Dos Caminos - NYC

 

The site of the new World Trade Center

My friend recommended this place because (a) she works nearby and (b) apparently the guacamole is AMAZING here. 

It's so pretty inside, but since it was a gorgeous day, we chose to eat outside on the patio instead.

The complimentary salsa and tortilla chips. 

The tortilla chips were thin and crispy. Something about the texture of the chips was different than the brand name Tostito chips - either way, they were perfect for salsa or guacamole! The salsas from top: the green sauce is pico de gallo, a mild salsa which was cool and refreshing, followed by the medium salsa which wasn't too spicy and spicy salsa (which I avoided).

Absolutely delicious guacamole! 

They make three kinds - mild, medium and hot. Since my tolerance for spicy food is almost non-existent (when I accidentally eat a little hot sauce or wasabi, I scream for water), we got mild guacamole. 

Dos Caminos takes this simple condiment and makes it something amazing: basil, lime, tomatoes and fresh pureed avocado - heavenly! I could eat bowls of this guacamole - the only thing holding me back is the price tag of $14 a bowl. It's so popular here that it's one of the first things the waiters ask "Hello my name is ______, would you like some guacamole?". Everyone around us ordered bowls of the guacamole; it's definitely something you have got to try it here - it's fantastic!

The Prickly Pear Margarita

Apparently the receipe for this drink is: Grab a huge barrel + 3 bottles of Tequila + a gallon of lime juice + one bottle of triple sec = voila! Potent alcoholic margarita. 

I really liked the taste of it, but my alcohol tolerance is pathetic so this was way more alcohol than I could handle. This was probably the first time I hated being a lightweight considering I paid $11 for this drink.

At the top are the Asada tacos with grilled chipotle-marinated sirloin steak, caramelized onions, cotija cheese, guacamole, handmade corn tortillas. On the side was the Mexican rice, refried beans and a trio of salsas. 

The bottom dish is the Short Ribs Tamarindo (a fajita-style cazuela) made with braised beef short ribs, tamarind, chile de árbol, lime-cured onions. On the side was Mexico City street corn, refried pinto beans, spicy cabbage slaw and warm corn tortillas. 

The taco is on the left and the short rib fajita is on the right.

The Taco was spicy but it wasn't too overwhelming (the margarita helped mute some of the spiciness). 

The steak strips were thin slices of sirloin steak and were well-done (a little tougher than I usually like my steak). The steak did absorb the flavour of the condiments well. The ingredients were really fresh - I loved the tomatoes, onions and cheese in the taco. I wasn't particularly blown away by the tacos especially since they were quite pricey tacos at $18.50 for 3. The refried beans and Mexican rice weren't very good.

The short rib was slightly charred on the outside, but inside the meat was nicely done. The Mexico City street corn was really good! I also loved the pinto refried beans and peppers - Yum!

Overall: I enjoyed the Mexican food at Dos Caminos - I really have to recommend the guacamole because it's AMAZING!  The patio is great when the weather's nice, but be prepared to wait an extra 20 minutes if you want to sit outside at lunch. The service was quick, but lunch ran over the 1 hour mark. 

Website: http://www.doscaminos.com/