Yerba Buena

If there’s one thing Yerba Buena excels at, it’s making some of the most amazing cheap food in New York City and making some of the most interesting and delicious drinks that make a food writer a little foggy about remembering the meal. Ok, that’s two things, but to be fair, I was seeing double after the generous pours at the bar including the OUTSTANDING “Piquito Picante,” a concoction of gin, jalapenos, Cointreau, and a bunch of other random stuff you’d find in the garden. The friends I went with had been raving about this drink all week, and I’d mostly written it off as bullshit. I mean, I can take some mint scraps for the sake of a good mojito, but I’ve mostly preferred my gin with an olive and some vodka, minus the gin. The only thing I can say about the Piquito Picante is that you’ve just gotta try it for yourself and I’ll bet you they’re making it at Milk and Honey.

The fish tacos are by far the best item on the menu, and this is coming from a gal who learned early in elementary that ordering fish in the cafeteria meant a semester-long banishment to the decidedly “uncool” lunch table and also maybe a kick in the ass on the playground. Perfectly crispy fish alongside spicy cabbage and some sauce sent right from God himself made me beg my culinary compatriates for another round, but, alas, there was more greatness to be devoured.

The barbecue beef short ribs were a close second to the fish tacos coming on strong with a big fatty, meaty flavor paired with a the perfect smoky sweetness of the just-spicy-enough barbecue sauce. Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a french fry made from hearts of palm. Then you’ve got to try them here. Just another nod to the playfulness of the menu and invention going on behind the pass.

One of the greatest values about Yerba Buena is the affordability and variety of the wine list. Heavily sourcing South American and spicy Californian varietals, there a number of bottles in the $30-$50 range that make perfect compliments to the bold flavors of the food.

LOCATION: 23 Avenue A (East Village)

COST: <$50 per person

WINNERS: excellent value, arepas (short ribs), cocktails

LOSERS: my hangover