Dining Near Cultural Institutions - Cascabels MET

Dining Near Cultural Institutions - Cascabels MET

Cascabel Taqueria
1538 Second Ave., 212-717-8226, Upper East Side,
Manhattan
If you're a fan of Mexican food—modern Mexican,
not Tex-Mex—fuel up at Cascabel before an
afternoon at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The taqueria opened as a casual, counter-service
joint in 2009 and outgrew its small quarters so
quickly that the owners soon commandeered a
larger space two doors down. There's waiter
service now and it's a less hectic experience, with
sun filtering through the windows and cheerful
décor that celebrates lucha libre (masked
wrestling).

Soft corn tacos come stuffed with
yellowfin tuna belly and hearts of palm or
achiote-marinated hanger steak with oyster
mushrooms, crema fresca and crispy onions. A
table caddy holds squeeze bottles of mild-to-fiery
roasted salsas. Further elevating Cascabel from
your average hole-in-the-wall are locally sourced
and organic ingredients plus a great list of fruity
agua frescas, microbrews and tequilas.

At lunch,
Mexican-style sandwiches are a particular treat,
especially the cemita with shredded pork butt,
mango, queso fresco and smashed avocado.

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