El Nuevo Amanecer

This may sound weird from people who don't live in Tennessee, but I miss authentic Mexican food. I'm dying (literally) without my chimichangas, burritos, refried beans, and most importantly, 2 for 1 margaritas. Laurel and I have been searching and searching for a good Mexican restaurant in New York, especially with a good drink special.

Laurel found this place - El Nuevo Amancer - a place that seemed very authentic and therefore - delicious. Inside is decorated like any sports bar, but instead of soccer on the screens (okay, I'm not trying to stereotype, but in every Mexican restaurant I've ever been in, that's all that plays) there was basketball. However, it was so dark, I could barely see a thing - hence the pictures turning out so bad.

Our food came fast. I, of course, got a chicken chimichanga ($9). It had absolutely no vegetables, which I like a lot, but it did come with a little something extra - bones. Perhaps that was a little more authentic than I could have hoped for. Either way, it was still good, but I couldn't eat the rest of it after finding that little gem. Also disappointing were the beans. I love refried beans, and these were neither fried nor refried (think Mitch Hedberg). Either way, I don't think I could eat their chicken chimichangas again, but I would be willing to try out a vegetarian option. Oh, and the drinks? We didn't end up getting any. We were saving room for crepes (see below). - Jennifer

I have indeed been craving good Mexican food. So much so that every time I go home I eat as much of it as humanly possible. And then I miss it again.

To be in Manhattan this place wasn't too bad, but we did both get a bit of chicken bone in our chicken dishes, which is just unpleasant to bite into. Oh, and the salsa was HOT. And I am not talking spicy, I am talking temperature. Confused? You bet I was. I will say the chicken itself was well-cooked and had good flavor. The refried beans were a little odd, but every time I have tried refried beans in the Northeast/NY they have been weird. It's a fairly big deal that they had them at all. The rice was good, but pretty plain.

I hear they have good margaritas, but we unfortunately did not partake. It is incredibly dark in that place-- I had a little trouble seeing my food.. or the menu.. or Jennifer. The service was nothing special, either. If you are desperate for something resembling Mexican, it's worth a try. Otherwise, for those of you who know better, you may want to wait until you get home. I'll keep searching in the meantime. -Laurel

Address: 117 Stanton St (@ Essex Street)

Website: n/a (http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-nuevo-amanecer-restaurant-new-york)

Payment: credit, cash

Take Out: yes

Open Late: ?

Delivery: yes, and catering

Large Group Friendly: Yes

Bar/Happy Hour: colorful bar, happy hour I'm sure