Lunch with the Girls: The Good

Lunch with the girls.  ~ Only four words, but a lifetime of friendships can be summed up in the phrase.  I could not begin to convey the significance of these lunches to me, but I can tell you all about the restaurants.

Recently, a friend and I tried a new contemporary Mexican restaurant in midtown called Sinigual.  Sinigual means without equal. While I cannot agree with that meaning completely, I can say that Sinigual was really good.  The striking  decor is the first thing that catches your eye.  The rich warm colors are inviting.  Service during the busy lunch hours was on point.  Our waiter was efficient and attentive, and we were seated promptly.  The portions turned out to be huge, and the prices were moderate given the midtown location.

We started with an order of guacamole made fresh at the table.  It was nicely flavored, and a cut above the guacamole I have had at similar restaurants.  I then moved on to a skirt steak tortas with a side of yucca fries which can only be described as yummy. The tortas is basically a sandwich with guacamole, lettuce, cabbage, jack cheese, pico de gallo and red pepper dip.  The flavors come together surprisingly well.  The skirt steak could have been more tender, but the next time I will opt for the chicken version. My friend had the carnitas, but offered me a generous sample.  (It is nice to have friends that share!)  The meat was incredibly tender, and the side dishes  complemented each other perfectly.

All through lunch, my friend and I chatted continuously.  (Food is generally secondary when having lunch with the girls.)  Conversation came to a halt  with dessert.  I saved room for dessert by packing up half of my entree.  This was a very smart move, as dessert could only be described as sublime. The Mexican Flan was a work of culinary art.  It seemed innocent sitting on the plate, but one spoonful let you know how dangerous it was.  It was subtle, smooth, creamy and sweet.  Each taste  a delight.  We also ordered the Tres Helados, a combination of 3 ice cream flavors with items I can only descibe as “crunchy bits”.  The ice cream excellent, but the crunchy bits took the dish to the next level.   (I ate them too fast to determine what they were exactly.) The only words that we exchanged for a  full ten minutes was “this is good”!

This was a definitely a lovely lunch with the girls!

Sinigual

150 East 42nd Street, New York NY 10017,   212.286.0250, www.sinigualrestaurants.com