La Morada — Restaurant in New York

Because of the owners' involvement and activism surrounding immigration/politics - plus some of the articles that I had read about La Morada's authentic Oaxacan cuisine - this restaurant had been bookmarked in my queue for quite some time. In searching for the perfect location for my Mexican Meetup group's December outing, this was the first venue that came to mind. Conveniently located about a five minute walk from the 6 train, La Morada offers its customers a full service meal served in a clean, relatively spacious, and bright environment. And, while I didn't find the service to be overly friendly or hospitable, it was cordial enough and very well paced. As a (somewhat pricey) addition to the delightful squeeze bottle trio filled with salsa rojo, salsa verde, and crema, I ordered a $10 cup of the unique vegan white mole to sample (using crispy tortilla chips as my vessel). Undeniably voluptuous and creamy, I preferred the thick, warm sauce blended with the other salsas versus enjoying it on its own. While the albondigas (meatballs) lunch special rendered drier beef than I had hoped, the balls were served within a shallow pool of delicious salsa that I sopped up using the accompanying homemade corn tortillas. For me, the unequivocal star of the show was the chile relleno platter, which was accompanied by homemade corn tortillas (for burrito-making purposes!). Do not miss this stick-to-your-ribs vegetarian entree (cheese-stuffed green chile that is breaded and fried and smothered with a chunky red salsa) that is plated with creamy black beans and...

After buying a couple of beers in a store a block away, which the son of the owners pointed out to us, we settled in for dinner. Laura ordered a taco and I ordered a gordita for appetizers; in a word, superb. We were given mason jars for our beers. Laura ordered the mole poblano; I ordered a chile relleno. We've been to Oaxaca, and I can faithfully say that the mole of "La Morada" is as good as one we had in Oaxaca. A bit spicy, deeply chocolate-y, thick, fantastic. My chile was sublime. The rice and beans we were served were themselves wonderful. And the three tortillas we were each given were perfect for mopping up the mole and the chile's sauce. I ordered a Oaxacan hot chocolate, and it took me back to Oaxaca: rich in flavor, piping hot, with a hint of cinammon. As I carefully sipped my hot chocolate, the owner brought me a serving of pumpkin sauce, which was also simply perfect: imagine applesauce, same consistency, not sweet, but with just a hint of sweetness. Topping it all off, the family who runs the restaurant is very friendly. We conversed with the son and the daughter, and their mother then spoke to us at some length. And when we left, she held the door for us! Very highly recommended; this is a marvelous place to have a meal in a...

Hands down the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. This place is nestled in the South Bronx away from all the noise of trendy restaurants popping up around the area. When you first walk in you notice the large, packed bookshelf and purple walls (both my faves). The paper menu is small and has offerings for the meat lovers and vegan alike.

I ordered the chilaquiles with salsa verde an steak...YUM! The sauces was frwah, bold, and flavorful. It added a nice contrast to the rich steak and eggs. My friend ordered a corncake stuffed with black beans topped with a cactus salad. She loved the vinegary bite of the nopal salad. I also had the orchata which was creamy and perfectly sweet.

The service was great...our waiter checked on us and gave us more water even after we paid our bill which is rare. I will definitely be coming back and will tell everyone I know to...