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And the restaurant weeks keep on coming! Last week, dineL.A. kicked off their 12 day culinary event (check out our picks here) and now it’s New York City’s turn to share their world-renowned cuisines with those trying to protect their wallets. From July 22 through August 16, 294 restaurants in Manhattan will be offering three-course prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, at $25 and $38, respectively. And because we doubt you have time to scour through 294 restaurants, we chose some of our top Latin spots to check out, all serving menus of traditional Latin dishes with a refreshing twist.
Don’t forget to hit up the rest of the list to enjoy good eats and discover some hidden gems around our great city. Bust out your fanciest outfit and make pretend you’re big ballin’, but on a budget, of course.
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Empellon Taqueria
230 W. 4th Street
212-367-0999
Empellon Taqueria is nestled in the West Village and chef Alex Stupak strives to “discover, interpret, and share” his love for Mexican cuisine. For their special prix-fixe lunch menu, you can choose from a list of appetizers ( scallop ceviche, summer squash with cotija cheese), seven types of specialty tacos (lobster, chicken with black kale, shortrib pastrami- to name a few) and and finish it off with some Milk Chocolate Flan. FULL MENU HERE.
La Mar Cebicheria
11 Madison Avenue
212-612-3388
La Mar Cebicheria Peruana from globally renowned Peruvian Chef Gastón Acurio, doesn’t need much of an introduction. His high-end restaurants are spread across cities all over the world (including Sao Paulo, Lima, San Francisco, and beyond) so this is the perfect chance to try one of the top South American cuisines in NYC. For an entrada, you have the vegetarian option of grilled scallops, quinoa salad over yellow potato causa with avocados, tomatoes and more delicacies. Don’t miss the ‘a lo macho’ dish with grilled cod fish or the hearty arroz con mariscos. FULL MENU HERE.
165 Allen Street
212-253-8840
Executive Chef Máximo Tejada‘s Rayuela describes his restaurant as “freestyle Latin cuisine.” Don’t expect to come in and try your abuelita’s recipes, because Rayuela will put an exciting spin on Latin American and Spanish dishes that have kept NYCers coming back for more. Some of the refreshing dishes include yuca & cana de cabra gnocchi, arroz con coco, Spanish style frittata, red beets gazpacho and much more. FULL MENU HERE.
23 Avenue A212-529-2850 Yerba Buena is chef Julian Medina’s venture, with inventive takes on traditional Latin foods from Cuba, Peru, Argentina, and Colombia, to name a few. The intimate location is perfect for a date night or cozy dinner with friends, where you can share some tilapia tacos with mango slaw, arepa peludas, wild sea bass, and finished off with a lemongrass flan topped with tequila marinated golden raisins. FULL MENU HERE.
111 W. 17th Street212-691-4477 Chef Julieta Ballesteros is a native of Monterrey, Mexico has been on the rise since opening her Mexican restaurant “with French presentation” Crema. Since having much success with Crema, she went on to compete in Iron Chef America and has recently opened China Latina, which combines Asian and Latin sabores. For you three course dinner at Crema, don’t miss gazpacho de fresa con jalapeno, asado de puerco con platano, and some churros for dessert. FULL MENU HERE.