Cinco De Mayo: Where to Eat, Drink, Honor Battle of Puebla
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<strong>Los Feliz: </strong>The <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/09/03/new_restaurants_on_the_radar_malta.php">LES' tequila labyrinth</a> will be offering some specialty cocktails this Wednesday. The six drinks include the Los Feliz Classic for $8, the Hibiscus with Chinaco Blanco tequila and hibiscus reduction for $9, and the Chipotle Michelada tequila and mezcal, chipotles, and sangria, poured over Negra Modelo. That one's $12, and it sounds like it'd just take one to get you doing the Mexican Hat Dance in front of all your friends. In case you want to <a href="www.losfeliznyc.com">pad your stomach a bit</a> first, there are 10 types of tacos (including foie gras), plus ceviches, quesadillas and fresh guacamole. <p></p><em>109 Ludlow Street, 212-228-8383</em>
<strong>Dos Caminos:</strong> Rather than pushing leftover Corona and well Tequila, Dos Caminos is going the route of offering a specialty menu for the holiday. The king crab guacamole definitely caught our eye, but check out the whole menu below:<p></p><strong>Bocaditos (bites)</strong><p></p>King Crab Guacamole<p></p>Add $12 dollars for a single orderAdd $20 dollars for a double order<p></p>Tecate Beer Battered Softshell Crab Tacos<p></p>heirloom tomato pico de gallo, pickled jalapeno remoullade $15<p></p>Squash Blossom Jalapeno âPoppersâ<p></p>Crispy squash blossoms filled with roasted jalapenos and Mexican cheeses $11<p></p><strong>Principales (entrees)</strong><p></p>Ancho Roasted Pork Tenderloin<p></p>pickled watermelon and watercress salad, mole manchamanteles $24<p></p>Cocoa Rubbed Smoked Beef Brisket Quesadilla<p></p>Served open faced, guava-habanero barbecue sauce $23<p></p>Oven Roasted Wild Striped Bass<p></p>fresh peas, fava beans and morel mushrooms, herbed salsa verde $25<p></p><strong>Pasteles (dessert)</strong><p></p>Tres Leches Lemon Verbena Flan<p></p>strawberry-rhubarb compote, strawberry and tequila reduction $7<p></p>Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake<p></p>spiced walnut palanqueta, cajeta caramel ice-cream $8<p></p>The menu will be offered at <a href="http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/dos_caminos_park/index.php">all four Dos Caminos locations.</a>
<strong>West 3rd Common: </strong>Though they're better known for their board games and steamed hamburgers, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/03/16/eat_cetera.php">West 3rd Common</a> is offering some specials to anyone who's <a href="http://www.facebook.com/west.3rd.common?v=app_10442206389">friends with them on Facebook</a> and fills out a registration form. If you sign up there will be free chips, salsa and margaritas from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and for everyone else they're offering $5 margaritas all night long. It's also definitely worth it to take a break from the tequila for one of their pear martinis, which just taste like alcoholic FrozFruit.<p></p><em>1 West 3rd Street, 212-529-2059</em>
<strong>Exchange Bar & Grill:</strong> The city's fluctuating menu bar is actually setting some fixed prices for their Cinco de Mayo specials. All day long they'll be offering $3 Corona, $5 tequila shots and $6 margaritas for anyone not wanting to get all <em>involved</em> with their in-house drink market. But for those willing to bet their money on their intoxication, all the other drink prices at Exchange Bar & Grill fluctuate depending on demand, with an occasional "Market Crash"â$2 for all beers, $3 for all well drinks, and $4 for top shelfâthrown in to keep you on your toes.<em>256 Third Avenue, 646-596-9039</em>
<strong>Martha Stewart</strong>: Ok, so Martha Stewart doesn't exactly scream "Authentic Mexican." And this isn't even a restaurant. But if you're interested in Mexican food, Chef Rick Bayless, <em>Top Chef</em> Master and host of the PBS show <em>Mexico: One Plate at a Time</em>, will be talking to Stewart on her Sirius/XM radio show "At Martha's Table." Bayless will be sharing tips and recipes for anyone looking to have a fiesta at home, and Stewart has also posted two Bayless recipes, for Summer Margaritas and Devilish Shrimp, on the <a href="http://www.sirius.com/marthastewartlivingradio">shows website</a>. The show will air at 4 p.m. on May 5th.
<a href="http://papacitosbrooklyn.blogspot.com/">Papacitos</a>, the hipster Mexican restaurant in Greenpoint renowned for its outstanding tacos and its hectic service, is opening up its courtyard garden on Cinco de Mayo with a rager that starts in the afternoon and goes to the wee hours. There will be free shots of tequila every hour on the hour, a mariachi band, and all sorts of loco menu discounts. If you're a vegan, be warned: their highly addictive seitan tacos will force you to relocate to Greenpoint. <p></p><em>999 Manhattan Avenue, (718) 349-7292</em>
<a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/04/27/inside_mayahuel_the_east_villages_d.php">Mayahuel</a>, the dark and seductive bi-level tequila den in the East Village, is celebrating Cinco de Mayo <em>all week.</em> $50 gets you your choice of five tacos and five of their expertly crafted cocktails. <p></p><em>304 East 6th Street, (212) 253-5888</em>