Like most people, the idea of gourmet Mexican is a bit foreign to us. Our south of the border cravings are usually accommodated by cheap tacos and a couple cans of Tecate. Needless to say, we were skeptical going in. $16 margaritas? $28-30 entrees? $21 for guacamole and two salsas? No offense Crema, but we could eat at Mercadito Cantina for a whole week at these rates. When spending our hard earned cash on expensive food, it’s usually not going to be on Mexican. Outrageous prices aside, Crema was a nice surprise. They impressed with a fancy New York take on traditional Mexican. Dishes like their big eye tuna burrito had pretty damn good flavors, textures, and presentation.
Let’s talk scene for one moment – Chelsea is not known for their restaurants so we’ll excuse the wacky clientele. On Infatuation’s recent stop at Crema, here’s what we were working with. To our left, what appeared to be an eHarmony first date between older bridge and tunnel hopefuls, rocking matching his and her bedazzled Ed Hardy gear. To our right, another date. This time, a rather large man, making a mess of himself while making ga ga eyes at his date from across the table. A date that, without a doubt, had at on point in her life, been a dude. Awesome.
Food Rundown:
Chips, Salsa, Guacamole
Don’t be intimidated by the large number in the price column (all three for $21), it’s worth it. Homemade chips served in a cone like the fries at Pomme Frites. Bonus – the diligent staff kept refilling it before we ran out. The guac is chunky and delicious and the mild salsa with roasted tomatoes, pinto beans, chipotle peppers and cilantro is a creamy delight.
Pork Carnitas
Slow cooked mini pork tacos lathered in all kinds of rubs and spices. We cleaned this plate about fifteen seconds.
Tuna Burrito
This and the salsa are the reasons to go to Crema. Have you ever seen a tuna burrito on a menu before? We haven’t, and it’s seriously genius. A nice big piece of big eye tuna seared rare and wrapped in a tortilla, served with avocado, jicama relish, and sesame pasilla sauce. I’m still thinking about this. Not only was it unique, but the tuna was incredibly fresh and well cooked.
Carne Asada Clasica
We know, it’s hard to turn away from carne asada taquedge, but this is not something we’d recommend ordering. Our grilled skirt steak was a tad on the dry side; cover it up with beans and salsa and you’re in business though.
Soft Shelled Crab Tacos
This special jumped right off the menu and onto our table. Any creative soft shelled crab dish will be ordered immediately when Immaculate Infatuation is in the house. Unfortunately, it was a bit disappointing. More because we had Martin Luther King Jr sized dreams for this, not because it was bad. This was more of a big wrap than soft taco. Sounded better on paper.
