Restaurant review: Barrio Chino

I recently ventured out of my West Side comfort zone for dinner on the Lower East Side. For those unfamiliar with the Lower East Side, it is located in the south eastern portion of Manhattan, north of Chinatown and south of the East Village. Formerly known for its squalid tenements overflowing with recent immigrants, the Lower East Side has evolved into a haven for hipsters in recent years and is now home to many trendy shops and restaurants. An in-the-know friend from L.A. stopped by Barrio Chino on Broome Street when he was in town a few weeks ago which got me thinking I should check it out myself.

Barrio Chino, a small and nondescript restaurant whose name apparently means "Chinese hood" in Spanish, celebrates the neighborhood's immigrant past by combining Mexican fare with Chinese-accented decor. The weather here in NYC was particularly glorious on the night my friend Ann and sister joined me there for dinner, and we were seated in an airy corner table near the restaurant's open windowed front wall.

It seemed serendipitous that the perfect accompaniment to Mexican food would also be the perfect accompaniment to a warm and breezy early summer evening: margaritas, in our case traditional fresh lime, jalapeno lime, and fresh grapefruit. YUM!

Barrio Chino offers eleven anotjitos (appetizers) including six varieties of tacos. Since I can't have Mexican food without guacamole, I was glad to see guacamole on the menu, which we ordered and enjoyed with their homemade chips and a bowl of seriously spicy salsa for only $8.

We also shared an order of the al pastor tacos - three homemade tortillas overflowing with marinated grilled pork, chunks of pineapple, cilantro and white onion. They were awesome.

After the guacamole and soft taco opening act, I ordered another margarita and the vegetarian enchiladas verdes -- two tortillas stuffed with sauteed zucchini and mushrooms, and topped with a green salsa and melted oaxacan cheese. They were ok, but not nearly as good as the tacos. The tortillas were mealy and mushy under all that sauce and the vegetables inside were fairly bland.

My sister ordered the bistek a la casa -- marinated skirt steak served with sauteed spinach and mushrooms, black beans, and queso fresco. Nothing memorable, but perfectly acceptable for those who try to limit their personal food pyramid to proteins and vegetables.

Ann, who was also on a short-lived pre-wedding Atkins plan the night we had dinner, ordered cazuela de mariscos -- sauteed calamari and shrimp in a tomato chipotle sauce. It was pretty good, but tasted more Italian than Mexican to us.

For dessert, we tried to order churros, but they didn't have any. So we settled on the coconut flan which was pretty good, if you like flan, and I ordered a third margarita which in retrospect, was not the best idea I've ever had, but they were so good!

Words to the wise: while our dinner was pretty good, I think a taco-focused meal would have been even better. Also, if you love margaritas like I do, I suggest you save Barrio Chino for a Friday or Saturday to avoid worrying that you will become one of the sick passengers who occasionally screws up the morning subway commute.

**

Details:

253 Broome Street (between Orchard and Ludlow)

New York, New York

(212) 228-6710 (I don't think they take reservations, but just in case)

Margaritas with a side of tortilla-enhanced food: ~$50/each