Three for the Weekend, January 24

Street tamales, cheap-but-good chocolates, and a new use for pastrami

Red and green tamales from a cart outside the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Sunday Mexican street vendors in the West Village

Lately, I’ve been hanging around the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church, at 328 W. 14th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues. Every Sunday there’s a flea market in the basement, and the masses held upstairs are mainly attended by Mexican immigrants. Go inside because the whole church has become a shrine, and you’ll notice that the sidewalk outside has become a food market with at least three lively carts surrounded by knots of customers in their Sunday best. Go around noon.

This last Sunday, I bought two tamales ($3 each) from a choice of four at one cart. They came in corn husks tied with neat bows: one with red chiles and chicken, and the other with tomatillo salsa and chicken. It also offered tortas, cafe de olla, birria and chile relleno tacos, chilaquiles, and brimming plates with rice and beans for $15. Most dishes cost less.

Another cart called Comida Mexicana la Abuelita is much smaller and specializes in tacos and quesadillas. Of the handful of tacos offered ($4 each), the barbacoa was splendid, with chunks of juicy boneless goat in profusion and a nice heap of greenery in the American taco style, upon which the woman running the cart squirted all three hot sauces when I asked for picante.

Comida Mexicana la Abuelita cart

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Chocolates worth traveling for