brave at first glance – some of the items include a cactus salad with jalepeno, onion and cotija cheese; a crispy pork taco with cilantro salsa macha; and chipotle-guava glazed pork spare ribs. Unfortunately, almost everything on the menu sounds adventurous and exciting, but actually tastes pretty dull. You taste the individual flavors, but they just don’t work together to create something new.
Still, at the end of the day, the vibe is cool, and all of the attention to the experience really does compensate for the mediocre food - at least for the first visit.