It's that time of year when New York's "creative types" head to Texas to bake their translucent skin in the sun, daydrink and make many, many obnoxious tweets about tacos, all under the guise of "work." Or as one Austinite puts it, "South by Southwest is when 6th Street turns into Bedford Avenue and is just about the only time I consider moving out of Austin (besides ACL)." So BE COOL, people. The key to being cool is blending in, so you'll need these tips from former New Yorker/current Austin resident and Emo's Head Talent Buyer (if you don't know what that means cancel your flight) Jack "Skippy" McFadden. more ›

Two days after telling a TV reporter that he would reach out to the Latino community by maybe having some tacos, East Haven, Connecticut mayor Joe Maturo is still getting criticized. Yesterday, the Hartford Courant called for his resignation in an editorial, "The Mayor Is An Idiot," and today, the NY Times has an editorial, "An Outrage in East Haven," asking for the same. more ›

So you know how East Haven, CT mayor Joe Maturo's plan for reaching out the Latino community, which has been intimidated by the local police for years (well, at least according to the Department of Justice's investigation), was to go and have some tacos? Well, activists just sent his office 500 tacos. more ›

Yesterday, the Department of Justice charged four East Haven, Connecticut police officers with "conspiring to violate, and violating, the civil rights" of Latinos: Sergeant John Miller and Officers David Cari, Dennis Spaulding and Jason Zullo are accused of "conspir[ing] to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate various members of the East Haven community in violation of their constitutional rights... In some cases, the victims were handcuffed with their hands behind their backs when officers assaulted them." And what was the East Haven mayor's reaction? It's time for some Mexican grub! more ›

Finally, we can stop approaching strangers in the dead of night with bloodcurdling screams of "LENGUA!" Brooklyn's own technology firm Big Spaceship has developed Taco Finder, which does exactly what it sounds like. "We wanted to make going out for tacos into an adventure," senior designer Valerie Gnaedig tells the Brooklyn Paper. No word on whether the company is developing "Laundromat Finder" to make that task slightly more charming. more ›

New Yorkers hear the argument from Californian refugees all the time: "You can't get any decent tacos in New York City." These poor ex-Angelenos have never put a Brooklyn Taco to their lips. Before this fall, you could only snag one at the Hester Street Fair or the Artists and Fleas fair in Williamsburg, but now you don't have to wait for spring. We paid a visit to Brooklyn Taco's first permanent location in the Essex Street Market, and as sad as it was to see Jeffery's Meat Market leave, the neighborhood now has sublime tacos just steps from 5 subway lines, 7 days a week. more ›

Tolerating the noise that spills out of bars and clubs is part of the city's social compact with its residents. We get to brag about living near fantastic amenities that we scream about to 911 every other week, and the restaurants pledge to "work with communities" by blasting Sean Paul and selling $2 jello shots between 12-2 a.m. But both the UWS and Inwood locations of Papasito Mexican Grill are drawing ire usually reserved for the "UNTZ-UNTZ" establishments. "I've been here 35 years, I've seen a lot of stuff come and go," UWS resident Kevin Krajick tells DNAinfo, "This is one of the worst things that's happened to the neighborhood." more ›

Saddle up for the 2011 Tour del Taco, a bike ride through the finest taco establishments this town has to offer. Organized by three taco-loving friends, the Brooklyn by Bike tour on October 9 will hit five spots in Brooklyn and Queens: Los Hermanos in Bushwick, La Esquina in Williamsburg, El Gobo in Corona, Roosevelt Ave taco trucks in Queens, and one TBD Sunset Park stop. Who will reign supreme? more ›

Welcome back to another installment of Ethnic Eating Adventures, in which we travel far and wide to discover the hidden culinary delights of New York City. Today, we're heading to Jackson Heights for some hearty Mexican fare at Taqueria Coatzingo. more ›

On one hand, sharks are beautiful creatures, vital to the ocean's ecosystem, and in dire need of protection. On the other hand, they totally killed Robert Shaw, Samuel L. Jackson, and other revered thespians. So will you be eating Queens eatery MexiQ's shark tacos in honor of Shark Week? more ›

Seems like you can hardly walk down the street these days without being accosted by free food out of a hole in a truck. Following in the footsteps of Swamp People, Air France, and Game of Thrones, "The Most Interesting Man In The World"-touting beer brand Dos Equis has launched a new taco truck, called, intriguingly, "Feast of the Brave." What's on the menu? Oh, bugs and brains. more ›

Move over PB&J, step aside Mac & Cheese, there's a new kiddie cuisine taking over dinner plates: Spaghetti Tacos! The trend began when a character on the Nickelodean series iCarly served up some sauce-coated strings of spaghetti in a hard taco shell... and now it's made it all the way to the New York Times. Kids who caught the episode have been requesting the dish for months, and moms are giving in nationwide. more ›

Tin foil-hat conspiracy theorists take note: this ravenous city will soon be flooded with a multitude of free (or cheaper-than-usual) tin foil wrapped burritos over the course of the next few weeks. These truly are the end of burrito days! Or at least the end of the year. Don't believe us? Here's proof that the burritopocalypse is fast approaching: more ›

