Location: 681 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Cuisine: Mexican
Cost: $$
Overall: A cozy neighborhood shop for authentic Mexican eats and scrumptious margaritas.
For the last five years, family-owned Citrico has been serving authentic home-style Mexican Cuisine, in Prospect Heights. This small unassuming bistro is located a few short blocks from The Brooklyn Museum and has become a favorite among its patrons. The restaurant is known for its welcoming atmosphere and traditional recipes. Owner Noor Shikari and husband Chef Luis Dávila pride themselves on cultivating an authentic culinary experience, presenting flavors and textures found at Abuela’s (Grandmother’s) table. The restaurant features a large glass front with booth seating and colorful cushions lining the walls. At the center of the room is an open kitchen where staff lovingly prepare dishes from the southernmost states of Mexico. Southern Mexican cuisine is considered the most authentic as it relies heavily on ingredients only grown in the region. While Northern Mexico makes use of flour tortillas and red meat as a staple protein, the southern states are best known for corn tortillas, black beans, and mole sauce.
Pulpo Enchilado Taco
This Taco Tuesday, choose the road less traveled and try something unique. Citrico has an assortment of taco fillings to tantalize and excite your taste buds. The fillings range from the familiar shredded chicken and steak to the intriguing grasshopper. We chose one of our favorite seafaring proteins and had the octopus taco. The tender octopus morsels are tossed in a delicious spicy red sauce.
Aguacate Frito
Avocado is everywhere these days but usually served raw. Here we had the opportunity to try the healthy fat source, deep-fried and stuffed with shrimp ceviche. This is hands down one of the best preparation of avocado we have had. The avocado was warm with a crispy outside and creamy inside. The ceviche was acidic and filled with plump shrimp. The Ceviche is also topped with a creamy chipotle mayo for a little bit of spice. Every element of this dish was well prepared and delicious.
Chile Relleno de Camaron` Y Pulpo
Chile Relleno is a popular Mexican dish of stuffed peppers that originated in Pueblo. The original dish features a large poblano pepper stuffed with minced meat, battered with egg and or masa and deep-fried. Here the pepper is prepared without a thick breading and is filled with shrimp and octopus. The pepper was lightly seasoned and still maintained a fresh crunchy texture. The shrimp and octopus were tasty, bursting with citrus flavor.
Chicken Mole Enchilada
Our last entree of the evening was a classic enchilada. Instead of the usual red sauce, we opted for the mole variation. A mole is a rich earthy sauce made with fruit, nuts, spices, and chocolate. Though the elements would suggest sweetness the sauce is usually savory with just a hint of sweetness. The mole was superb, its texture was velvety smooth and the flavor was just the right balance to bitter and sweet.
Carlota
If you love Key Lime pie, you need to have this dessert. This simple dessert is a traditional homemade treat that is refreshing and decadent. The cake has a tart key lime flavor with just a hint of sweetness. The cake is served with a scoop of creamy housemade key lime ice cream, that tastes like incredibly smooth lemon meringue.
Citrico is an inviting home-style eatery which prides itself on presenting traditional Mexican fare. All of the sauces, tortillas, and condiments are made in house using imported and local ingredients. While other establishments fight to create elevated versions of simple dishes Citrico remains true to its roots presenting real, rustic, dishes the way they were meant to be.