#TerrificTakeout #InauguralReview @BuenaOnda #BuenaOnda by #RupertoRamirez #Mezcaleria
Peachy personally liked the Chicken Quesadilla the best!
It's not who you know and it never was.
It's WHOM YOU KNOW and we know Ruperto Ramirez.
In fact, when we checked out Buena Onda for the first time we were pleasantly surprised to realize we in fact did know the owner before we went there because he used to be a chef at another location we liked: Canyon Road, which we picked in 2011.
Today we introduce you to Buena Onda for the first time, and it opened on February 2, 2022. It is a Mezcaleria, a restaurant specializing in both cuisine and Mezcal and we believe that Buena Onda is the only Mexcaleria on the Upper East Side (obviously the best part of town). Ruperto Ramirez came to New York in 1988 and he hails from Puebla, a state in Mexico. He took over ownership of Canyon Road in 2017 (stay tuned-that is high on our list based on our two Ruperto experiences) and Buena Onda, which means good vibes in Spanish, is his creation.
We learned a lot about Mezcal and Tequila: by definition it is required to be from Mexico.
Tequila is a form of Mezcal and all 38 kinds of Mezcal, which is a plant, are intrinsic to Mexico.
We began with Ceviche al Mezcal and we loved the shrimp in lime juice!
It's super fresh and totally authentic.
Shrimp, lime, roasted jalapeno, jicama, cucumber, cilantro and mezcal all have a party and clearly the 5th of May is happening year-round at Buena Onda.
The Platanos Fritos were fried perfection.
Note the pictures as always are unedited.
You succeed like Ruperto or we do not publish.
After eating this guacamole, it's going to be hard for us to get excited about eating it anywhere else. It exemplifies freshness and excellence as the combination of avocado, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime and salt really shine in perfect proportion. The rich consistency won us over and it is served in a fun volcanic stone. It is FRESH and MADE TO ORDER. You can taste it.
We cannot say enough about the Quesadillas.
They are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and beyond delicious. Above is the shrimp and below is the chicken, which was our most favorite of the night. It was moist, captivating, and magically disappeared in record time. It might be the best chicken quesadilla we have had in the 14 years of doing this. We will have to go back and check...
If your chicken quesadilla doesn't smile at you like this, you are not at Buena Onda!
The Mexican Salad is highly laudable, and is considered an entree. You know Peachy likes green salad and thinks it is a super idea for you too. They listened and put the dressing on the side for Ms. Superpicky and this symphony of jicama, orange, cucumber, tomatoes and romaine are further showcased by a lime-tajin (tajin is a chili pepper) vinaigrette.
Tacos at Buena Onda are considered appetizers and three of them is considered an entree. Ruperto's favorite is the Birria, above. It's shredded beef short rib and a totally carnivorous endeavor. Tacos are the best sellers here, and this one is simmered in a three chili sauce: Morita Chili, Ancho Chili and Pasilla Chili and the consomme broth accentuates the flavor further. You are going to love it!
We adored both the salmon and the steak entrees, and Ruperto's culinary flair brings them to higher echelons lording over his competition. Salmon Ala Veracruzana arrived perfectly medium as ordered, and Veracruzana is a State along the Gulf of Mexico. Fresh tomatoes, capers, and olives came to the party on a plate making it festive and fun. The Carne Asada Grilled Skirt Steak was grilled medium rare just as our little heart desired and was highlighted by wonderfully roasted corn and tomato habanero sauce.
Finally, you should know that not only is Ruperto Ramirez uber-talented in the Kitchen but he successfully doubles as the host, which few restaurant owners can pull off in double strength. We were delighted by this Mezcal which we had with him and the Churros with fresh orange zest were divine with vanilla ice cream.
Buena Onda is Terrific Takeout! We can't wait to see what they do next and we hope they keep up the excellence.
P.S. They show sports at the bar-a big plus along with Jamie the bartender who is fabulous!
