la esquina; zen palate

Maria and I had dinner at La Esquina tonight. We got these really tasty margaritas, which I guess were worth the $8. Then we ordered two dishes to share: the Quesadilla de Huitlacoche, a quesadilla filled with Mexican truffle, roasted corn, epazole (an herb), mushrooms, and cheese) and the Aguacate con Queso, a sandwich that was stuffed with avocado, red onion, cheese, black beans, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo, and came with a side of salad and potato chips. YUM! The quesadilla was good but nothing spectacular- I didn’t see any corn and didn’t taste much besides the cheese and mushrooms (still good things to taste) but the “traditional Mexican street sandwich,” served on a crusty wedge of bread, was full of garlic and the sharp onion and cheese and avocado deliciousness! A picture of the sandwich (whenever I hear “street food” I immediately love it…)

And a few nights ago, I went back to Zen Palate for the second time, with my cousin who was visiting from India. While he claimed that the food was “bland,” I think it’s really flavorful, healthy, and reasonably priced. Zen Palate serves a variety of fare- mainly Asian-influenced foods, like burgers, sandwiches, salads, pasta, and veggie medleys. Oh, and they are a vegetarian restaurant, which rocks- they have a ton of great fake meat and I never wonder if I am tasting the flavor chicken stock in a delicious soup or something. We got the Tex Mex Moo Shoo, which is kidney beans, barley, and soy protein (it’s actually really good) in a spinach tortilla, served with this really yummy guac and a side salad of carrot peanut cole slaw.

Oh, and it comes with two crunchy spring rolls, so the meal feels very complete. It’s in Union Sq, so central-ish and convenient and the waiters are very sweet.