Soledad

Soledad - Review - Upper East Side - New York - The Infatuation

"Soledad feels more Miami Beach than the Upper East Side, with its dusty-rose color palette, gold chandeliers, and leafy wallpaper. But it’s that relaxed vacation vibe—as well as the excellent Mexican food—that make this restaurant on 94th and Second Ave. an essential date night spot for anyone living in this rather sleepy part of the UES. The dishes can get a little wacky (carnitas sushi, lobster birria tacos), but the surprising texture and flavor combinations work, and are perfectly sized for sharing with a date. The entrees tend to be less impressive than the appetizers, so stack your order with lots of small plates and just go with one entree to split. Reservations are also easy to snag, even during primetime hours, and their walk-in-only bar is a great option for meeting up with a friend for a post-work margarita and guacamole. photo credit: Ciera Velarde Food Rundown Chef’s Margarita Any of the tequila-based cocktails are a good choice here, but our favorite is the chef’s margarita, which feels more like a cross between a margarita and an Aperol spritz, and tastes like a grown-up SunnyD. photo credit: Ciera Velarde Guacamole De Uruapan Your waiter will ask how spicy you want it—we went with medium and it came with a perfect amount of chopped serranos mixed in. Super chunky, as all good guacamole should be. photo credit: Ciera Velarde Birria De Langosta This must-order app swaps barbacoa for lobster and pairs it with a salty, fishy consommé you’ll be asking for seconds of. Stuffed with lots of gooey cheese and togarashi aioli, it’s all very unexpected, but we loved every bite of it. PlayMute video credit: Ciera Velarde Corunda This pyramid-shaped tamale swimming in a sugar snap pea scallion salsa surprised us—it tasted like a super rich corn pudding. We wanted more from the mushroom though, which was just plopped on top like an afterthought. photo credit: Ciera Velarde Albondigas Tender, and served in a rich almond-based salsa that gives it a bold nutty flavor. The crispy shoestring potatoes gave it a nice textural contrast. photo credit: Ciera Velarde Crispy Carnitas Sushi Pork carnitas, avocado, serrano, and jalapeño mayo all piled on top of crispy sushi rice. If you’re here with a date, you’ll be fighting over that third piece, which in theory you could split, but you’ll want just for yourself. photo credit: Ciera Velarde Chile Relleno A very solid entree, especially if you go heavier with meat-based appetizers. Filled with seasonal vegetables with carrot puree and hazelnut mole, it’s nice and light and won’t weigh you down too much. photo credit: Ciera Velarde Smashed Pee Wee Potatoes Chilaquiles Style Hidden down at the bottom of their menu, this side is one of our favorite dishes. The potatoes (which are more whole than smashed) come swimming in a zippy, thick salsa verde and drizzled with lots of crema and queso fresco. Petition to give more dishes this delicious chilaquiles treatment. photo credit: Ciera Velarde" - Ciera Velarde