Location: 40 East 20th Street NY, NY
Cuisine: Mexican
Best Dish: The Queso Fundido was as amazing as any cheese lover could imagine. Thick gooey cheese and spicy chorizo in a sizzling platter how could you go wrong? If you prefer sweets to cheese, the churro bowl is the right choice. The warm churro and cold ice cream are a delicious combination.
Overall: A chic sexy space with sumptuous Mexican fare and an impressive assortment of Mezcal and Tequilas. The right space for date night or mingling with other sexy singles.
Upgrade your usual Taco Tuesday feast with a visit to Casa Neta. This chic Mezcal bar and eatery brought to you by the geniuses behind Harding’s Restaurant offers small plates and an extensive mezcal and Tequila menu. We ventured to this hidden jewel on a Thursday and were greeted by the bright beautiful image of Frida Kahlo via an amazing mural at the entrance. Stepping into the dining room and marveling at the inlaid booths and exposed brick felt like entering a modern version of the Mayan temples of Mexico City. The decor is contemporary and rustic with warm brown tones, supple leather and rich stone. We were led to a small table along the wall and handed our menus. The menu is broken down into three separate parts: Food, Cocktails, Mezcal and Tequila. The Food menu features familiar Mexican fare with a few updated classics. The mezcal/tequila menu is the most extensive of the three with over 100 spirits to choose from.
Dinner began with a strong cocktail; the Lo Siento. This beverage is made with mezcal, sherry, Campari and rhubarb bitters. For something a little spicy we recommend the Mexican Firing Squad a sweat-inducing mixture of tequila, house made grenadine and a habanero shrub.
While enjoying our drinks we nibbled on house made tortilla chips and a generous bowl of creamy guacamole.
We followed the guacamole with the Queso Fundido, Mexico’s version fondue. Copious amounts of Mexican cheese and bits of chorizo were melted together and served on a sizzling platter with tortillas. The tortillas aren’t for dipping, you spoon the gooey cheese mixture into them as you would with a fajita or taco. With something this tasty, it was hard not to feel a little guilty.
After the guilty pleasure of the Queso Fundido, we redeemed ourselves with a salad. The nopales salad is made of cactus, red onion cilantro and jalapenos topped with queso fresco. Cactus is an interesting food. The texture is a cross between okra and green pepper with a mild flavor.
Once we had our fill of veggies we jumped right into the tasty chicharron quesadilla. You can not dine at a Mexican restaurant and not order tacos! So we ordered our own version of surf and turf; the short rib and fish tacos. The short rib taco is packed with moist tender morsels of slow-cooked short rib. The fish tacos feature bits of tender beer battered flounder and a succulent chipotle aioli.
We ended our meal on a sweet note with the churro bowl. Imagine everything you love about churros molded into a warm edible bowl then filled with ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. This is one drool-worthy dessert. The churro bowl is warm and crisp on the outside and soft and chewy inside. We suggest you eat the bowl from the outside in, saving the tiny inner circle for last, so it soaks up as much ice cream as possible.
For lack of a better term, Casa Neta is S-E-X-Y. It is grown up and sophisticated but doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is a seriously chic place staffed by artists and beautiful people and serves tacos. Skip the line at your local fast food joint, put away those god awful fake taco shells from some factory, put on something decent and have a real meal and a few shots of good tequila in one of the city’s newest hot spots. Trust us after the first visit, Tuesday won’t be the only day you’re craving tacos. For more information, head over to www.casanetanyc.com/