Playa Betty's
If you aren't following the lovely duo of @artsandfood_nyc then you should start! Dayna celebrated her birthday at Playa Betty's and recommended it as one of her favorite restaurants in NYC so that obviously meant I had to go there! Providing quality content and lots of laughs, I trust their recos are always good!
Playa Betty's is "California-style beach fare served to New York City's Upper West Side." When you walk in, you are transported to the West coast; there are surf boards, bright colors, and greenery everywhere. I could tell we were going to have a great time here!
We couldn't choose between two appetizers so we got both! The guac and chips were super fun because it was like your own DIY station. Each of us took some guac, put it on our individual plates and mixed in whatever we wanted. There were so many ingredients to choose from including onions, jalapeños and pomegranate seeds! The chips were also great because they were served warm and crispy.
Our other appetizer, the "Tot-chos" were a real treat! These are loaded tater tots made to mimic loaded nachos. What?! I know! These were perfectly crispy tater tots, probably the best I've ever had, topped with guac, sour cream, pico de gallo, and cheese. What more could anyone want? Oh that's right, drinks to get the party started...
My drink of choice was the Island Rum Punch which was incredibly strong (maybe better for a night out than an afternoon), Kelsey ordered the frozen Paloma, and Zuly got their red sangria. This bar is on point with their drinks for sure! [Photo of the Frozen Paloma from thirstymag.com]
Fun fact: I almost always order fish tacos when I'm trying a new restaurant out. I also got one carne asada taco which I didn't like as much but to be fair, the fish tacos were hard to beat! These tacos were tempura battered Mahi Mahi, with cabbage and avocado slaw, pico de gallo and cotija cheese. It was perfectly crisp on the outside, super juicy on the inside, and just the right amount of freshness from the lime and pico. Next time I'll ask for extra tortillas, these were hefty!
Zuly ordered the Hang 10 Burrito which I was heavy breathing at because there was chopped steak, french fries, jack cheese, guacamole and sour cream. This place really likes their potatoes and I'm not mad at them! Have you ever met food you couldn't stop taking pictures of? This was it.
Kelsey ordered the chicken enchiladas which came with rice and black beans. This wasn't on the plate long enough to get more photos! Needless to say, it was delicious.
I keep hearing great things about the brunch here so hopefully I will be coming back when it gets warmer out. Overall, we had a great time at Playa Betty's and you should definitely check them out on 75th and Amsterdam Avenue.
Thanks for checking out this post, check back for more foodie adventures!