A Mexican Food Junkie's Lament

I assumed that when I moved to New York City I was going to experience a host of new edible delights. In fact, one of my personal justifications for moving from a town with three thousand inhabitants to a city of over eight million with exorbitant rents was the dietary possibilities that awaited me in one of the culinary capitals of the world. I must say that I have been wholly disappointed. Most significantly, I want to know where the fuck is the Mexican food? 

Mexican food is my absolute favorite. The combinations of piquant sauces, velvety cheeses, and crunchy vegetables are absolutely irresistible. And for those of us on limited budgets, the relatively cheap prices for sizable portions usually sweeten the deal. 

But not in Manhattan! In my year of searching from the Heights to SOHO, I have yet to find a decent Mexican meal that I can actually afford. Of course there are Rosa Mexicana (by Union Square) and Dos Caminos (in the Meat Packing District) which both serve decent food. They don’t however meet the full qualifications for Mexican food. Minus the guacamole at Rosa Mexicana, neither of them actually accomplishes the right combination of spices and textures to which my tongue grew accustomed during some time I spent in Cali at Mexican restaurants where Mexicans actually eat. In attempting to turn Mexican food into something acceptable for the palates of upper middle class white New Yorkers, both fail to recreate la comida Mexicana autentica, almost as badly as Rosa Mexicana botches the décor of plazas in la Ciudad. And most importantly, fish tacos should never be more than $15! And la Fonda Taqueria in Morningside Heights is a complete bust!