Esse Taco

Esse Taco and Carnitas Ramirez Battle for Best Taco | Eater NY

"I visited Esse Taco in early May in Williamsburg (219 Bedford Avenue on the corner of North Fifth Street), a project from Mexico City chef Enrique Olvera of Cosme and Atla that leans innovative. They nixtamalize their corn for really superb tortillas and offer a handful of tacos — pork, chicken, mushrooms, and one in the gaonera style (the thin‑sliced cut of marinated beef). The signature rib-eye ($5.95) is a razor‑thin portion seared on the flattop for concentrated beefy flavor, lightly coated with habanero salsa and heaped with chopped onions, cilantro, and scallions; it’s a compelling addition to the city’s taco roster though the meat reads a bit dry. The smoked mushrooms are woodsy and slippery, packing loads of flavor and complemented by black beans, chopped scallions and onions, and smoked salsa — the second best of the Esse tacos and one of the city’s best vegetarian tacos. The pork loin, dressed with pineapple butter (the same combination Olvera uses at Pujol), is rich and refined with a slight sweetness but less dramatic than al pastor, and the chicken, marinated in orange citrus in the Yucatán style and dressed with pickled purple onions, benefits from the marinade though the pickled onions tend to overpower the taco." - Robert Sietsema