Monday, August 19, 2013

Calexico

To continue my lunch adventures around the city, I decided to pay a visit to the Calexico Cart right near Madison Square Park.  I never used to be a huge fan of Mexican food, but lately I have been on a Mexican food kick, so after reading the countless rave reviews online I figured I had to pay Calexico a visit.

They have a few locations around the city and it is a mix between storefronts and carts.  Unfortunately the carts are stationary and are always in the same spots, unlike food trucks that change location daily.  Because of that, you don't really get the opportunity to try it unless you happen to live/work nearby.  Lucky for me, I had a pretty free day today so I was able to make the short trek over to the cart.  I went on the early side because I knew that it can get pretty crowded, and even at 11:50am there were a few people ahead of me in line.

The menu has a really great range of options including burritos, tacos, bowls, quesadillas, and sides like chips and guacamole.  I was having a hard time choosing what to get because I love tacos and burritos, and I always want to order a quesadilla but generally never do.  Since I knew that I was going to be going to a great mexican restaurant this weekend where I always get the tacos, I decided to spring for the Pollo Asado Quesadilla.  The quesadilla comes with cheddar and jack cheese on a flour tortilla and is grilled on the flat top.  It also comes with a side of, what they call, chipotle "crack" sauce.

After taking my first bite, I was so glad that I decided to order the quesadilla.  They are very generous with the amount of chicken in the quesadilla, and it is full of flavor.  The cheese was really melty and oozing from the quesadilla, but it wasn't overpowering the great chicken.  I'm not really sure how to describe the chipotle crack sauce, or what it really is for that matter, I just know that it was delicious.  It added a nice spice to the quesadilla which elevated the flavor of it, and was also really creamy.  I didn't use too much of it because I don't like a lot of spice, but you should definitely give the sauce a try.  

Since I am conscious of the fact that quesadillas are on the unhealthy spectrum of lunch options, I only allowed myself to eat half.  Half was pretty filling, but I could have easily downed the entire thing, because it was that good.  As I write this, the other half is sitting in my fridge and it is really a test of my self control to not open the fridge and eat it.  

Even though Calexico is not a full fledged "food truck," in the sense that it doesn't move around the city, I still put it in the category of the best food trucks in NYC.  The quesadillas are delicious, and the other options looked great as well.  I saw other people eating the tacos and burritos, and I will definitely be back to try the burrito.  I think they have a shop in Brooklyn and on the Lower East Side, in addition to a cart in SOHO and Flatiron, so if you are near any of them (or even if you are not!) you should give them a try for lunch.  

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