Spring is upon us—or so they tell me; you certainly wouldn’t know it after the current spell of cold, damp weather we’ve had. For me, the return of warm weather and sunshine signals the perfect time for sandals, skirts, sun dresses and my two favorite things: margaritas and guacamole. Who am I am kidding, really? In my book, any time is the perfect time for margs and guac, but at least the change of season allows us to enjoy them outside (eventually).

I have traveled long and hard, far and wide on this isle of Manhattan in search of the perfect salty-rimmed marg and tangy, creamy glob of guac. In honor of this search, my next few posts will feature the tastiest Mexican restaurants in the city. Instead of saving the best for last, let’s bring it up first: El Rio Grande. After a long day at work, nothing beats heading to El Rio Grande, my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant on 38th Street in Murray Hill. The spot boasts amazing food and strong (comes with a warning from the bartender), flavorful margaritas—easily the best in Manhattan.

While the entrées are delicious, I usually opt to share some of the wide range of appetizers, including fabulous, fresh (and free!) chips and salsa), with my fellow Tex-Mex junkie friends. Hands-down, the most exciting and enticing appetizer is the made-to-order guacamole, which a server makes table-side. Other highlights include nachos de fajita (tortilla chips with steak, cheese, guacamole and refried beans piled on), chile con queso (simply the best queso I’ve ever had), the shrimp quesadilla and “Wild Bill” wings.

Of course, we can’t forget the margaritas. Each flavor, from strawberry and lime to pomegranate has a tart zing, but my favorite is mango. Lightweights be warned, however: The margs are so potent that even my limit is two. The bartenders have been known to warn unsuspecting females on dates about their strength. Rio also has a vast selection of other drinks, including beers and sangria for those sippers afraid to risk the ever-feared brain freeze.

After sampling from the crisp and cool, as well as the savory and spicy, be sure to finish the night with a sweet treat. If it happens to be someone’s birthday in your party, you can enjoy a warm chocolate brownie cake drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream. My friends and I love the divine dessert so much that we even coaxed one out of the waiter once on a non-birthday!

Because of its popularity, El Rio Grande can get crowded despite two full rooms for patrons. The restaurant organizes its space like the river itself, calling the northern room Texas and the southern room Mexico. Of course, both rooms have fully stocked bars. In spring and summer, the eatery also opens up its outdoor patio area to accommodate the onslaught of addicts like me. This spring, I might even look into saving time when I need a fix. Who knows how much rent costs in the apartment building above Rio?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 10:58 am and is filed under Food, Friends, Cocktails, New York City, East Side. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.