Ceviche First for an East Village Taco Week

At Don Ceviche on First Avenue, fresh ceviche and causa put Peruvian comfort food before the week's tortilla comparisons, with picarones waiting as another possibility. Start bright, stay curious. For serious eaters weighing a line, I'd prioritize ceviche before another taco rather than chase unverified scarcity. Ask about causa before adding anticuchos; small-portion feedback makes this a tasting stop, not my automatic feast.

Flaky flour tortillas at Tacos Domingo and shrimp or carne asada at Jo's Tacos give East Village counter hunters different ways to judge a filling. Compare texture, not hype. I'd start with Domingo's bean-and-cheese taco, then take a short walk toward Jo's on East 14th. Ask for onions and cilantro there; feedback notes a light hand. Skip another full order until you've compared both.

Taqueria Gramercy's Third Avenue room trades quick takeaway energy for fish tacos, fresh chips and salsa in a Mexican-American setting that can get loud. Favor fish, question extras. For selective queuers, one stop leaves appetite for tomorrow's tortilla study. Pick citrusy fish tacos first; ask for chips if missing, and check the burrito filling before committing.

Hand-pressed tortillas in Santo Taco's open kitchen on University Place turn a taco order into something worth watching before the plate becomes another photograph. Watch hands, then decide. This is my choice for hunters who value process over a rumored drop. Start with pork carnitas and roasted salsas, then consider zucchini or mushroom for contrast. Keep the order focused before Friday's standing-only counter.

Lafayette Street's standing-only Los Tacos No. 1 keeps family-recipe street tacos focused on pork, grilled chicken and carne asada, bringing the week back to basics. Pick pork, pause afterwards. For serious taco collectors, I'd make pork tacos the first order rather than build a tray around hype. Aguas frescas offer the next decision. Choose this stop for a compact comparison, not a seated, lingering dinner.

On MacDougal Street, Taquería el Chato compresses suadero, al pastor and house salsas into a tiny counter where most customers choose takeout over a seat. Small counter, clear priorities. Queue-minded solo eaters get a useful contrast after Lafayette: a possible brief line, with fast-moving service noted. I'd order suadero before comparing salsas and plan for takeaway; don't count on the sliver of counter seating.

Seasonal Latin sharing plates at ABC Cocina on East 19th Street move the week's final comparison from tortillas at a counter to family-style appetizers and individual entrees. Share thoughtfully, spend selectively. For higher-budget food hunters, I'd close with spiced cauliflower tacos rather than repeat another meat filling. Ask which vegetarian plates suit sharing, and keep the order measured: feedback flags small portions and high prices.