OTHER THAN CHIPOTLE OR QDOBA

It was late evening and I walked around Greenwich Village, behind NYU campus, to scout something new. I passed by MacDougal St. between Bleeker & West 3rd Streets. Suddenly, a young man holding a brown bag caught my eye as he was descending steel metal stairs from which I thought was an apt. building. Through old New England style windows, I saw Choza Taqueria and decided to check it out. It is a small Mexican spot whose interior decoration consists of a brick wall, the counter, a set of wooden tables & bar stools and a chandelier made of Latino soda bottles (creative). 

After studying the menu and asking the cooks their recommendations, I ordered their carnitas bowl (braised pork with citrus & spices, paired with tomatillo salsa & pickled carrots, on top of rice). It was slightly more spicier than what I eat at chipotle & Qdoba, but the palate is not far from what the chain stores offer. What is different from this dish is the pickle taste, which gives more flavor and a touch of sweetness with the spice. It's good enough to satisfy the evening craving and for $8, I was a pretty satisfied and full customer.

For dessert, I quickly grabbed a lady finger (baklva version, but less sweeter and more of the pastry flake) from the middle eastern take out a couple of doors down from Choza (more like a hole in a wall going down to a basement). It was heavy & enough to satisfy my dessert craving.