Cascabel Taqueria is bringing the heat to the city as the weather cools down. The restaurant moved to 80th Street and 2nd Avenue last week and Haute Living visited to see how the neighborhood favorite is doing.
The menu boasts a range of Latin-inspired dishes. Their tacos really take the cake…or the flan. The carnitas taco is topped with picked onion and roasted chili de arbol was a crowd pleaser. The Berkshire pork butt was tender and delish, settled into the soft corn tortillas. Other highlights on the menu include a bib lettuce and fingerling potato salad for our Haute-ettes who are on a low carb diet, topped with pickled jalapeno, queso fresco and pumpkin seeds. And be sure to try their Mexican corn made with aioli, cilantro, house chili and tons of cotija cheese (note: this is not recommended to be eaten on a date; it’s very messy!). On the cocktail list, you will find an assortment of Mexican-inspired margaritas. The cool and classy cucumber cilantro stood out among the rest with a crisp flavor and refreshing finish.
We sat down with co-owner David Chiong to talk more about their plans for the cocktails.
HL: What is your philosophy behind your drinks at Cascabel?
DC: Our drink philosophy is simple: make them affordable, only use fresh squeezed juices and the finest ingredients for all cocktails. We also seek out specialty micro-brews and craft beers to round out our offerings.
HL: What is your fave drink on the list and why?
DC: My favorite drink is the cucumber and cilantro margarita because the flavors are very clean and well balanced. It also has a great nose before you take a sip.
HL: My favorite, too! Cheers to that! Any great dish and drink pair ups that you can mention?
DC: We particularly like the way our hibiscus margarita pairs with our pork dishes. The hibiscus tea-infused mescal, smoked ancho chile and lime margarita works very well with our delicious Carnitas taco.
HL: As the weather gets cooler, what are some of your plans for the drink list?
DC: Our beverages for cooler weather will include our famous Mexican spiced hot chocolate, Horchata, made with anis de mono, castries peanut cream, cream and cinnamon, and El Murcielago made with mescal, allspice, honey, apple cider and star anise.
Cascabel Taqueria is located at 1538 2nd Ave. (at 80th Street), 212.717.8226.
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