Something exciting happened in lower Manhattan today. No, not the president’s visit. Rather, Nixtamal, the Corona restaurant and tortilleria that supplies tortillas made from freshly ground corn to the likes of Fonda Nolita and La Esquina, has opened its first Manhattan outpost. Remember the four vacant food kiosks at Municipal Plaza, near 1 Centre Street? Their landlord, Aegina Angeliades, tells us she’s filled one of them (the former home of Choza) with Nixtamal, and it’s now serving tacos, tamales, tortas, and more from 11 a.m. onward (they’ll soon be delivering, and they’re also going after a beer and wine license for outdoor drinking). The menu is below. And Nixtamalito (as the stand calls itself) isn’t the only newcomer to Municipal Plaza.
Angeliades (whose family has overseen the kiosks for over a decade) says she got interest from everyone from Red Hook Lobster Pound to La Crepe Parisienne to Slice The Perfect Food, but ultimately she decided to go with an operator who was involved with the stands back when they were called the Plaza Food Court. That operator has brought back the name Plaza Food Court and is serving an extensive diner-style menu of breakfast items (omelettes, pancakes, French toast, even hot grits with butter), baked goods, grilled cheeses, burgers, hot sandwiches, deli sandwiches, wraps, panini, soups, salads, burritos, and quesadillas.
Next to the Plaza Food Court kiosk, a few new vendors will open in the next week: Center Melts, operated by one Derek Markovic, will be a grilled-cheese stand that allows you to pick from Balthazar breads and local cheeses (there’s no stopping the grilled-cheese trend!). One variety will consist of sweet cinnamon or chocolate bread with cream-cheese filling. That’ll share a kiosk with Mud Coffee as well as with Light Bites, a gluten-free concept selling muffins, brownies, quiches, pita pizzas, cupcakes, waffles, and create-your-own parfaits made from Greek yogurt. And next to that kiosk, first-timer Danny Che will operate a custom-built cart selling a version of Hawaiian shaved ice. Oh, yes.
The kiosk next to Nixtamalito is still looking for a tenant, by the way. “We’re currently talking to Sullivan Street Bakery to fill the last available spot,” says Angeliades. “We’re looking for a perfect match and union that will add to the overall harmony and success of the food court — ideally it’s a vendor interested in selling breakfast and lunch items, and perhaps someone looking for an express/satellite store to expand into, distribute out of, or make their first appearance in Manhattan.”
Nixtamalito menu
Guacamole with chips and salas $6
Nachos (with beans, Oaxaca cheese, tomato, avocado, cream) $7
Elote (grilled corn dipped in cream, cheese and chili) $3.50
Ensaladas (avocado, cactus) - $5
Sopas (pozole, tortilla) - $5
Vuelva la Vida (seafood cocktail) $12
Tamales - $3.50 each
Verdes with pork
Chipotle with pork and chicken (spicy)
Pollo with red salsa
Mole with chicken
Rajas (tomatoes, chiles, cheese)
Tacos (per taco)
Chicken - $2.50
Pork - $2.50
Steak - $2.50
Fish - $2.75
Barbacoa (Lamb) - $2.75
Carnitas or al Pastor (Pork) - $2.50
Nopale with Oaxaca cheese - $2.50
Bean & avocado - $2
Platos Especiales
Tostada with chicken, steak, or veggie - $4
Chicken enchiladas in mole - $8
Enchiladas verdes with chicken or pork - $8
Tortas - $7
Chicken
Steak
Pork
Bean/cheese
Quesadilla with cheese and/or beans - $2.50
Quesadilla with shrimp - $3
Also available fresh corn tortillas at $3/lb
