Try Black Ant Guacamole At This New East Village Restaurant
June 2, 2014, 3:47 p.m.
Plus grasshoppers in the tacos.
Hopefully you took our suggestion and got over your fear of eating insects because a new East Village eatery boasts a menu full of creepy crawlies—and they look delicious. The team behind popular Mexican restaurant Ofrenda in the West Village has opened their new restaurant Black Ant, on 2nd Avenue between East 3rd and 4th Streets, and true to its name you'll find the little buggers in several dishes and drinks, along with some other antennaed animals. The restaurant sources its ants from Mexico, where the bugs are dehydrated before being shipped to the States.
Meals here should begin with the requisite Black Ant Guacamole ($13), which gets flavored with orange and pasilla peppers and chicatana (ant) salt; or perhaps grasshopper is more your speed, with the Tlayuda con Chapulines ($14), a crunchy tortilla topped with sauteed grasshoppers, cheese and salsa. Insect averse diners can opt for the more familiar Tacos de Chivo Revolcado (barbacoa goat, $12) or the restaurant's take on fish tacos: Tacos de Cocohas ($13), cod cheeks with mango slaw and garlic aioli.
Entrees include Bunuelos de Pato ($24), roasted duck dumplings smothered in a mole negro and sprinkled with cotija cheese and Pollo de Plaza ($23), a jerk roasted chicken served with salsa cruda, creamy string beans and some tortillas. Sides include Mezcal Rice and Quelites (sauteed greens) but the Nopal Fries are an unusual must-order: cactus dredged and fried until crispy then served with dipping sauce.
In stark contrast to the brightly colored dining rooms common to the city's Mexican eateries, Black Ant opts for a darker look, with a borderline menacing portrait of the restaurant's namesake critter. Instead of rainbows and twinkling lights, diners are immersed in a sleek, monotone environment, which helps to make the festive-looking cocktails even more saturated. As promised, the bugs make it to the drinks as well, such as the Yum Kaax ($12), a tribute to the Mayan maize god made with mezcal, corn juice, citrus, agave and wild Mexican herbs, finished with an ant salt rim.
60 Second Avenue, 212-598-0300; blackantnyc.com
