Sunshine and Sangria

This weekend did not turn out as planned. With the forecast predicting a gray and rainy Saturday, I intended to spend the day doing laundry, cleaning my apartment, paying bills, grocery shopping, and maybe curling up on my couch to catch up on some reading or watch an old movie or two. Sunday, I would go up to the park for a run around the reservoir and then wander around until I found the perfect spot to sit and read, all in an attempt to make the most of what the weatherman was predicting to be one of our first beautiful sunny spring days. But this is not what happened because, as it turned out, the weatherman was wrong.

When the temperature broke 60 on Saturday afternoon, with not a drop of rain or hint of gray in the air, I did something I rarely do: I abandoned my plans. Deciding that laundry, cleaning, shopping, and movie-watching – all very indoor activities – could wait, I grabbed my sunglasses, a book, and a light sweater and headed up to the promenade by Carl Schurz Park, where I sat on a bench overlooking the East River for a solid two hours, reading, people-watching, and soaking up the sun. I didn’t get a drop of work done or check a single chore off of my to-do list, yet I didn’t feel the least bit guilty. The sun was wonderfully warm, there was a light breeze in the air, the river reflected the bright blue sky, and I felt as though I were recharging after the long, cold winter spent hidden away indoors.

Refreshed and reenergized by my afternoon in the sun, I ventured above 96th Street (well, only one block above) on Saturday night to meet my friends Jess and Courtney for dinner at El Paso Taqueria on 97th Street between Park and Madison. Since I rarely find myself in the upper 90s, I never would have stumbled upon this little Mexican restaurant, the only commercial venue on a block full of slightly run-down apartment buildings. But, when Jess recommended it, I agreed to travel a bit off the beaten path – and I was very glad I did.

Taqueria’s inviting orange exterior is an accurate representation of the atmosphere inside the cozy restaurant – warm and welcoming, with burnt sienna sponge-painted walls and colorful mosaic light fixtures. We settled in over sangria, margaritas, and guacamole and began to look over the very full menu, which boasted traditional mix-and-match tacos, burritos, and enchiladas as well as more unique selections like roast pork marinated with onions and pineapple, a pan-seared striped bass filet with salsa veracruzana, and a grilled skirt steak marinated in orange juice.

After much deliberation, I finally decided on the burrito camaron, which was filled with shrimp, onions, jalapenos, zucchini, tomatillo, cheese and salsa, while Jess and Courtney ordered, respectively, the pollo al carbon – grilled chicken with rice, beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo – and the three-enchilada combination – one filled with beef, one with chicken, one with cheese.

Our plates came heaped with our entrées plus generous helpings of rice and beans. Though the amount of food was a bit overwhelming at first, we all came close to cleaning our plates, and everything was so delicious we didn’t regret a bite. We did, however, have just enough room for dessert. After lingering over our drinks for a while, we decided to order the dessert special we had spied while trying to decide on our entrées: a crêpe filled with fresh strawberries, chocolate, and nutella. The perfect size for sharing, it was simply marvelous.

After a Saturday full of unpredicted sunshine and a delicious (and did I mention very affordable?) meal in a rather unexpected location, the Sunday that was supposed to be bright and sunny turned out to be chilly and overcast. Which made it the perfect day to spend cleaning, doing laundry, paying bills, and grocery shopping.

Sometimes the best-laid plans do go to waste, but even better ones pop up to replace them.