Carving a unique niche on Bell Boulevard, Cinco de Mayo brings traditional Mexican and Spanish cuisine to the already diverse area.
The restaurant is the dream of Gaspar Carrillo and Liberio Peregrina, once waiter and bartender respectively, who have been in the restaurant business for years. With the additional support of Gaspar’s wife, Maria Veronica, the trio from Puebla, Mexico, joined forces and opened Cinco de Mayo.
Describing the fare as comfort food, Gaspar said the restaurant has been open for a year-and-a-half and the owners plan to stay around much longer.
Walking into the restaurant, you immediately feel like you were invited to a family dinner in Mexico. Fresh nachos are abundant, served with a thick red salsa. The bar serves a dozen Mexican beers, including Dos Equis, Negro Modelo and Corona, and other drinks like tequila shooters, margaritas and mojitos. I enjoyed a bottle of smooth Tecate beer, served in a tall chilled glass with a lime wedge hanging off the lip.
A favorite among diners, Guacamole is made tableside, and is a sight to watch! The fresh ingredients are rolled out on a tray, and Haas avocadoes are split, seeded and mashed with a mortar as you watch. Mixed with onions, cilantro, jalapenos and tomatoes for a colorful dip, it is scooped into a Molcajete, which is a round lava stone bowl standing on three legs and decorated with a pig head on the front.
Ganbas con Hongas, firm shrimp bathed in a mushroom, garlic and white wine sauce, was reminiscent of an Italian Marsala sauce. The moment you begin to fall into that comfort, you are awakened by sweet green peppers and spicy hot pepper flakes.
Quesadillas Veracruz are simple and fun to eat, filled with melted cheese and tender shredded chicken, made from a base sauce that includes plum tomatoes, white wine and secret spices.
Moving onto the entrees, first up was Chimichangas - a deep-fried burrito encapsulated with shredded beef, cheese, beans and rice. To call this filling would be an understatement. Despite your stomach reaching maximum capacity, you will crave more of the moist marinated beef, served with rice and beans.
Paella Valenciana, a nod to the region of Spain from which paella originated, is not your typical rice casserole. As a paella purist, I was excited to see this served in a proper paella pan, called a “paellera.” Eating paella is like digging for buried treasure; the deeper you search, the more surprises you find. As I excavated my pan, I found shrimp, mussels, clams, squid, chicken and chorizo, permeated with the subtle saffron flavor in the yellow rice.
Ending on a sweeter note, I enjoyed some traditional Mexican and Spanish desserts. Churros, a golden fried doughnut rod rolled in cinnamon and sugar, were stacked like a log cabin, with a pink hill of strawberry ice cream living inside it. Flan Poblano, creamy custard under a blanket of caramel sauce and drizzled with a chocolate sauce, brought me back to Spain. Their twist is in the custard, which is made with banana liqueur, coffee, citrus rinds and cinnamon, layering flavors one after another.
Cinco de Mayo is an intimate and cozy restaurant, and you will feel right at home from the minute you enter until you walk out the door. It’s an excellent choice for a midday meal as well, with a daunting lunch special selection including taquitos, chuletas, tacos, huevos rancheros and even the “Bayside Burrito.” Bring a date, your family and even your mother-in-law, Cinco de Mayo offers something for everyone in your “familia!”
Cinco De Mayo
39-32 Bell Boulevard
Bayside, NY 11361
Phone: 718-224-0330
Fax: 718-224-0422
Myspace.com/baysidecinco
