Paty’s Taco Truck 86th Street at Lexington Avenue.

When I think Upper Eastside, I think Guggenheim, Gossip Girl, and Park Ave. Well, let me throw in a taco truck into the mix. Paty’s Taco Truck is located on the corner of 86th Street and Lex (usually parked on the northwest corner) and it’s the real deal. I know Paty has been at this corner for some time now, but due to the economy and the winter I finally got around to going there WITH a camera in hand. The menu consists of tacos, huraches, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, tostadas and sopes. BUT, this is a taco blog, and here it is.

What to get: Hands down carne asada tacos. The meat was tender, not greasy, I wonder if at one point in the process they steam the meat. It’s topped with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes; I am not usually a fan of lettuce on tacos but I made the exception this time. I have to admit that it’s been a while since I had a good taco and Paty’s serves a good taco.

This photo doesn't do the taco justice.

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El Tapatio 209 East 116th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Ave.) 212.876.3055

Again I found myself uptown, (I promise I’ll make a trip to Queens soon) and just so happen to walk into this place. The TV and radio blasting doesn’t create a peaceful ambiance but if you get your kicks out of loud whole-in-the-wall places then El Tapatio is for you. They have a lot of things on the menu and again I force fed myself large quantities of food all for the sake of this blog.

I started off with a steak taco, nice and juicy, I knew I was off to a good start despite the noise. Then they brought over the carnitas taco, now I always prefer asada tacos over carnitas but this one held its own. The barbacoa tacos came out next, and well I wish I had some more room for some more.

I ordered a chicken tamale, clearly I wanted to go into a food coma but I ended up taking it to go.

Overall, El Tapatio’s menu boasts a variety of Mexican comfort food that merits a second trip, but someone needs to tell management to turn down either the music or the TV. If ambiance isn’t a factor then this place is for you, if you’re looking for that cute romantic gem, try somewhere else.

Tacos Xochimilco (pronounced Zoh-chi-meil-co) 4501 5th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 718.435.7600 (Sunset Park)

It’s been a while… the cold weather turns me into a huevon, which is Spanish for “unmotivated” (you can look this up). Now that we’re in the low 50’s I decided to venture out and I made my way to Sunset Park. I have read and heard so much about this neighborhood that I had to see it for myself. Stetson hats and cowboy boots for sale is what I found followed by several taquerías. I made my way into Tacos Xochimilco, I couldn’t eat everything on the menu so I am giving you the 411 on what I managed to stuff into my face.

What to get
Tacos de carne asada were delicious, the beef was nice and juicy; served with this guacamole-type salsa, which was a nice flavorful touch. The carnitas tacos were also good, this isn’t my favorite taco but this place does a good job. I had half a ham torta, which went down well with an horchata.

What not to get
Tacos de lengua… wasn’t impressed (sorry).

The prices are recession friendly and they have a breakfast menu. Easiest way to get there is to take the R train into Brooklyn and get off on 53rd street, walk east one block to 5th Ave.

Tacos El Idolo - Taco Truck on the Northeast corner of 14th Street and 8th Ave.

I hate to repeat myself but I am not use to paying $2.50 for a taco so I am always a bit offended when I do and yet somehow I keep coming back to this spot. This taco truck aka lonchera (SoCal spanglish way of saying it) is parked at this corner every night and I have even seen them there as late as 2am or was it 3am?

Tamales are $1.50 and enchiladas go for about $6. But, we're here to talk tacos.

What to get

Hands down the carne asada (bistec) tacos; I wouldn't rate this place as one of my top choices but definitely WORTH A VISIT if you're in the neighborhood and hungry. The chicken and the carnitas tacos are also worth an honorable mention, not very dry and not very greasy.

What NOT to get

Two things, the first is the vegetarian taco, because you can make this at home (although people seem to like them). Second, the lengua taco, I am a big fan of this taco and well I was a bit under-whelmed. I can't stress enough how much of a snob I am about this taco because when it's made well it's Jimmie Walker Dy-no-mite!

This place is definitely CASH ONLY but the truck is conveniently parked in front of an ATM.

Chavella's Cafe Mexicano 732 Classon Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11238 Between Park Place and Prospect Place 718-622-3100

This came in as a recommendation from a reader. This Brooklyn spot is near the Brooklyn Museum of Art and apparently the chef worked at some fancy Manhattan restaurant before setting up shop. Those in the know know this type of information does not matter because some of the best meals I've had have been on the side of a road with live chickens running around a few feet away from me or in my mother's comadre's tiny apartment, both of which have never step foot inside a fancy Manhattan restaurant.

What to get:
The green pozole!! I wanted to call my mother and her comadre and complain to them that they robbed me of a childhood experience! This isn't on their menu so call ahead and find out if they are serving it that day because it's delicious. The other is the Quesadilla de Huitlacoche (wheat-LA-ko-cheh). Huitlacoche is the fungal, culinary delicacy Ustilago maydis that grows on ears of corn. According to GourmetSleuth.com, "American farmers call it smut and devil's corn and consider it a disease to be irradiated. The peoples of Mexico as well as the American Hopi Indians consider the fungus a delightful delicacy." In NYC they call it Mexican corn truffle... whatever, order it, trust me you won't be disappointed.

What not to get:
Unfortunately I didn't think the tacos were all that, in fact a bit dry. Tacos are very simple yet very difficult to nail. If you make it out to Chavella's you should try some of their other dishes.

Cash only, click for menu

Sundays at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard's Church 330 West 14th Street Between 7th and 8th Ave.

I don't know if these guys are outside of the church on Saturdays but I went by this past Sunday around noon and I saw 4 different vendors selling tacos, pozole, and champurrado. Champurrado is a warm, thick, chocolate based Mexican drink made with hominy flour (harina), chocolate, cinnamon, sugar, and a little bit of salt; it is very popular during the fall and winter. I didn't ask if they sold tamales but I am sure they do since the weather is starting to get chilly. This place is standing room only, so you might want to take your food back to the SoHo House after ordering.

What to get:
Hands down stick with the tacos de asada and the champurrado. My thing is"keep it simple," I felt like I was at St. Emydius Church in Lynwood, CA. While you're there you should sample everything and give a special shout out to La Virgencita. It's spots like this that make New York what it is.

Los Hamptons Edition: LA HACIENDA 48 Jagger Lane, Southampton, (631) 287-6814

Located across the street from the “Fresh” supermarket, La Hacienda is a no frills kind of place. As my girlfriend puts it, “La Fondita has a cute ambiance and La Hacienda is all about the food;” food and drinks are served on Styrofoam plates and cups (nuff said). They were recently mentioned in a NY Times article along with other restaurants in the area and I think this has brought in a new breed of customers. When we showed up the staff seemed a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people lined up to chow down.

What to get:
The tacos are delicious. All I can say is it’s the best tongue taco I’ve had so far in the state of New York. The carne asada tacos are better here than at La Fondita, the meat is good and the tortilla is not dry. The asada torta ($5.00) is decent, the bolillo bread which is often used for this Mexican sandwich was soft and smooth.

What NOT to get:
Hard shell tacos, you the douche with no neck driving the Porsche, you made it this far so please don’t be a schmuck and order hard shell.