Thursday, April 12, 2007

Taco Chulo - Brooklyn Mexican Madness (Part One)

You know how you have one particular song that plays in your head when something happens? In high school, Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes always played when my crush made eye contact. It was always reeeeeally awkward when I started singing out loud. It seems like whenever anything celebratory happens, Tequila by The Champs blares in my head. If I have amazing willpower that day, I can stop myself from doing the Pee-Wee dance. That brings me to my point. Is there a more festive cuisine than Mexican food? Luckily, April has been a month for celebration, and that means margaritas-a-plenty.

My friend Joy was born in the beginning of April, and if that's not an occasion for margaritas, I don't know what is. A bunch of us gathered in her hood to convene at Williamsburg's Taco Chulo.



I was the last to arrive because I'm ever so fashionable. And I had to file lots of stuff at work. I have such a glamourous life. The gang was already polishing off a pitcher of Sangria, so I ordered a Tamarind margarita and took a look at the menu.

tamarind-margarita

The margarita was preeeety. It tasted nice and tamarindy. A little watery, but it did the job. The sangria tasted, as my friend Tood said, like Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck mixed with orangeade. Ah well, my attention was turned towards the food. Taco Chulo has quite the extensive Tex-Mex menu, complete with a Velveeta and Rotel salsa con queso appetizer. Authenticity isn't it's M.O. I ordered a carnitas taco and a "Huachinango" fish taco.

taco-chulo_tacos

I was pleased that they doubled up on the corn tortillas, and you certainly get a lot of food for your money. The fish was "eh." The fish kinda tasted frozen, but the carnitas taco was quite tasty. It wasn't the best, but it definitely sated my hunger. I love me some braised pork. Overall, it was an okay experience, and it was definitely a nice space for a larger group. I don't think I would go back of my own free will. While velveeta and rotel isn't something I want to pay money for, I'm sure it could be a big hit with those hip kids that dig irony.

When I lived in Jersey City, I was lucky enough to live by Taqueria, home of amazing fish tacos and tamales. It is now my mission to find a great Mexican place close to my current home. Any ideas?

2 comments:

Johanna Beyenbach said...

i read this while eating a burrito! the one by the camper store in soho. they have the best pulled pork burrito ever. but back to your post - i love taco chulo. i always order the same thing - conejo burrito. it's one of their vegan ones... one of the best burritos i've had in my life ever!

Anonymous said...

It tasted like two buck chuck and tropican orangeade in a good way. I hope I have an occasion to make that for you this summer.