Cabrito

Last night I had dinner at Cabrito, the Zac Pelaccio joint in the West Village.  There were some hits and misses with our meal as well as with service. But it was an overall pleasant experience. It is an excellent Mexican option in this part of town in which seasonal American (Blue Ribbon, Market Table, Mas, 10 Downing) seems to abound.

We began the meal with some very interesting jalapeños rellenos.  Three blistered peppers came atop a pool of crema, stuffed with sweet raisins, toasted pine nuts, tangy capers, and chunks of snappers.  I'm not sure how Mexican it was, but the appetizer really was delicious.   We also started off with guacamole and chips, which were very tasty, if a little overpriced (it was the only thing I felt to be overpriced).  My dining companion got the chorizo huaraches.  It was a sort of deconstructed gordita - an oblong fried disk of masa, topped with ground chorizo, cabbage, radishes, and crema.  It was tasty but extremely spicy.  Too spicy for him to finish.  My main, the hongos con chile was a much more mild choice.  Though I could not taste the guarillo chile or the epazote (two aromatic Mexican spices), I found the hefty bowl of 'shrooms to be delectable.  The 'housemade" corn tortillas which came with the dish were a little bland, but I spiced them up by adding a side of braised greens (which came with chicharrones) to each bite.  Dessert was traditional churros con chocolate - always a pleasure.

Final assessment: no need to run to Cabrito, but definetely a good standby to have.  Ideal situation would be drinks and appetizers with several rowdy buddies.

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