Antojitos Marineros

The Best New Restaurants in NYC

"Antojitos Marineros opened a couple months ago to little notice, somewhat surprising given its owners also run one of New York’s better taquerias, the nearby Taqueria al Pastor. The space resembles a beachside bar, with fishnet covering a recessed ceiling, a backlit octopus with slightly menacing eyes, and other nautical touches. But the real draw is the aguachile negro, which rivals the city’s current destination for the dish, Mariscos El Submarino in Jackson Heights. Here, a dozen butterflied shrimp are drizzled with Huichol, a hot sauce that tastes like a platinum version of Cholula, and laid out in a soy marinade with diced red onion and serrano. I made a meal out of this with a michelada and tacos enchilado, sloppy with shrimp, shredded cabbage, and sauce on a tortilla covered in a layer of fried cheese. I’ll be back soon to explore more, including the crunchy de salmón, a perfectly named fish nugget. —Chris Crowley" - Edward Hart