Recent eats: Tacos 1986, Vanessa’s Dumpling House, Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto, Taco Mahal, Black Seed Bagels, ZZ’s Pizza, Champion Pizza

by eldersveld

10 Comments

  1. eldersveld

    [Tacos 1986](https://tacos1986.com/westvillage)

    This apparently being the first East Coast outpost of an LA institution, I’d never heard of it before, but it opened literally around the corner from me and I love tacos so I was going to come here eventually. There was no line on a weekday afternoon in the middle of a heat wave, so I strolled on in and got three tacos (beef, pork, chicken) with “everything”. Are they better than Los Tacos No. 1? Overall, I can’t say that’s the case. All the meats were excellent, but even the pork didn’t quite reach the level of decadence that I expected. Also, Los Tacos [customizes what “everything” means based on the type of meat](https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodNYC/comments/o23yg1/chicken_pork_and_cactus_tacos_from_los_tacos_no_1/), but as you can see, Tacos 1986 does not. However, where this place may have a small advantage is in the [salsa selection](https://i.imgur.com/kLcNMIp.jpg): the salsa fresa, salsa macha, and salsa morita were absolutely fucking amazing. The salsa macha, a blend of dried peppers and garlic in oil, has no analogue at Los Tacos and you should definitely try it.

    [Vanessa’s Dumpling House](https://www.vanessas.com/)

    I happened to be on the UWS, and hungry, and I saw a Vanessa’s that I’d no idea was up there so it was an easy decision. Not packed at lunchtime on a weekday, a refreshing change from the Chinatown original. I got the beef dan dan noodles with extra bok choy, and I’ll be honest, I liked it better than I like Vanessa’s actual dumplings. For me, at least, the portion was hefty enough that I got two meals out of it. Great stuff and, IMO, reasonably priced.

    [Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto](https://www.cafepaninonyc.com/)

    This was their chicken panino with zucchini, eggplant, tomato, basil, and olive oil. Yes, it looks dry, and it was–this was clearly supposed to be the “healthy” option, but man, it needed some kind of sauce, spread, cheese, something. That being said, all the ingredients were tasty and well-proportioned. I’d get it again but I would ask for, like, mayo, offsetting the healthy part but making myself happier.

    [Taco Mahal](https://www.tacomahalnyc.com/)

    Always love this place. They could easily have been an underperforming gimmick that didn’t last more than a year, but their recipes are damned solid. I felt indulgent that day so I got three roti tacos: chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka masala, and saag paneer. The only downside is that this stuff is sauce-heavy and *messy* and you’d better make sure you have plenty of napkins prepared. It’s also not the cheapest, but where else are you gonna get something like this?

    [Black Seed Bagels](https://www.blackseedbagels.com/)

    Realized I’d never been here before, and impulsively went to the one in Rockefeller since it was closest to me. This was their turkey avocado sandwich, which also had swiss, tomato, red onion, and dijon. I added hot sauce. An above-average sandwich, I’d say, maybe not worth the almost $20 including tip, but satisfying enough for lunch. The bagel itself was of course a little obscured but it had a pleasant woody, earthy taste that was different from other bagels I’ve had. Would probably return to try a bagel on its own instead of a sandwich.

    [ZZ’s Pizza](https://www.yelp.com/biz/zzs-pizza-staten-island)

    I had to make a bit of an emergency run to Staten Island to assist a friend who works down there, and I took lunch on the Staten Island side of the ferry. This is the pizzeria inside the terminal, and I’ve certainly had worse. The slice itself was pretty damn big, too. Not bad for captive-audience food.

    [Champion Pizza](https://championpizzanyc.com/)

    I assume that most of you know what this place is and what to expect. It’s Champion, it’s trashy and sometimes it just hits the fucking spot. I actually like the LES one best, but the SoHo one happened to be more convenient that day.

  2. BrooklynTCG

    Vanessa‘s dumpling house is how I survived living in New York when I was broke their union Square location always slapped.

  3. Weekly-Original-2322

    I love Taco Mahal. I usually order Chicken Tikka Marsala. I was never disappointed.

  4. mancinis_blessed_bat

    That panini looks terrible ngl

  5. twoanddone_9737

    I used to live by that Vanessa’s and I really miss it. The Dan Dan noodles are great, and the dumplings with their chili oil are so good.

  6. lostinthesauce2004

    Were the tacos in general worth it at Tacos 1986? Are they pretty good, or are they a big step down from Los Tacos No 1?

  7. PunnyPrinter

    I’m sold on Taco Mahal, I will be trying it.