Mesa Coyoacan
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Vibe: Laid-back chic
- Occasion: Group dinner, communal dining, neighborhood bites
- Don't Miss: Tacos de suadero, enchiladas de mole, churros
- Price: Appetizers, $8; entrées, $14; desserts, $4.50
- Reservations: Accepted only for six or more
- Phone: (718) 782-8171
- Location: 372 Graham Ave., between Skillman Ave. and Conselyea St., Brooklyn
The first time I ate tacos de suadero was from a street cart in Mexico City. The persuasive aroma of cooked meats and freshly baked, corn tortillas drifted down the crowded, sweltering streets.
I had no idea what "suadero" even meant, but when I eyed the meat simmering in a deep metal pan, I had to order it. It's Spanish for thin, smooth brisket, and in the right hands, it's amazingly tender and tasty. You rarely see tacos de suadero in New York. But they're on the menu at Mesa Coyoacan, a new restaurant in Williamsburg.
Most of the tacos at Mesa Coyoacan taste like they're straight out of Mexico City. They're $9, three to an order, and most are excellent - the crusty, sweet shreds of pork in the carnitas; the carne de asada - slivers of skirt steak - with salsa verde, and moist grilled tilapia topped with pickled cabbage and a wonderful avocado crema.
Mesa Coyoacan doesn't look much like a Mexican joint. The bar top is made from tables that were left behind by the previous tenant, the bar shelves from wood scraps rescued from Dumpsters. Filament bulb fixtures hang from the ceiling, mismatched wallpaper lines the walls, and pop music blares from the speakers. There's a choose-your-own-adventure quality to the dining room - a couple of communal tables, 11 barstools, a big booth next to the bar, and a few two-tops scattered amidst it all.
Really, the only thing Mexican about Mesa Coyoacan is the food. The chef, Ivan Garcia, grew up in Coyoacan in the south of Mexico City. He worked at Barrio Chino and Mercadito Cantina, where they serve anglified Mexican, subdued for the American palate. Mesa Coyoacan is different. It's a Mexican kitchen, serving a hybrid of street food and family-style cooking. There are pork-stuffed tamales, enchiladas verdes, tacos al pastor, fried plantains, shrimp tostadas, grilled cactus and horchata.
It's hard to find a good black mole sauce, but Garcia's is phenomenally flavorful. It's a 37-ingredient mole that requires its own chef and includes six types of chiles, Mexican chocolate, almonds and cinnamon. I highly recommend the enchiladas de mole - moist chicken bathing in smoky-sweet sauce, rolled up in a thick tortilla and crowned with crema fresca, avocado, onion and sesame seeds. There's also $7 tamale trio with shredded chicken and black mole wrapped in a corn husk.
There are a few hiccups on the menu. Skip the ceviches, both were ruined by a watery tomato salsa. The grilled whole snapper was dry and poorly matched with a lump of guacamole and a cold cactus salad. And all three salads arrived way overdressed.
There's a small but well-edited wine list and a great Michelada, a lime-spiked beer served in a spice-rimmed glass.
For dessert, I love the churros, which come with a rich chocolate and milky caramel dipping sauce. There's also homemade strawberry ice pops spiced with chile de arbol, and cinnamon-flavored horchata.
Mesa Coyoacan's been open only a month, and it's already crowded with repeat customers. We have tons of great ethnic food in New York. But to be honest, we could use a few more good Mexican restaurants like this one.
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