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Now that MadeMark Travel is back up, I’ll be putting all my travel, restaurants, reviews and the like here, with some cross-posting. My restaurant ratings are based on a five-yum system, with one being go to McDonald’s instead, and five being you’re not likely to find anything better in the continental U.S.
So here we go . . . I’m not a big fan of Mexican food. It always seems heavy, and I’ve been heavy enough for some years now. Mexican food to me is comfort food in Spanish, and it’s not usually high on my list. But when my partner Frank told me last night we were going to a Mexican restaurant I was glad to hear it. I was hungry, he tends to pick good restaurants, and he didn’t disappoint this time.
Sinigual is part of a chain, or at least it was. Their website has some sort of legal disclaimer at the bottom explaining that the chain has changed hands. But the drop down for cities only lists New York, so maybe it’s a stand-alone now, I don’t know. But it was very good, very high-medium and a definite addition to your list of places to eat.
Located at 41st Street and 3rd Avenue, the restaurant is large, with a sizable bar in front and expansive seating that extends back to an open kitchen. The staff was superb throughout, friendly and attentive to just the right degree. The guacamole is made table-side, something that seems to be a sort of trademark for the place. The food itself is very good. I can’t say gourmet, and I’m sure there are gourmet Mexican restaurants, especially of the nouveau cuisine variety. Frank and our guest Domenique had fish tacos and I had a combination plate with a chili relleno and a chicken enchilada. That’s the thing about standard Mexican food: you don’t often have the opportunity to list something unusual or describe unique flavors. A chicken enchilada is a chicken enchilada.
I’d say go here for the service, decor and atmosphere. It was apparent a lot of people do, since this large restaurant was full. My only strike with the service was that the food came out very quickly, not always a good thing when you’re having a catch-up dinner with someone you haven’t seen in a year. I’d also be sure to ask the price on specials: the “special” drink was a fruity margarita at $14. I’ve noticed in many other places that wait staff will sometimes push specials they know are pricey. Otherwise this is a keeper, especially as a neighborhood place. Three yums. $$+ (that means we paid $170 with tip for three, not a budget-buster but not cheap, especially with $14 “special” margaritas).
