At the new Chinatown location of this guisado-fueled cantina, the stalwart stew is still unrivaled. Our favorite, borrego ahumado en mole negro (smoked lamb in black mole) features whole lamb shoulder, oak-smoked for 12 hours before getting soused in a sweet, nutty sauce of roasted chile, Mexican chocolate, and plantains. Bartender and co-owner Pablo Portilla dreamed up the perfect taco companion by fusing the creamy texture of a piña colada with a caipirinha. His fruity umbrella-drink version of Brazil’s national cocktail blends pineapple juice, cachaca (a sugarcane spirit), avocado, and mint for a velvety, refreshing finish.
