A Kitchen in Queens

 As someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience with Mexican food, I lean on those from south western parts of the country to school me on what good Mexican is.  My coworker Tracy is one of those people.  A proud Texan, Tracy spends one night a week heading to different restaurants in the city sampling their margaritas.  Of course with Margaritas come Mexican food.  I’m sure all food tastes better after a few margaritas, but I completely trust Tracy’s judgement when it comes to this kind of cuisine.  And that’s why I finally made it over to Cowgirl Seahorse tonight.  

This cozy little restaurant tucked under the brooklyn bridge in Manhattan is a southern getaway with a funky decor and a friendly staff.  Their menu isn’t limited to Mexican, and like their interior it’s a mish mash of foods.  From corn dogs and hush puppies to fish tacos and hot wings, they have a unique and interesting mix.  I certainly wouldn’t come here if you’re on a diet. Their veggie platter is made up of a choice of 3 sides, which would consist of something fried, something else fried and probably one more thing that is fried.  

My friend Holly, who is one of the reasons I started cooking, and helped me get interested in food, is southern at heart.  When she speaks there’s a bit of a twang and when she cooks, it’s filled with southern love.  She taught me how to make pot pies and real fried chicken and announced tonight that she has perfected the biscuit.  When I read the menu for Cowgirl Seahorse; Fried Chicken, Po Boys, Corn on the cob, I knew I had to bring her here.  

Holly was originally considering the huevos rancheros, but once she saw Collard Greens, Hush Puppies and Fried Okra on the menu, she couldn’t resist.   I asked for a bit of honest feedback from a southern lady about the dishes. She was impressed with the hush puppies, which were fairly big. 3.50 for 5, and each one was quite a bit larger than a golf ball.  Fluffy and fried, they had jalapenos cooked into them.  You can’t really go wrong with that.  

She was also impressed with the fried okra.  Just enough breading and fried until crispy.  The portion was huge and she took home over half of them for later.  

The only dissapointment was the collard greens.  Holly said collard greens are always a tough one.  Southern cooking should be simple and there shouldn’t be anything fancy in the greens.  She asked if it was cooked with brown sugar, and the waiter said no.  She was willing to give it a shot.  After the first bite, she said it wasn’t too bad, but she also wasn’t blown away.  However, after a few more bites, she put the fork down and just said something wasn’t quite right.  After some investigation, she found tomatoes were the cause.  Holly went on to explain that greens had to be the right flavoring and texture and that they smell bad when you cook them, and they are slimy.  I didn’t try it. I’m adventurous, but not that adventurous.  

I was totally determined to have a mexican feast. I like southern cooking, and I’m a huge fan of things that are fried, but I really wanted some mexican and a margarita.  I ordered 2 chicken tacos and a side of corn, but to my dismay, they were out of corn.  I immediately changed my order from something semi-healthy (at least I like to pretend it was) to Chicken Enchiladas with Verde Sauce.  

I’ll be honest.  This always seems like a good idea when I’m ordering it, but when they bring it out to me, I realize maybe I should have gone with something lighter.  Just more time at the gym later I guess.  Perhaps you also noticed that my last post was about enchiladas, and yet I did not lead with the enchilada photo.  That is because I do not want to look like I eat enchiladas twice in one week, although I may have eaten enchiladas twice in one week.  

I’ve had a few enchiladas in the city, and this one was in the mid-range of enchiladas I’d say.  It was extremely saucy and messy.  The plate (as you can see above) wasn’t exactly the prettiest enchilada plate I’ve ever seen.  But there was a nice kick to the verde sauce, and I almost didn’t need the cholula hot sauce.  (I said ALMOST)  I do wish there had been other hot sauce choices.  I love cholula, I really do, but sometimes testing new hot sauces is a treat!

The decision was made at dinner to return and try other menu items.  Corn Dogs, Onion Rings, Burgers, Nachos, Fried Chicken, Shrimp… I’m looking forward to the next trip down under the brooklyn bridge.