Karen Deli

Tings Chelsea Market Serves NYC’s Flakiest Jamaican Beef Patties — and Other Cheap Eats | Eater NY

"When I dropped by recently, tightly packed shelves of Mexican and Guatemalan groceries—including lots of fresh produce—made getting to the back difficult, but there I discovered a bustling kitchen with three cooks and a darling little dining room decorated with a colorful mural signed by graffiti artists including Moises, AKA, and Cesiar. Two chalkboards list some 20 daily offerings; the large plates, priced around $8 or $9, come with exemplary oil-slicked rice and soupy black refried beans. Don’t miss the pacayas forradas: the male organs of a species of palm that look like a cross between an ear of corn and a squid, dipped in egg batter and fried for a welcome crunch while remaining slippery inside—highly recommended. The hilachas de res, a potato-bearing beef stew, has a scarlet mellowness that will make you very happy (with bottles of Mexican hot sauces at the table). There are also Guatemalan tamales, cauliflower scrambled with eggs, and hand-patted masa picaditas." - Robert Sietsema