Tacombi at Fonda Nolita

S, my ex-work-wife from Boston, recently came to New York for the weekend.  She arrived in the city around 3pm on Friday, and we decided that a late lunch of tacos would be just the thing to wash away the remnants of the long bus trip and hopefully give us some of that being-on-a-Mexican-beach feeling.  We hit up Tacombi at Fonda Nolita, and immediately marveled at the interesting space.  Tables are set up in a colorful, concrete garage that's been strung with fairy lights.

Chefs prepare dishes in an old VW van that has been parked in the middle, a nod to Tacombi's origins as a food truck that sold tacos in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

It was just the sort of casual but unique place that S and I were looking for.  After not seeing each other for a few months, we had so much to catch up on.  It took us forever to actually get around to looking at the menu, but when we finally did, we decided to start with a pitcher of red sangria and guacamole con totopos.

S and I both agreed that the sangria was just average (I usually prefer it to be a bit sweeter and fuller-bodied), but the chips and guac were addicting.  The guacamole was thick and creamy with a little bit of a kick.  After eating way too many of the totopos, we moved on to the tacos.  We often think alike when it comes to food, and we both went for the pork belly taco and the seared Veracruzana fish taco...

and some ceviche with more totopos to share.

For me, the clear winner among the bunch was the ceviche.  The fish tasted so fresh and the lime flavor was very intense and refreshing.  Plus I'm always on board with something when I can dip tortilla chips into it.

As for the tacos, with my love of pork belly, I expected to like that one the best, but I didn't find it all that exciting.  The seared fish version, though, provided the flavor fiesta that I was looking for.

As we ate, S filled me in on all the gossip that's been happening at work as well as her eventful love life.  

At one point, I snuck away to the restroom and discovered that even this space had been decorated in a visually interesting way.  I want one of these sinks in my next apartment.....

and you'll be glad to hear that la Virgen de Guadalupe watched over me to make sure that I washed my hands.

 

I appreciate when restaurants and bars pay attention to the small details, even in restrooms.

As we were finishing our sangria, S's brother joined us and we decided to move on, but not before the requisite photo op outside.

We then set off through the streets of Noho in search of cocktails.  The good thing about going out for a late lunch is that you can just roll right on into Happy Hour without missing a beat.

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