Mercadito Cantina: This is newest advance in the expanding Mercadito empire; besides the original Alphabet City Mercadito there’s also Mercadito Grove. This one is not far from the original, on Avenue B, and packs a lot of Mexican fixings into a dainty space that stays open ‘til 1 a.m. The main action here is at the make your own taco bar, where heavy rollers can choose from eight guacamoles and ten salsas, all made from organic and locally sourced ingredients. Most of the meat – which includes organic chicken, grass-fed beef, and Berkshire pork – is wrapped in maguey leaves before they're baked. For libations, try the 'Tric-quila', a sake-based tequila substitute. Photo via Thrillist, who has the menu. 172 Ave B, (212) 388-1750. more ›

The folks at Porkchop Express have an informative Q&A session with Cesar Fuentes, the Executive Director of the Red Hook Food Vendors Committee. As enthusiasts await the opening of the new ballfield stands, the good news is that all the same vendors will be returning with their Latin culinary delights. The bad news is that not all of them may get it together in time to return for this season, and the new operating costs for each vendor may ultimately prove prohibitively high for some. Fuentes clears up a few other things in the interview:
• The food tents and the unique 'mercado' feel are a thing of the past, to be replaced by city-mandated mobile food vending trucks.
• Fuentes has "heard some convincing arguments" that race played a role in the city's crackdown after 34 years of operation, but says the word 'gentrification' sums the situation up nicely.
• The vendors might expand their days and months of operation because the new permits are valid year-round.
• Because of the new IKEA, the baseball field food vendors were prohibited from selling in Field #9, across from the store, for this season.

There’s been a lot of snarky ink spilled about how fast the ill-fated BarFry transformed into Cabrito. As is the case with many restaurants that fall under the scrutiny of bloggers, this new Mexican spot helmed by Dave Schuttenberg, whose pedigree includes stints at Fatty Crab and Craft, has already had the viability of its concept questioned. Blogger blathering aside, an initial visit shows Cabrito to be a high-end homage to a broad swath of Mexican food ranging from Pueblan street snacks like cemitas, tacos and huaraches, to the clearly American fish taco. more ›

Three people were shot inside a popular Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn ast night. The incident occurred around 9:30PM at Tacos 2004 Viva Mexico restaurant; the victims were taken to Lutheran Medical center, where one was pronounced dead (the other two are in stable condition). more ›

Since we don't get out to Red Hook Ballfields that much, taquerias are always squarely in the sights of our foodar. The Queens nabes of Corona and Elmhurst almost never fail when it comes to fulfilling a taco craving. So when we walked by a brand new spot called La Casa Del Idolo, Gothamist immediately made a note to come back and sample its fare, particularly since they seemed especially proud of their barbacoa... more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Harry Cipriani in the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, awards the restaurant no stars. Finds “service so confused and food so undistinguished it wouldn’t pass muster at half the cost.” Says prices at the restaurant ridiculous. The restaurant was last reviewed in 1991, when Bryan Miller gave it two stars. The one positive? “The people-watching is nonpareil." Peter Meehan visits Fifth Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, for tacos. Likes Epocas... more ›

Talk about joy -- over 300 sakes will be poured at the largest sake tasting in the United States, coming our way tonight. Over 100 of them are generally not available outside Japan and about 150 are silver and gold award winners in the National Sake Appraisal that takes place each year. Never fear, there will be appetizers to soak it all up, from the likes of Bao Noodles, Bond St, EN Japanese Brasserie, 15 East, Megu, Sakagura, Tocqueville, Woo Lae Oak, wd-50, and more. There's also a sake info desk where an expert will be able to answer all of your burning sake questions. 6 - 9 p.m., the Puck Building, 295 Lafayette between East Houston and Prince Streets. Tickets are $75 in advance and $90 at the door. For more info or to make reservations, call 212-799-7243, or visit joyofsake.com. more ›

more ›

You nominated your favorites and now the finalists have been revealed: more ›

Market Table -- Mike Price, formerly of the Mermaid Inn has partnered with the Little Owl's Joey Campanaro and Gabriel Stulman, moved into the former Shopsins space and created a market/restaurant where, among other things, they'll be selling the kick-ass pork chops served at the Little Owl so you can attempt to re-create them at home. The market portion is in the soft-opening stage, and the restaurant is due to open the week of September 11. 54 Carmine at Bedford Street. (212) 255-2100. more ›

Stone Ridge Orchard, the farm behind the Organic Schmorganic blog, is celebrating its inaugural harvest from its fifteen acres of certified organic farmland. Take a trip to the country for some food and drink, right from the farm. 6 to 9 PM at 300 Springtown Road New Paltz. RSVP to Amy Johansson by email or by calling 845-249-3440. more ›

August 4: Winemaking Demo - Bottling more ›

As we mentioned earlier this week, the vendors who set up shop at the Red Hook ballfields may be at risk for losing their permit. According to the New York Times, the vendors have operated for years under a series of temporary use permits, but now they will have to place a formal bid with the city in order to remain in the space. But the vendors are not guaranteed to win this bid, so the fans of this culinary community institution have rallied behind it. more ›

While that whiff of fried food is as indelible to the aura of Coney Island as the roller coaster, sometimes you just don’t want hot dogs, fried clams, onions rings, or elephant ears. The only fresh fruit option we’d ever found were from the nice ladies that stroll around with the cut up mangoes on a stick. But there are only so many of those things you can suck back before the real hunger pangs start. more ›

Got some Hot Sake for us? Send it our way, credit will be given...or not if you prefer. more ›