For the last decade, La Esquina has been a New Yorker's go-to for Mexican cuisine served outside of a fast-casual eatery, but without the pomp and circumstance of a fine dining establishment. Real-deal tacos here make the burrito bowl obsolete, and the friendly service is intended to remind you of a traditional Mexican fonda, where guests are greeted warmly and encouraged to stay a while, ordering one taco at a time. But, these owners get that the average New Yorker is more of a grab-and-go type of eater. Classic Mexico City concepts may be the driving force behind this place, but there's a reason tacos here are served with all their garnishes atop rather than on the side, and why they're serving guacamole by the bowl full much to their chagrin (and our delight).
La Esquina's ability to adapt to their customer's expectations–despite their desire to replicate the fonda concept verbatim–is one of their greatest strengths. "There's a level of translation when you come back to New York City," explained owner Derek Sanders, "In Mexico City, you get your tortilla, your protein and garnish it yourself, taking the time to stand in front of the truck and eat each taco, one at a time. But in New York City, there's obviously a really different speed of life. People want things done in five minutes and take their tacos back to their office. It's about keeping a respect for the cuisine, but also having it make sense for the location it's being served in."
This keen understanding of his customer had Sanders thinking quickly about how to transition a welcoming space by day into an equally inviting nightlife destination. The solution? A semi-speakeasy in their large basement level, where regulars, celebrities and savvy tourists alike entered through the restaurant's operating kitchen. "When you come to La Esquina, you're greeted pleasantly at the door, and proceed to go downstairs where you meet the hostess, who welcomes you and and sends you through to the kitchen. Then as you're walking through the kitchen all of the kitchen staff says hello, and you pass the bar where the bartenders say their greetings. In other words, by the time you sit down, our fonda idea is in full effect. You've already said hello to five people and feel really comfortable in the environment. That sort of experience translates to the idea of the downstairs being really private. There's no windows, and it becomes very transporting because whether it's raining, snowing, hot, or cold outside, it doesn't matter. You're in this world of ours—the La Esquina world—which is I think part of what makes things so fun."
This clever ability to differentiate his customers' expectations from his inspirations and give the people what they want has kept Sanders in business for ten years–and has now inspired him to make some changes for the restaurant's milestone anniversary. At the end of the day, creating an authentic experience–from the food to the customer service–is at the core of Sanders' business, and getting back to the roots of his initial inspiration seems like a fine idea ten years in, considering that Mexico City itself is now regarded as a tourist destination rather than a risky endeavor. "Now Mexico City is a hip eating destination, but ten years ago, it really wasn't known for that. People thought it was sort of dangerous, polluted and not a place where vibrant cuisine was being created," noted Richard Ampudia, Sanders' consultant on his ten year revamp and considered by many as the godfather of Mexican cuisine due to his continuous involvement in successful Mexican restaurants from New York to Hong Kong.
Now, it's quite the contrary; The New York Times named the locale it's top spot to visit this year in it's annual 52 Places to Visit in 2016 list. And visit they did–along with La Esquina's chef, Adrian Ramirez. The three embarked on a pilgrimage to revisit the flavors and fondas that started it all for La Esquina and filled us in on the tastes and concepts making their way on to the updated menu as a result.
Much to their surprise and delight, the flavors of their beloved city seemed to change as much over their ten years in business as the city itself–and their mindset about sticking strictly to tradition. "Now chefs in Mexico City are taking the idea of a classic fonda and elevating it by utilizing different ingredients or using more sophisticated cooking techniques," says head chef, Adrian Ramirez. "They're transforming things through new ingredients, like goat cheese in tamales and kale. They're still respecting this tradition of ingredients, but taking new liberties and freedoms with the dishes, which in turn made us feel very liberated. I found that it's ok to mix things together, and come up with amazing recipes and different combinations."
So what's next for the La Esquina? A lot more tacos. "We're going to start building more taquerias in New York City," reveals Sanders. "I just think we can do it really well and better than most people out there right now." And it seems like this recent trip to Mexico City was just what they needed to gain fresh insight and feel re-energized enough to expand. "We went to Mexico City for a very specific reason in that we wanted to see the various cuisines that exist in each region, but how Mexican chefs then translate those cuisines in an urban environment of twenty-two million people. That's what we're trying to bring back to New York. It's about taking something special and cared for, but putting a new technique on it and exceeding peoples' expectations with the food we create."
