I Just Want To Eat! 5/25/22 I Just Want To Eat! 5/25/22

Tacoria in Hoboken, NJ

Tacoria is a casual Mexican restaurant that opened on Washington street, where Frankie and Ava used to be. As you enter, you cannot not miss the decor that would make you think that this place has been there for a while with the graffiti and run down walls. You are right away attracted to the colorful mural of Frank Sinatra’s mugshot, as well as the neon lights, on the ceiling and main wall (Te Amo Hermosa - I love you Beautiful).

Exciting place, with a build you own menu for the most part, it offers the right balance of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, that you order at the counter and will be prepared within minutes, your name being called for pickup at the kitchen window.

Here is what we had:

Guacamole - A Mexican restaurant must have guacamole, no? Well, this one is definitely good, with few chinks of avocado, served with their homemade tortilla chips.

Fried avocado - Fried avocado is a surprising dish, but, ultimately, everything fried is good! This is a must have that comes with chipotle aioli: you first get the crunchiness of the fried batter, and then the avocado, ripe, melts in your mouth.

Mexican street corn - This is a must have! Served on the cob, it is smothered in chipotle aioli, and topped with cotija cheese and lots of cilantro.

Mexican street corn at Tacoria in Hoboken, NJ

Then, for the build your own, you have to pick:

The dish: tacos, nachos, Mission style burrito, burrito box, quesadilla or salad.
The protein: pollo asado, pollo tinga, carne asada, al pastor, rajas (roasted corn and poblano peppers), brussels sprouts, fried avocado, beyond chorizo and chorizo.

Jodi tried the salad with Brussels sprouts topped with avocado. She loved it so much that she ordered that each time we went.

Salad with Brussels sprouts and avocado at Tacoria in Hoboken, NJ

On my side, I tried the quesadilla suiza with carne asada. It was fantastic and very filling. It was stuffed with cheese, crema, and salsa, with a spiced marinated grilled steak that was tender and juicy. I loved it!

Quesadilla Suiza with carne asada at Tacoria in Hoboken, NJ

I also tried their tacos. What is great is that you can choose several. So I picked: carne asada, pollo asado (citrus “kissed” marinated chicken with habanero sauce) and al pastor (pork marinated in spices and pineapple). They were all delicious; a bit messy but so good and tasty, even the chicken one that can sometimes be a challenge as I rarely had exciting chicken tacos.

Al Pastor taco at Tacoria in Hoboken, NJ

Carne asada taco at Tacoria in Hoboken, NJ

Pollo asado taco at Tacoria in Hoboken, NJ

For drinks, we tried their lemonade (they have other sodas).

Overall, we had great meals at Tacoria. This Mexican chain, also located in Jersey City, Paramus, New Brunswick, Morristown, Montclair and Princeton, is a fantastic addition to the Hoboken food scene!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Tacoria - 208 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 07030

I Just Want To Eat! 5/23/22 I Just Want To Eat! 5/23/22

Ethiopian lunch at Queen of Sheba in NYC

I discovered Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant located few blocks from the heart of Times Square, several years ago and was really looking forward to go back there. There, Chef Philipos Mengistu, who worked at his parents restaurant in Addis Abeba in the early 1970's, crafted a menu inspired from family recipes with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The best way to discover the food is by trying their samplers: it is what we did!

Taste of Sheba - non-vegetarian sampler.

Non-vegetarian sampler at Queen of Sheba in NYC

It is composed of:

Tibs Wot (a wot is a stew): diced lean beef seared on hot skillet, then slow-cooked in a hot Berbere stew.
Menchet Abesh Wot: lean beef, ground and cooked in mild green pepper sauce, red wine and jalapeño, seasoned with ginger and garlic.
Bozena Shiro: pieces of marinated beef simmered in a traditional chickpea gravy.
Yebeg Alecha: a lamb stew (my favorite).
Doro Wot: chicken lef, slow-cooked in a dense stew of onions, egg, Berbere (hot spice blend), and Kibe (clarifying butter that has been infused with herbs and spices).
Gomen Wot: finely chopped collard greens, cooked in their own stems with mild seasoning and olive oil (my least favorite - I am not a huge fan of collard greens in general).
Ater Kik Alecha: split peas cooked in onion, garlic, and olive oil. A mild dish with a touch of turmeric and a subtle blend of herbs and spices.

Sheba vegetarian:

Vegetarian sampler at Queen of Sheba in NYC

It is composed of:

Gomen Wot: finely chopped collard greens, cooked in their own stems with mild seasoning and olive oil.

Ater Kik Alecha: split peas cooked in onion, garlic, and olive oil. A mild dish with a touch of turmeric and a subtle blend of herbs and spices.
Key Sir Wot: red beets, potatoes, and carrots, sautéed with peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger.
Misir Wot: split lentils, stewed with onions, garlic, and a blend of mild Ethiopian herbs.
Atakilt Wot: string beans and carrots, cooked in tomato sauce with their rich blend of seasonings.
Cabbage Wot: cabbage, potato and carrot cooked with onion and garlic with a touch of turmeric.
Shiro Wot: split peas milled together with a blend of Berbere, herbs, and onions, then slow-cooked into a creamy dip

The food was served with Injera, a sour fermented bread quite recognizable, traditionally made with teff flour, that has a spongy texture that is perfect as you do not have any utensils and use the bread to grab the food as you eat with your hands. The bread on its own is not something I love, but it is great with the various stews that were in fact sitting on a large piece of it.

I should mention that I did not find the food spicy (a couple of dishes had a slight kick) and it was very comforting, both samplers being quite good. This is definitely a place I recommend and if you would like a full experience, you can sit on one of the areas with traditional stools (I did not).

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Queen of Sheba - 650 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036