California Vegetarian

Recently, my brother-in-law decided to take the family on a trip to New York City to attend a Yankees game since this is the last season before the team moves across the street to the new stadium. George and I happily accepted the invitation. The result for California Vegetarian was two wonderful dinners in small family owned restaurants just a couple blocks off Times Square. 

Cancun Restaurant is a hole in the wall Mexican place that serves excellent food with some great vegetarian options in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The dining area is very small, one could say intimate. We arrived for an early dinner and caught the family finishing their meal in a corner of the restaurant. The children continued to play and talk a few tables away while we ordered and ate. To my delight, the bulk of their conversation was about what their favorite vegetables were. The loudest girl, who looked and sounded about 8 years old, boldly declared that her favorite was carrots. Another child voted for broccoli, and yet another preferred his beans. The dining room was relaxed, but the service was good. Our food arrived warm and more than filled our stomachs. Still, if you are a stodgy out-eater, Cancun is not for you. If food is more important than table cloths and finery, and you find yourself in Manhattan hankering for vegetarian Mexican food, you should give Cancun a try.

Like most Mexican restaurants, the majority of the menu is for meat-eaters, but there are a few vegetarian options. On the dinner menu (the lunch menu is smaller and ends around 4pm) we counted six: Eggplant Casserole $9.95), Legumbre [mixed vegetable] Casserole ($9), [Cheese] Flautas ($11.95), Vegetable Enchiladas ($10.25), Mega Cancun Salad ($9.25), and Vegetable Fajitas ($11.95) (You can review their menu at www.menupages.com).

George and I both opted for the Vegetable Enchiladas. It actually looked like the chef had diced whatever vegetables were in the kitchen and rolled with together with garbanzo beans and stuffed the tortillas. I think George and I counted over a half-dozen different vegetables in the mix. The sauce was good, and there was not too much cheese. They came with rice and beans (both clean according to our server) as usual. They were very tasty. Also very tasty—their salsa! It was clearly house-made. It was full-flavored with just enough kick to make it interesting. Their guacamole was also great.

In the end, Cancun was not outstanding, in that I’d not suggest you make it a destination restaurant for vegetarian dining, but it was very good. Not only were George and I happy with our vegetarian dinners, our omnivorous family members were content with their menu choices, as well. I’d eat at Cancun again if I were with a group of carnivores who wanted Mexican food in Manhattan.