Oaxaca: Mexican Treasure On The Go
By The Foodies / foodie@longislandernews.com

We’ve said that Huntington village’s Quetzalcoatl is as authentic as Mexican gets, and now we know its sister restaurant, Oaxaca, is of the same caliber.

We reviewed Quetzalcoatl, owned by Mexico City native Alejandro Gonzalez, last March, and were quite taken with his knowledge of his culture and history, and how he parlayed that knowledge into a dining experience. Knowing Oaxaca is owned by the same group, we often found ourselves at the eatery when we were craving the real deal but short on time.

Now, we share our lunch secret with you.

Oaxaca is a small restaurant on New York Avenue in Huntington village, just around the corner from Quetzalcoatl. Walking in, you can see the kitchen, standard ingredients, and taco shells waiting to be crunched on behind the counter. The seating area is modest and colorful, and the menu boasts more than a typical burrito joint, because Oaxaca is so much more.

Its menu has the standards Americans come to expect – burritos, tacos, taquitos, chimichangas and quesadillas. But it also has tamales, gazpacho, arroz con pollo, carne azada, birria (lamb), ropa vieja (shredded beef and onions marinated in hot sauce), grilled chicken in green salsa, camarones (shrimp) al chipotle, and plenty of dishes with mole, a complex dark sauce usually made of some combination of chocolate, chiles, garlic, onions and nuts. So whether it’s for a quick Mexican fix, or something a little more traditional, Oaxaca has you covered.

We are huge fans of the tamales ($8.95). It’s something different, immensely filling and satisfying. Cornmeal is steam-baked in a corn husk and stuffed with a green tomatillo sauce and either chicken or pork. Peeling away the husk, you find corn meal baked just right, soft to the touch of your fork. The flavors of the meat and tomatillo sauce make this a tasty dish. If you opt for the Tamales Oaxaca ($7.95), you get cornmeal in a banana leaf.

The burritos ($6.95-$13.95) are another favorite of ours. They are huge and heavy, stuffed to the brim with rice, melted cheese, beans and your choice of vegetables, chicken, beef, pork, birria or shrimp. A side of lettuce and sour cream comes with the meal. We usually opt for the chicken, but recently had the pork and would recommend it any day. Tender and well flavored, you can cut the meat with a fork. This makes for an extrememly filling lunch if your tummy is rumbling.

We also recently had the Mole Chicken Enchilada ($15.95). If you like mole and are in the mood for something uniquely Mexican, this is the dish for you. Soft corn tortillas are stuffed with Mexican-style chicken, covered in homemade mole, and topped with onions and cheese. The chicken is pulled, and quite tender, and the mole is outstanding, extremely complex and immensely flavorful. This dish has a heat to it that sneaks up on you.

There’s lots on the menu at Oaxaca, and whether you’re in the mood for something standard or something a little different, you’ll be sure to find what you’re looking for.

Oaxaca
385 New York Ave.
Huntington
631-547-1232
Atmosphere: Lively
Cuisine: Mexican
Price Range: Inexpensive-Moderate
Hours: Sun-Thurs, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.;
Fri-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m.