Empellón
House Cold Brew from Counter Culture
Queso Fundido with Steak Tartare, spicy Corn Nuts and housemade Corn Tortillas
Sticky Rice Tamal with Red Chile Duck Confit
Octopus Tacos with Celery and Salsa Verde
Corn Ice Cream Taco
Canela Ice Cream Sandwich
When Alex Stupak left wd~50 to open Empellón many were skeptical, a celebrated Pastry Chef quitting the world of fine dining to make Tacos decried as disingenuous by folks who’d never even eaten his Food, yet in hindsight everything has seemingly come full circle as Wylie is making Donuts in Brooklyn while Alex owns three Restaurants including his polished new flagship in Midtown.
Opened in late-winter 2017 and since earning high praise from fans and critics for not only the Cuisine but a stunning two-story build-out decorated in colored glass and sculpture around an open kitchen, the upstairs quieter and built for Power Lunchers while the main floor gives those more interested in Food a true visual feast, it was minutes past 1:00pm that a seat was taken directly facing the line, several bodies engaged in tasks across the various stations.
Certainly not a concept striving for authenticity or the tabs many seem to think a necessity of Mexican Food, the menu prices comparable to Cosme with dishes that stretch the boundaries of tradition by way of great ingredients and the sort of technique learned at Alinea or wd~50, it was with the Lunch crowd beginning to thin that a waiter approached to make suggestions, the $38 Lunch Prix-Fixe actually a fairly good bargain even with an extra Appetizer and Dessert added on.
Receiving a controversial Three Stars (out of Four) from Pete Wells, though criticisms of the Restaurant from others seem more indicative of the entitlement of modern times than a real indictment of Stupak’s creations, it was with freely refilled Cold Brew in-hand that the meal began with Empellón’s current take on Queso Fundido, the melted blend of Cheeses stretchy and saline but nicely balanced by hand-chopped Beef and spicy puffed-Corn added for texture.
Not a house of shortcuts, the Corn Tortillas visibly being made just as they do it in Mexico, it was after four loaded folds of Cheese and Meat that a little extra was scraped from the bowl before moving on to the Prix Fixe Appetizer “Tamale,” a controversial twist replacing Masa with Thai-style Sticky Rice and topping it with tender Duck in a complex Red Sauce, everything about the dish executed well, just the naming questionable.
Joked about by many as thinking anything can be a Taco, the list of options ranging from Pastrami and Falafel to Hashed Browns or Steak with Onions, it was on the server’s suggestion that Octopus was selected among the rest, two charred Tentacles presented on Tortillas with ribbons of Celery and nutty Salsa each finished in three bites before moving on to a fairly forgettable Cinnamon Ice Cream Sandwich and laborious Corn Ice Cream Taco that is reminiscent of Kettle Corn but texturally every bit as remarkable as Cosme’s Corn Husk Meringue.
www.empellon.com/empellon
