Midtown Lunch

Every once in a while I’ll get an e-mail telling me about a place to eat that I’ve never heard of, but it’s usually something out of ML price range and/or out of bounds. Last week I got a note from lunch’er James that made me actually want to go to the edge of Soho for lunch. Here’s what he had to say:

I just wanted to point out Tauro Restaurant, which is situated on 284 Hudson Street.  This is a great find for someone who yearns for heaping portions of rice and beans, mofungo, and various other Latin specialties.  I usually opt for the roasted pork (pernil), which is succulent and tender.  Rather than spend my money on Sophie’s, Tauro is laid back, but tends to get a little busy during peak lunch hours.  You come out of there satisfied, full, and ready to conquer the rest of the afternoon.  I’m working my way through their menu, but I always go with the Latin specialties rather than the American section of their menu.

What’s that you say? Heaping portions of rice and succulent fatty meats? I don’t know what it is about that dead zone near the Holland Tunnel, but I’ve had good Latin food in the area before and was willing to go out of my way to check out another option.

You really have to know Tauro is there because it’s on a street that seems to be full of a mix of high-end stores and warehouses. Step inside, and you’ll forget you’re in Soho as the primary language is Spanish and there has been no fancification of the diner counter and other decor. On my way there I had seen several people walk by with bags of Subway and Chipotle and it later made me sad that someone had been eating a lame sandwich instead of a big plate of Latin food for a buck or two more.

I surveyed the options on the Latin food menu hanging above the steam table that nearly everyone seemed to be getting food from. There’s also an American side of the menu serving burgers and other items, but I didn’t see anyone actually ordering any of that.

There are a bunch of daily specials on top of the permanent menu items. The requisite fried/stewed pork and chicken options are represented, along with fried fish, shrimp and what I was intending to order: mofongo. I’ve never had this dish and have always wanted to try it, and the price was right at $8. My favorite part was when the woman I ordered from made sure I knew that it had fried pork pieces in it. Isn’t that why most people order this?

It took a little bit for the woman in the kitchen to make the mofongo and while I waited there was a huge rush of people. Most seemed to be regulars, but there was also a man who came in and was definitely some sort of Secret Service-type security. I couldn’t tell if he was doing a security sweep before someone important came in, or simply saw the long line and decided to leave.

When I finally got to crack open my food I was a little dismayed by the amount there was: a mound of mofongo, a cup of some sort of deliciously-greasy looking tomato sauce, and something that passed as salad. Thank you, Tauro, for attempting to make my lunch healthy.

Once I dumped the sauce over the mofongo and got about halfway through eating it I started feeling a strange sensation in my chest, like my heart was protesting. Despite this, I ate it all and it kept me full for the rest of the afternoon. The best part of eating this dish is the nice surprise when you bit into a crispy piece of pork.

This was delicious, but I’m not sure how it ranks on the price to value ratio. You’re going to get more food for your money if you order one of the other dishes that comes with rice, but for me it was worth it to clog my arteries with the mofongo.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• It’s one of the few places to get a big greasy lunch for ML prices in Soho.
• They haven’t tried to make it classy.

THE — (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• It’s way too far for me to walk for lunch.
• I don’t want to die before I’m 50, and everything here is leading me in that direction.

Tauro Restaurant, 284 Hudson St. (nr. Dominick), (212) 206-8530