Bonita II – Brooklyn Mexican Madness (Part Two)

This last week I had some celebratory news. What does that mean, folks? Mexican food, of course! Q and I wandered into Fort Greene to try the southern outpost of Williamsburg fav, Bonita, cleverly named Bonita II.

Q accurately described the feel of the restaurant as a “hipster soda fountain that serves nachos.” The tile-covered walls combined with the 50s soda shoppe soundtrack definitely gave us the feel of an upscale Johnny Rockets. I had my heart set on the carnitas tacos (again, I apparently can’t eat enough pork!), but I changed my mind when the waiter told us about the special mole that night, made with chocolate, of course, and pasilla chilies. Yum! I ordered the chicken enchiladas smothered in mole, and we also got a side of sweet plaintains as an appetizer. You have to pay for chips and salsa, but at least the salsa seemed fresh albeit mild.



Mmmm. The mole was good. I mean really good. It was creamy and had a wonderful sweet/bitter/savory/spicy coffee flavor that went perfectly with the corn tortillas and fresh avocado. The chicken itself seemed to be roasted white meat, and it could have been a little more spiced, but still, the enchiladas were damn tasty. Q ordered the carnitas tacos, and the pork was just seasoned enough, but I think I liked my mole more.

My ears perked up at the Spanish versions of Rolling Stones songs, and my tongue perked up at my Picante Margarita made with Habanero-infused tequila. While it wasn’t as pretty as some margaritas I’ve had in the past, it made up for its looks with flavor.



While I don’t know that it would be my signature drink, I enjoyed it more than their house margarita. The pepper adds a nice little burn at the back of your throat offset by the sweetness of the grapefruit juice and the saltiness of the, well, salt. Apparently the Williamsburg location doesn’t offer hard liquor due to its proximity to a church, but the Ft. Greene location has an extensive offering of tequila, including an intriguing “dessert tequila.”

I’ve heard complaints about the service at the Williamsburg outpost, but our waiter here was super-attentive. By the time our check came (along with Chiclets), we were sold. This ranks high so far in our Brooklyn Mexican Mission.