#38 – AL PASTOR TACOS at TACO MIX

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

Sometimes conquering this list is all about convenience. I was attending a friend’s birthday part at Patsy’s Pizzeria up in East Harlem one night and I realized Taco Mix, a list item stop, was a few blocks away. Since I very rarely (if ever) find myself in this part of Harlem, I decided to make a pre-pizza taco run. Ah, the life of a food blogger!

Taco Mix is a hole in the wall with a single table in back and a standing room only counter. It’s what all good taco places should be. I was sort of surprised at the crowd inside, but I managed to order my Al Pastor Taco, scarf it down, and make it to the party just a few minutes late.

If it wasn’t for the impending pizza, I would have ordered a few other taco options – especially after I tasted the al pastor. Al pastor is one of my favorite taco fillings. It’s spit-grilled spiced pork spiced usually mixed with chopped pineapples.

I’ve had al pastor many times over before, but I truly think the version from Taco Mix was the best I’ve ever tasted. The meat was strikingly red and crispy, almost like Chinese BBQ pork. The flavors here were complex with smoke and spice – I added even more with one of their bottles of hot sauces. The raw onions, generous garnish of cilantro, and sweet chunks of pineapple made the insides of the soft tortilla an incredibly enjoyable and balanced experience.

I wish I could have lingered on this experience, but I had to run off to my next food excursion. Somebody please throw another party at Patsy’s soon (or at this tiny place) so I can find another excuse to get a taste of the best Mexican food I’ve had in a while.

Would Taco Mix’s Al Pastor Taco make my Top 100 of the year? Possibly. It was a surprising flavor bomb and gave me a new favorite Mexican spot earning it a 9 out of 10.