Friday Finds

Ok you got me, it’s Thursday, however I thought it might be best to get these two food finds out to you before the weekend starts. In a past post I said I’d be stopping in at places I pass by while driving around. It’s very easy to stick to the same old tried and true eateries and not give another place a shot. So this is what I hope to make Friday Finds about. I’d also like your help. If you have a place that has pleasantly surprised you with their food and you’d like to share it here please post a comment in the box below or send me an email and tell me all about it!

The first place I’d like to share is one I had driven by for years and literally never noticed it until one day I had to park a few blocks away from where I was going. As I walked down the sidewalk I peered into this tiny little restaurant with a counter and about twelve stools. All the stools were occupied and the patrons sat around watching their meals being cooked right in front of them at the grill on the other side of the counter. I love places like this , it reminded me of a tiny French place I use to frequent in Greenwich Village back in the day.

Finally I found myself in a position to try this little place , it’s name is Los Fuertes De Loreto, it’s located at 116 Broadway in Hillsdale Nj. You may have passed by it if you’ve ever gone to Trader Joe’s in Westwood. This quaint tiny spot has an amazing atmosphere and the cooks behind the counter make you feel welcomed. They usually have a large crowd between 11am and 1pm during the week so try and go after 1pm or on the weekend. I’d also recommend you go for lunch as dinner seems to me to be a bit pricey for the type of place it is.

While the place does have a fun atmosphere it’s the foods I’m talking about! You can’t beat fresh homemade dishes like you get here. Their guacamole is made to order and is a good sized portion for $6.95. Other appetizers are also the same price and you can get three quesadillas or taquitos or a huge plate of nachos. I wanted to try as many types of food as I could so I got the combo plate of a taco and burrito with a side of rice and refried beans and my eating companion ordered the enchiladas. Being from Southern Arizona I grew up on Mexican food so I’m a bit fussy. I usually judge a Mexican place on it’s beans, just like I judge a pizza place on its plain slice or an ice cream shop by it’s vanilla. The reason being if you can’t do the basics correctly there isn’t much point in trying the rest of your items.

The beans at Los Fuertes were exactly as they should be, creamy with a touch of cheese and spiced exactly perfect. I actually could have just ordered a bowl of refried beans and few tortillas and walked away a happy man. My taco was the hard shell that I love and the filling reminded me of growing up in Tucson and eating at a friends birthday party, where his grandmother had been cooking all day to feed an army. The burrito was smaller than I’m use to but I was good with that, as I also needed room to try the enchiladas. The enchiladas where made to order and the chicken inside was so fresh and delicious. Some places will use leftover chicken thinking the sauce will cover the flavor of old chicken, but not here. I couldn’t have been happier with my meal. Another thing they do here is make their salsas, and they sell them in take out containers too! I bought the green sauce which was some of the best I have had in years. So if you’re in the mood for some really great Mexican food in a funky old diner atmosphere I can’t recommend Los Fuertes De Loreto enough.

The next place I stumbled upon was also a Mexican restaurant, located in Tarrytown at 53 Main Street. La Perla Poblanita, is even a smaller restaurant than the last, having only three tables but with a huge take out business. I have noticed there are many of these smaller Mexican restaurants popping up all over and I think its a good idea to give them a try. I will have to say that any restaurant I have been to on the other side of the river is markedly more expensive than on the Rockland county side. La Perla was no exception as their appetizers started at $11. The one saving grace was that they had tacos dorado which is an old school method of making tacos where the spiced meat and the corn tortillas are fried together. This was an appetizer and I was amazed to find out it was five tacos! So needless to say I had that as my main course. My tasting partner ordered Shrimp enchiladas and we shared guacamole and a Mexican coke which is sweetened with cane sugar, giving it a more natural taste. I enjoyed my tacos dorado but I found the shrimp enchiladas to have that flavor I can only describe as to much iodine, I’m not sure if that is what is causing the flavor but either way I didn’t care for them at all. For the cost and the cramped quarters I would probably pass on going to La Perla again, but as most of you know I’m a softy and will always give a place another chance.

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We’re lucky to live in a place where there’s so much ethnic diversity in the foods we can eat and while I can’t try them all I’d love to hear from all of you as to your favorite places to eat in and around Rockland county. I’m going to try and make Friday Finds a regular thing and with your help it’ll become a great resource for all the readers to try new places and exchange new ideas. As always if you have any questions or comments please leave them in the box below . Until next time Boone Appétit!